Quitting smoking is more than just leaving behind a bad habit. You’re breaking the chains of a harmful and potentially deadly addiction, which is no easy task. You’re probably going to hit some snags along the way, and that’s perfectly normal. Don’t beat yourself up over it!
Mental fog is one symptom you may experience when you quit. It comes from the lack of nicotine, which your brain and body have become chemically dependent on. Nicotine is highly addictive, and cigarettes and tobacco products have been engineered to contain up to twice as much nicotine as in the past. They’re more addictive, and cigarettes are more deadly than ever.
Navigating the new mental fog that accompanies your withdrawal has proven difficult, but we’ve got a great list of tips to help you out. Let’s look closer at how to avoid mental fog when you quit smoking.
Take It Slow
Many people try to jump in head-first and quit smoking cold turkey. This method rarely works, as nicotine addiction is powerful and not easy to break without help. That’s not to say you can’t do it, but quitting cold turkey increases your risk of failure and will expose you to the very worst symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
One of the best ways to avoid these symptoms is to take it slow. Don’t jump off of nicotine all at once. Slowly remove it from your life, a little bit at a time. You’re probably thinking, “But that means I’ll have to keep smoking to get a nicotine dose.” Luckily, this isn’t the case. There are tobaccoless products like those from Black Buffalo that provide a potent dose of nicotine without the dangers of tobacco.
Black Buffalo focuses on creating the best tobacco free dip you can get, with the same taste, feel, smell, and texture as real tobacco. It’s a good alternative to smoking, and a good stepping-stone to giving up cigarettes once and for all.
Use CBD Gummies To Help
CBD products have made a splash in mainstream culture recently. An explosion of products followed 2018’s Farm Bill, which effectively legalized the growth and cultivation of industrial hemp; a species of Cannabis.
Cannabis is home to around 113 chemical compounds known as Cannabinoids, which interact with our body’s Endocannabinoid System. This system controls things like pain response, appetite, and more. The beauty of CBD is that it doesn’t interact with the ECS the same way its cousin THC does. THC produces the classic “high” that marijuana users experience, but CBD offers similar medicinal properties without impairment.
Some research even suggests that CBD can be used to help treat addiction, including nicotine addiction. If you want something to help you leave behind tobacco, try taking CBD gummies like those from Verma Farms. Or, if you don’t want edibles, you can try topical ointments and lotions or even a tincture.
CBD offers a few minor side-effects and no major side-effects. It’s safe for all ages and has been proven to help manage things like anxiety, inflammation, and pain.
Stay Active
Staying active will not only help alleviate the mental fog, but it will also help improve the health of your body after smoking for years. Your boy has likely suffered tremendously at the hands of tobacco, and needs a healthy, active lifestyle in order to recover. Your lungs and heart/blood vessels will heal in time, but you need to give them a boost by staying fit and active.
Adults should exercise at least a few times per week. This can be a walk, run, jump rope session, martial arts training, or anything that gets you up and moving. You’d be surprised at how beneficial a simple daily walk can be for your health!
Drink Lots Of Water And Eat Right
Water is important for keeping the body’s major systems functioning properly. Yes, that includes the brain, too. The brain needs water and nutrients just like every other organ, which means you’ll need to watch your diet as well. Don’t consume too many sugary, fatty, or high-carb foods. Stick to lean meats like fish and poultry, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, and fresh ingredients. There’s something to be said about buying fresh ingredients. It can make a huge difference in the quality of your cooking and your body will notice a difference, too. Processed foods contain preservatives, high levels of sodium, and more—everything your body doesn’t need.
Connect With Others Who Have Already Quit
Sometimes, the mental fog comes from feeling alone and isolated during the process. Smoking has away of ostracizing you from certain social groups, and your smoker friends might not be supportive during the quitting process. This is a good time to connect with the larger community of people who have already quit or are in the process.
There are smoker support groups both on and offline, and cessation apps allow you to do more than just track your progress. Many are connected to forums or online groups that offer support to people who are quitting for good.
Support can make a big difference in your efforts. Going it alone is a challenge, but it’s a little less so if you have someone watching your back.
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