Warm weather is on the way! Many of us in the snow-covered states have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get outdoors for a bit of warm weather and sunshine. This can be an exciting and hopeful prospect, especially when trying to stop using tobacco. Keeping busy and distracted with pleasurable activities can be a great strategy as part of a plan to stop, and springtime affords many opportunities:
- Get out your bike and have it tuned up
- Hunt down your favorite walking shoes
- Dig up your gardening supplies
- Sign up for tennis (golf?) lessons
- Find your hiking boots
- Untangle your fishing poles
- Tackle a spring cleaning project
Spring can be a time for optimism, with sunshine and warmer weather bringing positive thoughts and motivation for making a change. Remember that merely thinking optimistically can improve your quality of life and also your attempt to become tobacco-free. Take advantage of springtime and all the great ideas shared on BecomeAnEX.org.
Dr. Richard D. Hurt is an internationally recognized expert on tobacco dependence. A native of Murray, Kentucky, he joined Mayo Clinic in 1976 and is now a Professor of Medicine at its College of Medicine. In 1988, he founded the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center and since then its staff has treated more than 50,000 patients for tobacco dependence. Send your questions directly to Dr. Hurt at AskTheExpert@becomeanex.org
