Quitting smoking is overwhelming. That’s because it is more than just breaking physical dependence on nicotine. The move involves changing habits and lifestyle significantly. What’s more, a person needs coping strategies to stop smoking. Nevertheless, quitting smoking is an essential move that a person can make towards improving the quality and length of life. 

It’s no secret that cigarette smoking is a harmful habit. That’s why many people are looking for ways to end the addiction. Unfortunately, nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Therefore, quitting smoking requires more than willpower. A person must know the techniques to employ to quit smoking. 

After being unable to quit smoking, some people turn to nicotine replacement therapies. For instance, a person can invest in a desktop vaporizer (vapingdaily gives full info) and use it instead of smoking cigarettes whenever nicotine cravings strike. This device can be used to vaporize nicotine-containing concentrate instead of smoking traditional cigarettes. The popularity of vaporizers has proliferated as more people switch from smoking to vaping. That’s because vaping is seen as a less harmful alternative to smoking since it does not involve combustion. 

Why Stop Smoking? 

The effects of cigarette smoking are the major reason why many people want to quit the habit. According to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking causes about 390,000 premature deaths in the United States. Additionally, 16 million individuals suffer from smoking-related diseases. 

It’s estimated that 41,000 people die from smoking-related illnesses every year due to secondhand smoke. Thus, smoking releases secondhand smoke with chemicals that are dangerous even to the people close to a smoker. 

In addition to the adverse health effects of smoking, a person can realize significant financial savings when they end the habit. These include saving the money spent on the purchase of cigarettes and medical bills that arise from smoking-related illnesses. Essentially, quitting smoking at any age is beneficial, regardless of the duration for which a person has been a smoker. 

Why Is It Hard to Stop Smoking? 

The addictive nature of nicotine, which is a stimulant, is why many people have a hard time trying to quit the habit. Every cigarette has between one and two milligrams of pure nicotine. Once a person smokes, the nicotine receptor is stimulated in their brain. This stimulation leads to dopamine release, thereby increasing endorphin levels in the brain. 

Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter. It makes a person realize that activities like having sex and eating are pleasurable. A person smokes a traditional cigarette or uses the best desktop vaporizer to supply nicotine to the brain. And, when the brain doesn’t the usual supply of nicotine, withdrawal occurs. 

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are the major reasons why many people have a hard time trying to quit. They include restlessness, irritability, headache, depression, increased appetite, and insomnia. 

How to Stop Smoking 

The quest to stop smoking can be the test of your willpower. However, having the willpower doesn’t always mean you deprive yourself of the external tools that you can use. Here are some of the ways you can stop smoking. 

Cold Turkey 

This is a common technique for quitting smoking. However, this is one of the least effective strategies for quitting smoking. Although it’s among the fastest quit-smoking methods, a person needs a lot of willpower to succeed. Therefore, it’s not recommended for individuals that want to quit quickly because of a severe medical condition. 

Medications 

Some people use nicotine replacement therapies to stop smoking. These therapies provide a safer smoking alternative, thereby making the quitting process easier. Common nicotine replacement therapies include patches, gums, nasal sprays, and inhalers. 

Some prescription medications are also used to help individuals quit smoking. These medications are nicotine-free and not habit-forming, and they increase the success rate for most people. Such drugs include Bupropion and Varenicline. 

Electronic Cigarettes 

You probably know a person that has invested in a desktop dry herb vaporizer because they want to switch from smoking to vaping and eventually end the habit ultimately. Well, the current market has different types of electronic cigarettes that some people are using to quit smoking. These devices work like nicotine replacement therapies. Currently, smokers can find other brands of nicotine-containing e-liquids that they can use to decrease their intake gradually. 

Using a desktop vape to supply nicotine to the body avoids the more than 7,000 chemicals produced whenever an individual smokes a traditional cigarette. Electronic cigarettes use a heating coil to vaporize e-liquids. And because most of them resemble traditional cigarettes, they address the physical aspect of smoking addiction. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 

This is a form of therapy whose focus is on a specific problem in the life of a person. Some people use cognitive behavioral therapy to stop smoking because it changes their maladjusted patterns for thought. This maladjustment is the reason why a person experiences cravings when they attempt to quit smoking. When behavioral therapy is used to change the patterns, a person learns constructive and new ways of addressing the anxiety and stress associated with an attempt to quit smoking. 

Tips to Help You Stop Smoking 

As hinted, nicotine withdrawal makes the process of quitting smoking difficult for most people. Here are tips to help you overcome or deal with nicotine withdrawal symptoms. 

