How Camping Trips Can Help You Quit Smoking

by Jenn

So, you’ve made the decision to quit smoking. You know you’ve got a long journey ahead of you, but where do you start? How can you remove yourself from a society filled with smokers and tobacco references so you can focus on your recovery and leave behind this deadly habit? 

Camping trips are an awesome way to get away from it all, focus on yourself, and just enjoy nature’s gifts. Nature is known to be therapeutic in itself, so you can sit back, relax, and take a load off your shoulders. Let’s look closer at how your camping trip can help you get your head in order and quit smoking. 

The Value of Nature 

Nature is something that humans have become much more removed from over the centuries. Where once we were tribal groups living along the forest’s edge and following the herds, we now dwell in populated cities with all of the comforts of modern life surrounding us. But for all of our digital entertainment, electronics, social media, and other creature comforts, there’s still something missing, isn’t there?

There’s a reason you feel such bliss when you walk along a quiet forest trail or sitting by a lake at sunset. Being in nature is known to reduce fear, anxiety, stress, and intense emotions like anger and sadness. Some scientists even believe that spending more time in nature can add years to your life by bringing you more happiness and peace of mind. 

When you make a decision like leaving behind cigarettes, nature can be a helpful ally. You’ll likely feel a lot of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty about the future. Smoking creates an addiction, and once you’ve removed the source of that addiction, the brain goes into overdrive trying to make up for the missing substance. 

The Beginning 

The start of your non-smoking journey is usually the toughest. Those first few days and weeks without a cigarette can really put your determination to the test. You’ll feel that constant itch for a cigarette, and may even become irritable and unpleasant to be around. These are natural feelings during a transition like this, but you might need a little extra help to manage them. 

Taking a camping trip into the wilderness will help you focus on your goal and remove distractions. After all, you won’t be exposed to countless billboards, ads, and tobacco references at a campsite! 

You can take some much-needed time to yourself and re-center. You can take tobacco alternatives with you (like tobaccoless dip) to help maintain the ritual while you remove yourself from a tobacco addiction.  There are plenty of great chewing tobacco alternatives online.

Removing Yourself From Smokers

One of the reasons many smokers relapse is because they continue to hang out with their smoker friends and family members. This can cause you to immediately want a cigarette. As soon as the smell touches your nostrils, those cravings re-ignite in the brain and you start coming up with all kinds of reasons why just one cigarette won’t hurt. 

If you decide to take a camping trip, be sure to go by yourself or with non-smokers. The goal is to focus on yourself and your journey, so don’t bring people with you that could hinder your progress or cause you to relapse. A relapse only extends your journey and makes the path to smoking more difficult.

Seclusion 

In our society of social media and constant connections, solitude has become something of a pastime. It’s difficult to find any seclusion in a world that’s constantly connected, and all of that buzz can serve as a distraction. Taking a secluded camping trip by yourself helps cut out all the background noise, leaving only you, the forest around you, and your thoughts. 

When you start to feel the urge for a cigarette or the irritation coming on, take a hike or get yourself moving in some way. Exercise can help minimize those cravings and release endorphins, which help improve mood and motivation. 

Remember that you’re taking an important journey here. You’re not just quitting for the sake of giving up a bad habit. You’re actively taking back control of your life and your personal health. Smoking will kill you given enough time, and it’s an expensive habit, all medical bills aside. 

The Bottom Line 

Using nature as a helpful conduit to help you quit smoking might just be the best decision you can make during your journey. Being in nature will help remove you from tobacco references, friends and family that smoke, and help calm your mind and remind you why you’re on the journey to begin with. 

Make sure you’re taking a secluded trip and don’t bring any cigarettes with you! Even just one can make you relapse into the smoker lifestyle once more. Stay focused and let mother nature help you quit smoking for good.  

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