Health and Wellness

Smoking is a common activity enjoyed by many across the globe. While very popular with young and old alike, science has revealed the numerous health hazards associated with the habit. For this reason, many smokers are constantly making efforts to give up the habit. However, due to the addictive nature of tobacco, quitting smoking usually poses a strong challenge. This article provides some tips to help with the process.

Decide and plan

Each year, millions of people who make resolutions to give up cigarettes cave in before the end of the first month. Quitting smoking requires a level of seriousness beyond mere pronouncements. Once you’ve decided to quit, set a reasonable deadline and make a plan on what steps to take. Will you quit gradually or all at once? How will you deal with cravings? What alternatives are available? All these and more are questions that should be answered before moving ahead with your decision.

Nicotine replacement therapy

Nicotine is the substance in cigarettes that makes it difficult to quit smoking. Over time, most smokers become dependent on the substance and experience strong reactions when they try to stop. With nicotine replacement therapy, a smoker can consume progressively lower quantities of nicotine until they can go without it completely. This form of therapy can be administered in many forms, including gum, patches, pouches, and inhalers. Pouches are particularly good options for being compact, sugar-free, and tobacco-free. Prilla offers a wide range of nicotine pouches with different flavors and varying levels of nicotine content.

Identify and avoid triggers

Cravings are, arguably, the biggest obstacle to quitting cigarettes. Most frequent smokers accompany their activities with smoking, be it making a phone call, drinking tea, or enjoying a party. Identifying and avoiding situations that increase the urge to smoke is an important part of the quitting process. In case such situations cannot be avoided altogether, it is advisable to develop some strategies for managing the urges. For instance, you can replace coffee with water, since water makes cigarettes taste worse. However, training yourself not to immediately give in to the urges might be all it takes since cravings only last for a couple of minutes.

Lifestyle changes

For most smokers, cigarettes are simply a part of life. It helps them relax, focus, and keep busy. Having this kind of attitude to cigarettes makes quitting almost unimaginable. Significant lifestyle changes can alter that orientation and make it easier to manage without cigarettes. Improving your diet, engaging in new hobbies, exercising, and keeping a journal are all ways of easing the quitting process. Other ways include reducing alcohol intake, chewing gum, and spending less time among smokers. Focusing on activities that are incompatible with smoking goes a long way in redirecting the mind. 

In the end, quitting cigarettes comes down to discipline and determination. Temptations will lurk at every corner but can be overcome if you’re determined enough. Listing out your reasons for wanting to quit and going over them often can be a source of strength. It also helps to keep in mind that the benefits of quitting are unquantifiable. 

Dry skin is associated with flaking and itchiness. Dry skin is a common problem but it is not something which cannot be treated. Dry skin can lead to breaks in the skin and open sores. It’s a common issue especially among the elderly population. Dry skin isn’t just something which affects just the exposed skin, such as face, hands, arms and legs etc.

If you have dry skin issues, these are the things to do if you want to banish dry skin and itching and return a natural balance and healthy glow to your skin.

Drink plenty of water

You have to stay hydrated all the time. Your body is continually shedding dead skin cells and growing new skin cells. If you don’t drink enough water, the natural rhythm of decay and renewal of skin cells can be compromised. In addition, dehydration can have adverse effects on your overall health.

Don’t spend too much time under the sun

You might love to sunbathe because you want to have a healthy looking tanned skin. The problem is that in doing so will lead to dry skin. Worse, you could suffer sunburn and, with long term exposure, develop skin cancer. If you stay longer under the sun you risk permanent damage to your skin. Receiving a few minutes of exposure each day is more than enough. Take a parasol or wear a hat, and try to keep as much of your skin covered when you’re out in the sun.

Stop smoking

Smoking causes damage to skin. Apart from the damage to lungs, teeth and gums, smoking causes wrinkled skin and a sallow complexion. You need to stop smoking now if you want to maintain a healthy glow. Cigarettes kill healthy skin cells. It’s the reason why you look dry and appear older than your actual age when you smoke than if you don’t smoke. 

Being stressed out

You need to handle stress better. Stress can cause other health issues to manifest. You can also suffer skin breakouts if you allow stress to get the better of you. If possible, you need to learn how to let go of problems, chill and not worry about things which you cannot control. Avoid overreacting and overthinking.

Get enough sleep

When you don’t get enough sleep, it could lead to skin break out and dryness. While you sleep, skin is continually regenerating. Interrupted sleep and poor sleep patterns reduce the efficiency of the process.

Choosing skincare products

There’s nothing wrong in choosing skincare products to help improve your appearance. However, you need to be cautious in determining the brand and the specific products to use on your skin. Never try something new without caution.

You’ll see myriad skin care products advertised, but not all will be suitable for your particular skin type. You should trust products that are a result of a thorough research process. SkinCeuticals is one such product for example.

Skin care products which are formulated from natural ingredient s are typically assured to cause little if any adverse reaction on the skin.

How are you doing with this quarantine thing? Have you watched all your favourite TV shows and movies and are now ‘scrabbling’ around for something to do? Did someone just mention Scrabble? Seriously though, if you’re like lots of people out there in quarantine land, I’ll bet you already have plans made for your first day of freedom.

If you’re someone who likes to look their best, keep the ageing process on hold and can’t wait to show out down town, what will you be doing to prepare. Let’s see; a spa day, a pamper session, a manicure and pedicure could be on the cards, maybe a Botox top up is the order of the day. Whatever it is, you’re all going to look a million dollars on your first day out of self imposed prison.

Lockdown stress down

For some of us, lockdown might be a time to relax and chill. For others it may be a time of great anguish and stress. You may have to spend the entire time at home alone. You may need to study with your children, there may be stroppy teenagers getting under your feet. You may find living with your partner a living hell.

For most of us though, there has been little else to worry about except the awful virus. For me it seems as if I have aged overnight – were those wrinkles there before? If you’re feeling down and looking in the mirror thinking ‘urgh’ you’re not alone. But don’t worry; when freedom is announced, overtime in beauty salons, spas and nail bars will more than make up for the loss in the economy. Go for it girls!

You saved money

Like most people you’ll have noticed your spending has declined, certainly on life’s luxuries and extras. Life’s necessities are now more important than ever given the shortages in the early days of lockdown. What will you spend the money on which you have saved when lockdown ends? I feel some pampering and me-time coming on.

Appreciate the changes

After not seeing your colleagues for a few months, they will expect changes from your appearance. You want to surprise them by looking even better when you get back to work than they remember. All the more reasons to book in some beauty treatments as soon as is possible before you go back to work.

You want to celebrate

As soon as regular operations resume and we return to some semblance of normality, prioritise your beauty treatments. Will it be a manicure – are your nails and cuticles in such a bad condition? Maybe you’re thinking of getting a top up to your tan or getting a tan started.

If the fine lines and wrinkles have started coming back, Botox anti-wrinkle injections will help you achieve a return to your youthful looks. Whatever you do, make it a gift to yourself for having to endure all these weeks of isolation without complaining, without stressing but just getting on with the real things in life which matter – staying safe, staying healthy and staying alive.