Three Advantages of Quitting Smoking

Have you thought about the advantages of quitting smoking that you will enjoy once you do? It might seem like a great plan to stop smoking but unless you take a few moments to really figure out what rewards you will enjoy afterwards, you will not succeed. Consider these three rewards for giving it up.

 

Friends and family

 

Have your friends and family been telling you to stop smoking? When you finally quit, they will stop bothering you. If you have been smoking in your car or home, they will start smelling better right away. So will your hair and clothing. You might not have noticed, but they will notice right away.

 

Budget and money

 

Your wallet will be a little heavier and fatter as soon as you stop buying on cigarettes. If you smoke a pack a day, you could easily save as much as $40 each week. Just imagine all the things you could spend that money on instead. In about one year, you could buy a big screen tv and throw a party. How much are you wasting on cigarettes?

 

Health and vitality

 

Did you know that your health will begin to improve as soon as you quit?

• In twenty minutes of giving up smoking, your blood pressure and heart rate become normal once again.
• In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
• In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
• In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
• In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
• In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
• In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
• In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
• In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
• In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

Which of these three advantages of quitting smoking will motivate you to stop? Being clear about the answer to that question is the key. Not everyone has the same reasons to stop smoking, so figure out what matters for you. Some are more concerned about saving their money, others have had a health scare and are now highly motivated to change. What is important for you?

 

So how do you quit? Just stop buying cigarettes and putting them in your mouth! It sounds so simple yet it is not always easy to actually do. Especially when the habit has become ingrained over the years.

 

It's not necessarily your strength of will that will make you successful either. It's more about changing your mindset so that you are completely focused on what will trigger you to succeed. This intense focus is a type of self hypnosis which gives you the mind power to change your thoughts.

 

Keep focusing on what motivates you and you will soon be enjoying all of these advantages of quitting smoking.

 

by: Sherri Frost