Prioritizing your health is necessary if you want to be in the best shape possible to accomplish your responsibilities, avoid contracting illnesses, and live a long life. My post discussing easy ways to stay healthy for longer reveals that one key practice for achieving these goals is to avoid cigarettes. By not smoking, you lower your risk of developing cancer, heart complications, and lung issues that can severely affect your health and well-being.

If you do smoke, it's never too late to quit the habit. It doesn't need to be that challenging, either. Even with your busy lifestyle, there are some sustainable methods you can try to quit smoking and take control of your health:

Quit gradually

If you quit cold turkey, withdrawal symptoms may cause you to relapse. It can thus be more sustainable to gradually adjust to not smoking using tobacco-free alternatives like nicotine pouches and lozenges. Nicotine pouches are placed in the mouth for nicotine release. Though there are many brands of pouches available, you may want to try those from On!. As seen on this website, they cost as little as $3.49 a can—making them an accessible and affordable quitting aid you can try. They also come in nicotine strengths ranging from 2mg to 8mg, so you can lower your dosage over time. Meanwhile, nicotine lozenges slowly melt in your mouth. However, you'll want to avoid sucking, chewing, or swallowing them for better nicotine release. To prevent further negative health effects while quitting, consider getting Nic Nac Natural's lozenges. This article on the brand shares that unlike others on the market, it doesn't use aggressive pH adjusters—so your oral tissues won't get irritated as you try quitting smoking gradually.

Move more

A surprising fact about working out is that it can help you quit smoking. This page informs that smoking withdrawal symptoms and cravings decrease during exercise and up to 50 minutes after. Aerobic exercises that cause you to sweat and breathe harder—like running, boxing, and dancing—are particularly known to reduce smoking urges. However, it can be hard to incorporate workouts into your routine if you're on a busy schedule. Fortunately, there's a way to make this tip more sustainable: move more. This can be as simple as walking to work if it's close by, taking the stairs instead of riding elevators, opting for walking over traditional meetings, or even taking advantage of the company gym—if you have one. If you have more free time in your day, set aside at least 30 minutes of movement, even if it’s just running on a treadmill or jumping rope. That way, you can boost your chances of quitting smoking while simultaneously improving your health.

Manage your stress

Stress is a primary factor for smoking. A study on the prevalence of cigarette smoking among women notes how job stress—and a lack of healthier methods of managing it—is one of the primary factors that keep them smoking. For example, you may light a cigarette to “unwind” whenever you face problems at work. If you experience job stress, there are a few simple yet sustainable tips you can try to lower your dependence on cigarettes for relief. One great way to get started is to set boundaries. Learn to say no to tasks that are beyond your role so you can maintain a more manageable workload. You can also talk with your manager or supervisor about other stressors at work, such as those caused by colleagues or clients, so you can work together to find a solution.

Seek support

Quitting smoking is already a hard task to do—more so when you do it alone. Therefore, it may be helpful to seek support. This research article on peer support for smoking cessation shows that women who had someone to lean on when attempting to quit had higher chances of success than those who didn't. Getting much-needed support from loved ones, fellow quitters, and professionals can help you realize that you’re not alone on this journey and give you the motivation and advice you need to succeed. A great thing about this quitting method is that receiving this support is accessible, even for those busy at work and home. Aside from turning to loved ones, resources like the Smokefree Women’s website provide access to 24/7 texting programs that offer encouragement, advice, and tips. Some resources even host Facebook pages where you can connect with women in similar situations and gain more insights into how they quit smoking successfully.

Quitting smoking requires consistently practicing good habits that help you avoid cravings. With these tips, may you finally stop smoking and take better control of your health.