For the past seven years, people have taken on the Stoptober challenge. In this post, we’ll take a look at what Stoptober is, whether you can still attempt to stop smoking even as the month of the challenge draws to a close, and some helpful tips for giving up for good.
Stoptober is a Public Health England initiative designed to help people stop smoking. Studies have shown that if people are able to stop smoking for 28 consecutive days, they are five times more likely to quit smoking for good. As a result, Stoptober invites smokers to give up smoking for 28 days of October (and hopefully beyond).
Yes, October may have already started, but this isn’t a reason why you shouldn’t take this opportunity to stop smoking. After all, if you’re waiting for Stoptober as the perfect excuse, then you’d be waiting another full calendar year to get started!
“Stoptober” may be a catchy name, but really you can do it at any time of year. Essentially, you’re just looking to give up smoking for 28 consecutive days, so this is something you can do in any calendar month.
The strength in Stoptober is the community aspect behind it. However, many of the people will carry on the challenge in November, so you can keep in touch with them and they can share their experiences. If you’re not interested in the community links as such, you can simply ask a friend to do it with you.
There are plenty of self-help tips to help you give up smoking, including:
Avoid Triggers – For many people, a pint of beer and a cigarette are a match made in heaven. If this is the case for you, then you should consider limiting your alcohol intake when you first stop.
Get Moving – Staying active can help cut out any cravings for cigarettes. This doesn’t have to be strenuous. Walking the dog will do.
Reward Yourself – To help inspire yourself, you should create an award at the end of the process. If you stop smoking for a month, you’ll likely save around £141. Treat yourself to something nice at the end of the month.
For some people, these tips alone are not enough. If you think that going ‘cold turkey’ is too much, then consider other options.
Some people simply choose to cut down on the amount they smoke, while other people use patches or gum to help the process along. This still allows them to enjoy a small amount of nicotine.
Finally, some people stop smoking in favor of e-liquids. The various flavors of e-liquids mean there are plenty of different options, and a landmark study has shown that long-term vaping is ‘far safer than smoking’.
Stoptober may be a highly effective way to stop smoking, but it isn’t the only solution. You can adopt the philosophy at any time of the year to help beat your addiction Why not start today?
If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels then we have a lot to choose from.
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