By: Jonty Smith
There are many health benefits to be gained from quitting smoking. The human body is a remarkable piece of engineering which can recover (to a certain extent) from years of smoking in a very short period of time. If you’re a smoker, you undoubtedly know this. The health benefits of quitting smoking are widely available for view on just about any anti-smoking site. What these sites often fail to cover is the real, practical benefits of quitting smoking. As a former smoker myself, I shall explain in this article how a cessation of smoking pragmatically improved my life.
The major problem that quitting smoking fixed up for me was my awful habit of procrastinating. For years I had become increasingly idle, and I almost solely place the finger of guilt at my former smoking habit. Taking in 40 cigarettes a day for 10 years clogged up my lungs to the extent that I felt like I permanently lived with a plastic bag over my head. Being always short of breath and having little muscle power, I would find myself lazing around more than I would being proactive.
After packing in cigarettes, my lung capabilities returned and my energy levels soared. As a result, I was able to exercise strenuously again, getting into the best shape of my life. To this degree, I saw a massive lift in my self-esteem and confidence. This domino effect continued, as the self-esteem and confidence saw me winning the attention of the opposite sex, as well as improving my networking capabilities with colleagues in my work industry.
Then there was the financial gain. One of the major benefits of quitting smoking is actually seeing money appear in your wallet again. I made a vow that I would set aside £9 (approximately the cost of two packets of cigarettes) in my desk drawer for every day I managed to stay a non-smoker. I was quite astonished to see how quickly the cash piled up, and by the end of the month I was nearly £300 better off. After two months of not smoking, I had enough saved money for a holiday.
Finally, there was the sheer liberation from the fear that cigarettes generated. I no longer felt panicked about being down to my last couple of cigarettes. I ceased to be anxious in bars without a packet with me. I didn’t have to travel to the all-night store at 2am in heavy rain to get a fresh pack for consumption in the morning. This experience was like having a 200 lbs weight lifted from my shoulders, and is easily one of the greatest benefits of quitting smoking.
In conclusion, you should really look at what you can gain on a practical level by quitting cigarettes. There is too much emphasis on the health angle and, sadly, health alone is not enough of a motivator to many smokers who have already decided to take that gamble. Quitting smoking gives you release, a liberation and the restoration of many fabulous physical and mental facilities. Ask how these benefits can directly affect your quality of life, and then make the firm decision to take action to quit.
