If you have been a tobacco user, you understand that tobacco urges are potent. But, if you are trying to quit, you cannot let these urges get the better of you. Hence, anytime you experience an urge to smoke, it will pass if you hold yourself back for five minutes. Bear in mind, every 5 minutes of holding back takes you one step closer to ultimately quitting. Here are four self-help tips to quit smoking.

1. Define why you want to quit
You should be strongly motivated to quit smoking. Therefore, you need to back your decision to quit with a solid reason. It could be anything – family, keeping cancer at bay, or a healthy lifestyle. You must ensure that your reason is powerful enough to help you hold a firm ground whenever you experience a strong urge.

2. Avoid triggers
Your smoking urges are strongest in situations where you chewed tobacco or smoked most often. It could be with a friend, on your drive to work, at bars, anytime you are stressed, or whenever you sip your morning coffee. To successfully quit smoking, you must know your triggers. Once you know these, formulate a plan to avoid these triggers or endure them without smoking a cigarette. If you recently decided to quit smoking, then do not test yourself and actively keep away from these triggers. For instance, if you usually experience an urge to smoke when you are stressed, stop pulling all-nighters and avoid activities that stress you.

3. Try meditation
Permanently quitting smoking can be stressful. The urge to smoke can aggravate if you are experiencing anxiety. So, to quit smoking, sans any stress or anxiety, you must try mindfulness, yoga, or meditation. These are calming activities and will help you relax.

4. Stay positive
Being tobacco-free after a long addiction is difficult. So, always know that quitting smoking is a gradual process that you need to keep at to successfully overcome your urges. However, do not pressure yourself to quit smoking. Ensure that you take it one day at a time and do not keep count. If you focus on today, you will eventually quit smoking. You may not find success immediately, but stay positive and keep at it. In the initial days, you can reward yourself even for small achievements. So, if you do not smoke the whole day, then you can treat yourself any way you like but not a cigarette.