5 reasons you should quit smoking now
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One of the best decisions I made about my lifestyle six years ago was to quit smoking. Since that incredible realisation I’ve been on a healthy journey overhauling my entire diet and becoming quite obsessed with healthy living. Now I can’t believe I ever smoked. I smoked for ten years and the thought of that just disgusts me. I wish I’d never started or at least hadn’t smoked for quite so long. One thing that really started putting me off smoking was imagining a room filled with all the cigarette butts from all the cigarettes I’d ever smoked. Even as a smoker a full ashtray would sicken me. But imagine being able to see the amount of cigarettes you have smoked in total all in one place. I bet so many people would quit on the spot!
Smoking is an addiction. There’s no denying it. I used to say I liked smoking and didn’t want to quit, but now I realise it’s a disgusting habit and I never really liked it, I was just addicted! If you try a cigarette after quitting you’ll realise it actually tastes disgusting and there’s no appeal at all. I also thought non-smokers were exaggerating when they said how much I stank. Once I’d quit for a while and my sense of smell came back, I realised what they meant. I remember a colleague speaking to me after going out for a cigarette and I nearly heaved! I’d never noticed the smell before as I was a smoker too, but I suddenly realised how bad their breath smelt and how bad mine must have smelt for ten years. Yuck! I could also smell the cigarette in the air in the office when they were about 15 metres away from me.
I also appreciate quitting is hard and you really need to want to quit for it to be a success. In my ten years of smoking I tried to quit 3 or 4 times without success and this was because I didn’t really want to quit. I ‘liked’ smoking and didn’t want to stop. But the time I actually did quit I had made up my mind and that was that. I knew I wanted to quit for real and kick the habit once and for all. I had smoked for ten years which was a milestone I never wanted to reach and this scared me. I didn’t want to be a lifelong smoker and wanted to leave it behind me. I changed my mind set and decided I didn’t want to be addicted to anything and I wanted to be in control of my body. It’s the best decision I made. If you are struggling to quit yourself but really want to then try vaping as you’ll still get the nicotine, but not all of the nasty chemicals. It’s those chemicals in cigarettes you really need to start avoiding as they are so terrible for you and those around you.
If you’re ready to stop toxifying your body, here are five more great reasons to quit:
Look younger for longer
This has got to be one of the biggest driving factors for women to quit smoking if they want to look younger! Chemical filled cigarettes are ever so terrible for skin causing premature aging, dull skin and reducing the amount of vitamins that reach the skin.
Less likely to get cancer
Suffocating and toxifying your cells from cigarette smoke which is also filled with carcinogens increases your risk of cancer significantly. Having two family members die from cancer in the past few years who were heavy smokers is enough to make me never want to light up again.
Feel lighter, fitter and healthier
I strangely felt really light a few weeks after quitting. It was like a weight had been lifted off me. Perhaps it was a mental emotion from no longer being addicted to something, but I’m sure my chest felt lighter too. It was no longer filled with gunk and smoke for the first time in ten years. I felt healthier, fitter and more normal.
Stop poisoning those around you
I never realised how far my smoke travelled and how many people around me had to breathe in my smoke when I smoked. This is so unfair and I feel so selfish for it now. I was forcing people within 20 metres or more to breath in the chemicals from my smoke whether they wanted to or not. Passive smoking is a killer and people do not have a choice when it comes to passive smoking.
Save a ton of cash
It’s no secret that smoking is expensive. I used to smoke 20 a day and it cost a small fortune! Just think of all the better things you can treat yourself to with the money you’ll save! Add up how much you spend a year on smoking, be honest, and I bet you’ll be shocked at the total. Even life insurance premiums cost a third more for 30 year old smokers and up to twice as much for 50 year old smokers, compared with that of a non-smoker. This is simply because of the increased risk of a payout posed to the insurer, as a result of the associated health risks.
Final word
If you’re a smoker I really hope you can find the willpower to quit. It will be tough, but it will be one of the best decisions you make.
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