• Avoid triggers to reduce your risk of relapsing. 
• Wash anything that smells of cigarette smoking, including your clothes and home. 
• Dispose of smoking paraphernalia to reduce your nicotine cravings. 
• Exercise regularly to stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain. 
• Engage in a new hobby to keep your body and mind occupied as a way of dealing with cravings. 
• Choose healthy snacks to reach out for whenever appetite increases. 
• Find ways to calm down and relax without turning to nicotine. 
• Reduce your daily caffeine intake 
• Meditate more often to deal with the psychological aspect of withdrawal from nicotine 
• Drink more water to enhance nicotine detoxification 
• Breathe deeply whenever nicotine craving strikes 

The Bottom Line 

Whether a person opts to go cold turkey or start by purchasing a tabletop vaporizer and quit gradually, their effort is worthwhile. That’s because smoking has many negative effects on the health of a person. Even those around a smoker can suffer the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. Nevertheless, quitting smoking requires more than willpower. Luckily, these techniques and tips can help you stop smoking for good. 

Working as a nurse is a very demanding job both in the hours that nurses must work and the emotional and mental challenges that they face regularly. Often on the frontlines of healthcare, a nurse must be an adaptable individual who is always ready and willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Some nurses aspire to become experts or specialists in a specific field of medicine. This can be a tricky thing to manage as most nurses need to continue working while obtaining an advanced degree geared towards helping them to become a specialist. Since the demands of the job, in general, are so significant, some nurses might feel intimidated by the thought of going to school while continuing to work at the same time.

If you are looking to enroll in an advanced degree program to achieve everything that you want to out of your nursing career, the good news is that this is something that nurses across the country manage to do. Here are a few things that you could do to help you earn your advanced degree while you continue to work as a nurse.

Pick the Right Program

The first thing you will need to do as you start your journey to earning an advanced nursing degree is to find and enroll in the right program for you. Depending upon your current level of education, you might be looking to obtain either a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Some career tracks in nursing even require a doctorate. As you can imagine, the difficulty level rises with each type of degree. You will need to identify exactly what type of degree you need to earn to achieve your goals and then find the right program that suits your circumstances.

There are many different programs out there to choose from, but it is essential to keep in mind the hours that are going to plan to work when you pick the one for you. For instance, it is much more manageable to earn a DNP online as opposed to having to participate in a degree program that is set in a classroom or lecture hall for the most part. While such degrees will still very likely require clinical hours in combination with online lectures and assignments, it can be much more easily managed.

It will take a fair amount of research and self-reflection to find the right program to suit your employment situation, but this will prove to be the most helpful thing you can do to manage to both work and study at the same time.

Get Organized

If you are going to work to earn a degree while continuing to work full time, then you are going to need to be extremely organized. Not only does this mean that you will need to invest in a good planner and stay on top of all of your important dates and deadlines, but you will also need to create a good space wherein you can complete your studies and assignments when you are at home.

Whether you are going to attend classes in person or complete your degree online, it is essential to designate a specific room or place in your home where you will complete your schoolwork. A home office would be most ideal as this would be a space that you can close off to the other distractions of your house when need be. This is not always a possibility, though.

Those who don’t have a home office can still create the perfect studying environment for themselves where they can complete all necessary coursework without distractions. Make sure that everything you need is within reach and that your space is comfortable and well lit. Failure to have a designated and functional study space might leave you open to distractions, something that those who are working while earning a degree can’t really afford to have.

Become a Master Communicator

When you are trying to balance work and school, the most essential skill that you need to be proficient in is communication. You will need to be able to communicate well with your employer and coworkers so that they are aware of any key exam dates or major assignment deadlines that might get in the way of work. Because the degree you are earning will likely positively contribute to what you bring to the table at your job, your employer will be able to understand and work with you on such things so long as you communicate them effectively.

Furthermore, chances are that work and school aren’t the only two things that you have in your life right now. Your personal relationships and other commitments are essential as well. Your friends and loved ones will surely be able to support you in your endeavors, but only if you communicate your situation to them.

Build Your Support System

Those who choose to work and earn a degree at the same time will need to have a reliable support system around them. You need to be aware of the fact that at some point or other, you will need help managing all the demands of your job, your degree, and your life. You might also struggle at times to manage the stress associated with everything that you are trying to accomplish. For this reason, you should have a system of friends and family members that you know you can rely on.

Whether you need help collecting the kids from school a few days a week or if you don’t quite have the time one evening to get dinner on the table, your support system will be there to help pick up the slack. Remember that these are individuals who want to see your succeed and achieve all that you aspire to in your career. It is ok to ask for help in such circumstances. A good support system is essential to your success as you work and earn your advanced nursing degree.