Giving up smoking is difficult. It is an act that people can easily become addicted to both chemically and mentally. As you smoke your body begins to depend on the nicotine and other chemicals contained within a cigarette, creating a chemical addiction. You also become mentally dependent on cigarettes because your brain starts to associate smoking with parts of your daily routine e.g. if you have a cigarette before bed your brain soon starts to make a mental connection and you may find it difficult to sleep without having a cigarette first. Although quitting is difficult it is not impossible. In this article series I will be discussing 12 top tips which should help you in your quest to give up smoking. Today’s article contains the first three.
1) THINK ABOUT YOUR HEALTH:- One of the main reasons for quitting smoking is the effect that it will have on your health. Cigarettes contain a number of harmful toxins and chemicals which are introduced to your body every time you smoke including; Hydrogen Cyanide, Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia, Formaldehyde, Arsenic and DDT. In total cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals, 43 of which are scientifically proven to be cancer causing agents. Smoking does not just damage your lungs. It also has a negative impact on all your major organs and can lead to the development of multiple types of cancer including:
– Lip Cancer.
– Mouth Cancer.
– Throat Cancer.
– Bladder Cancer.
– Stomach Cancer.
– Kidney Cancer.
– Colon Cancer.
– Skin Cancer.
Apart from the above, smoking can have a negative impact on the appearance of your teeth and skin. It can cause your teeth to become yellow and discoloured or even to fall out completely. Smoking also causes makes your skin develop wrinkles and gives it a yellowish tint. Surely, the significant risk to your personal health is a good reason to consider quitting smoking.
2) THINK ABOUT WHY YOU SMOKE:- Very often there is a trigger for your smoking. Perhaps you are stressed out and smoking temporarily relieves this stress? Maybe everyone at your workplace smokes and it is a form of social interaction for you? Once you understand why you are lighting up that cigarette you are in a much better position to quit. You can identify which scenarios make you more likely to smoke and then take steps to avoid them. For example, if you smoke with your colleagues on your work breaks perhaps you could use this time to go for a walk instead or do some other activity which does not involve being around smokers. If you smoke to relieve stress perhaps you could learn some natural stress control techniques.
3) DON’T FOCUS ON GIVING UP SMOKING:- This tip may sound rather silly but let me explain further. If you are thinking every day about how bad smoking is for you and how much you want to give up, you are actually making yourself think about cigarettes more. Whilst it is important that you realise the need to quit smoking, constantly thinking about it is not helpful and will make you want to smoke even more. Therefore, make the commitment to quit but do not dwell on it.
Ultimately, giving up smoking is down to you. You are the only one who can determine whether you succeed or fail. However, I hope the tips in this article help you on your quest. I’ll be back soon with three more top tips.
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Other Articles in this Series:
12 Top Tips to Help you Quit Smoking – Part 1
12 Top Tips to Help you Quit Smoking – Part 2
12 Top Tips to Help you Quit Smoking – Part 3
12 Top Tips to Help you Quit Smoking – Part 4