Of those, over 16 million live with a smoking-related disease.
On November 21, the Great American Smokeout is set to help smokers to quit their nicotine habit. While quitting smoking isn’t easy, the immediate and long-term health benefits are worth the quitting struggle.
Encourage your employees who smoke to kick the unhealthy habit for good this month.
Unsure how to help?
This post will list the best tools and tips that will actually help employees quit smoking once and for all.
On November 21, smokers are invited to unite to kick their habit for good. Encourage your employees who have been thinking about quitting by giving them tips to help quit smoking in the days leading up to the Great American Smokeout.
A few reasons to encourage employees to quit:
Best of all, the physical benefits of quitting smoking start right away. Within 20 minutes, a person’s heart rate returns to normal. In 2-3 weeks, the odds of having a heart attack lower. It also reduces the chance of developing lung cancer later in life.
Read more here about the benefits of a smoke-free worksite.
Encourage employees who want to quit to create and review a plan to quit smoking. Additionally, setting up a support network in advance in the workplace can be helpful.
Some ways to set up a support network:
Share the below content in a newsletter, paste these ideas on a wall, or post it on social media. However you do it, send these tips along with a positive message that you support your employees who are giving it their best effort.
These tips and tools can help employees to kick the habit in the butt for good:
This addictive habit is hard to break, so reflecting on your “why” is important. It should be specific — more than “because I should” — to feel worth following through on. When your reason to quit is big enough, you have something positive to fall back on when kicking the habit gets tough.
Some state programs offer quit aids to reduce the chances of a smoker going back to the habit. These options can be a successful part of a stop smoking plan if quitting cold turkey doesn’t work for you.
Over-the-counter options include:
If over-the-counter nicotine replacements don’t work for you, a prescription inhaler or nasal spray might be worth considering. Talk to your doctor to help make the best choice for you.
If you’re planning on quitting smoking during the Great American Smokeout, it might be helpful to have backup support from a medical professional. Your doctor can present a variety of methods and help you choose which would be best for you. Additionally, there are alternatives to medication or nicotine patches, too.
Here are a few alternative options:
Ask your doctor how to minimize withdrawal symptoms, especially if your attempts to quit have been unsuccessful before.
Identify what encourages your smoking habit. It’s different for everyone, but if you plan in advance to have another activity to minimize the temptation, it can deviate your behavior in the right direction.
Some triggers may include:
If possible, try to avoid or mitigate being around those triggers the first few weeks after you quit. It’s always hardest during the first few weeks as your body is processing the nicotine out of your system.
Smokers who quit the habit are generally on edge the first few weeks. It’s a difficult transition to stop smoking, so be sure to tell your family and friends. Ask for their support and patience.
Not sure where to find support? Try these resources:
You don’t need to feel alone in your journey to quit. Partner up with another smoker to hold each other accountable. Tell a friend or family member and ask for their daily encouragement.
Feeling fidgety because you don’t have a cigarette in hand? It may be time to find new hobbies and implementing changes to keep your mind occupied.
A few ideas:
If stress always has you turning to your pack of cigarettes, look at other positive ways to relieve stress naturally. Your health — and your wallet — will thank you.
This physical addiction is a tough one to give up. For many people, the quitting process can come with unpleasant side effects — including moodiness. If your plan wasn’t working, switch it up and try again. Positively confirm your quit status, too. Instead of saying, “I’m quitting,” you can say: “I don’t smoke” or “I’m not a smoker.” It confirms in your mind that you’ve already stopped the habit.
The best way to quit smoking is to have support.
As an employer, you can give your employees an incredible amount of support by promoting participation in the Great American Smokeout. Even if you just pass out tips to help quit smoking, you’re sending out encouragement that might push someone toward quitting.
Human resources and wellness committees can come together for the Great American Smokeout to create creative campaigns. Survey office smokers to see what would be most beneficial to them as they try quitting.
And even when the Great American Smokeout is over and the strongest withdrawal symptoms have passed, staying smoke-free can be a challenge. Remind employees of available resources, including smoking cessation programs, and the healthcare cost reductions, too.
For more details on helping someone quit smoking, check out www.smokefree.gov.
What creative ideas have you used in your office to get employees to stop smoking? Share your wisdom in the comments below!