by Brandon C. Hall
Smoking is a highly additive habit, and most people who
smoke find it very difficult to quit. The reason that it is so difficult to
quit smoking is that the addiction is multifaceted: not only is there a
physical addiction to the nicotine, but there is also a strong psychological
component to the addiction as cigarettes are both legal and in many situations
socially acceptable.
One of the greatest indicators as to weather your
attempt to quit smoking will be successful is how mentally prepared you are.
You have to truly want to quit in order to be successful, and if you try to
quit without this mindset it is unlikely that it will work. A good way to
motivate yourself - to get yourself to a point where you really and truly want
to quit smoking - is to think of the health risks involved, and the many
benefits of quitting.
The health risks associated with smoking are well
known, but if you are trying to quit it is a good idea to revisit them. By
smoking, you greatly increase your chances of lung cancer and heart disease. As
well as the increased risk of a premature death, you will also, as a smoker, be
plagued with breathing difficulties. Another thing you should consider is that
as a smoker you are putting others at risk through second hand smoke. It is a
well known fact that second hand smoke can be very detrimental to the health of
your loved ones, especially over the long term.
Now, if you smoke there a good chance you're aware
of these factors, and the knowledge can be fairly sobering. All is not lost,
however, and in order to motive yourself to quit your should think about the
immediate benefits involved if you stop. Almost instantly you'll notice that
your sense of smell will improve. Smell plays a crucial role in the taste of
food, and therefore your taste sensation will improve considerably, and you
will find yourself enjoying food more.
Also consider the money that you will save.
Depending on where you live, cigarettes can be very expensive, and the general
trend is that the price will continue to increase in the future. Even a fairly
generous assumption of $5 a pack means that if you quit a pack a day habit you
will save almost $2000 in the first year. A great technique to motive yourself
when you first stop smoking is to put the money you would spend every day on
cigarettes into a jar, where you can see it steadily accumulate: even after the
first week you'll have $35 - enough to treat yourself to a nice meal.
By constantly reminding yourself of the benefits of
quitting smoking you give yourself an important mental motivator: think of not
only your own health benefits, but those of the people around you who suffer
from second hand smoke. Add to this the amount of money you'll be saving, and
it becomes hard to justify a smoking habit. Quitting smoking is a win-win
situation, and thinking of it in this way will provide you with an important
mental weapon in your attempt to quit.
