Quitting Smoking Advantages
We’re told that thousands of Americans are dying every week because of smoking related illnesses and diseases.
One out of every six men in the United States is dying because of smoking. It is quite clear now that smoking is one of the major causes of death, in America and other countries. If you smoke then you are also enhancing the chances of contracting diseases that will either cause you to die or lose quality of life. Some of the major diseases resulting from smoking are coronary heart disease, lung cancer, mouth cancer and severe problems regarding the throat, bladder, kidney and pancreas. Treatment for these problems can be expensive and sometimes unavailable due to circumstances. Also, diabetic patients who smoke a lot have been said to develop severe gangrene.
Do you think perhaps it is time for you to quit smoking? Do not think that it’s impossible to quit as many smokers have quit and gone on to lead happy and healthy lives.
Follow these steps and reap the rewards:
You need the firm determination and motivation to quit smoking that you have given yourself by writing down your reasons on paper.
When this is done, give yourself a date to stop smoking. Make it official. The best day for you, may be tomorrow! Just make sure you are absolutely ready to do it and ready for what comes.
As the date of quitting is approaching, try to minimize all signs of your smoking life. For example, take a glass jar, fill it with water and drop all your cigarette butts and cigarettes into the jar.
Try to concentrate on how much better your life will be now that you’ve quit smoking.
You will find a better quality of life if stop and smell the roses. You will notice the health benefits in the long run but in the short term you will not have to deal with spending money on cigarettes and the personal hygiene improvement will be noticeable to you and your loved ones. You may also find yourself with more energy and getting sick less. Now that you are saving money, put all the money you used to spend on your cigarettes in a glass jar and in one month notice your savings.
Eliminate the triggers that cause you to smoke.
Having easy access to a cigarette may be one of the biggest triggers for you. If you’re to have any chance of quitting, you’ve got to win the battle at the store and not buy any cigarettes. It will be far easier to quit if you don’t have access to cigarettes.
At first, nicotine withdrawal will hit you and it may feel impossible to resist feeding the craving. However, try to distract your mind. You may also noticed more headaches, irritability and coughing. Do not worry. Drink plenty of water and get more rest than usual. In time, they will go away. You may also feel anxiety. Find something else to ease this, such as meditation with deep breaths, exercise and even sex. Just don’t replace cigarettes with another drug!
Moreover, the amount of carbon monoxide in your blood will decrease and thus increase valuable oxygen levels to more normalcy. Your skin will start to get back it’s natural glow and your heart will begin to beat at it’s regular rate. After a year or two, your risk of heart attack will decrease.
To help yourself, try to find a friend who would also like to stop smoking, and use the power of each others’ determination to quit. Find new places to go where you can’t smoke. Perhaps join a gym together and exercise more than usual as it can often be easy to gain a bit of weight after quitting smoking.
Some drugs and other methods can help ween you off nicotine. Always ask advice from your doctor, first, however. Such treatments are, for instance, nicotine gum, Bupropion, nicotine inhalers and nicotine nasal spray. These drugs can help in quitting smoking but don’t be afraid to try cold turkey!
Many times, even after quitting, people start again. Do no let this discourage you, you can begin the process of quitting again. Sometimes it takes more than once for it to stick. It happens to most smokers who try to quit. Just remember it’s a marathon and not a sprint and keep trying as hard as you can. Have faith in yourself, above all.