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Spring Is Here

Dr_Hurt
Mayo Clinic
0 1 17

So, it is March and spring is here.  What a great time to stop smoking.  Spring means a new start.  If you live in a wintry place, you will have more opportunities to be outside to keep busy.  You will be able to engage in activities like gardening, bike riding, camping, playing tennis, etc.  If you are in a place that is always hot, you can join in the spirit of rebirth that spring provides.

One key to success is making a plan to use all the tools at your disposal.  You will want to take a medication that is right for you, but also develop a plan for behavioral changes.  Find strategies that will be helpful to you during those “trigger” situations such as when your feeling stressed, bored, lonely, or tired.  Write out a list of ways in which you will reward yourself after finishing a task, or reward yourself when you get through a smoking situation without lighting up.  Use the EX website to its fullest extent.

Take advantage of this time of the year to develop a plan to stop smoking and renew your spirit.  Write out your plan, talk with your health care provider about medications that can help, set a date, and begin to enjoy a healthier, smoke-free lifestyle!

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About the Author
Retired in 2014. 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.