How Quitting Will Change Your Life For The Better

People who are about to quit smoking tend to feel daunted, and may not be sure if they can really do it. If you are a quitter, you will need a lot of motivation and you will need to be determined not to light up when you face difficulties in life. Many of the benefits of quitting come a little later on, but being aware of them every step of the way may make the difference between staying smoke-free or returning to your old addiction.

Here is a list ways in which quitting will change your life for the better. I suggest printing it out, and hanging it up somewhere so that you can see what your hard work is doing for you when things get tough:

• Your lung capacity will improve by 10 percent within nine months. That means you will breathe more easily, something you may especially notice when you work out. Working out is a great activity that combats post-smoking weight loss and distracts you from cravings.

• When you quit smoking, you add years to your life. If you are a man in your twenties, you add 10 years to your life by quitting now. Quit at 60, gain three years.

• You think smoking helps you be less stressed? Research shows the opposite. Quitting will eliminate your constant cravings for cigarettes, and reduce the stress you feel on a daily basis.

• You will have more energy as soon as two weeks after quitting. Your circulation will continue to improve, and reach a peak after 12 weeks. This will make it much easier for you to exercise, and do almost anything else. A better circulation will also improve your sex life.

• Non-smokers have a better immune system, which means you will get ill less often.

• Your sense of taste and smell will improve within a few weeks of quitting. You will be able to enjoy foods that you could not even taste properly any more.

• Your clothes and hair will smell better.

• Are you in your reproductive years? Your fertility will improve once you stop smoking.

• You will keep your family safe from the effects the second-hand smoke they would otherwise breathe in, and the third-hand smoke that has settled on almost all surfaces within your house.

  Read More: Tobacco Health Impact: A Day Without Smoking

So, how do you quit? Determination is all you really need, in my experience. I loved having a water bottle ready whenever I felt the urge to smoke, and benefited from sucking on a lollipop while writing — since writing is what most induced me to smoke. Regular exercise will get your body into a healthier mood, will distract you from your own devious, smoking-prone mind, and will prevent the post-quitting weight gain many people experience.

I stopped smoking successfully a year and a half ago. I improved my health and life expectancy, and did the same for my kids and husband. I went through nicotine withdrawal and said no to the urge to light a cigarette. I quit forever. You can do it too!

To celebrate World No Tobacco Day, I am encouraging all SteadyHealth readers who are committed to kicking their nicotine addiction to post about their plans in the comments section below. Those who need extra motivation can write about their struggles whenever they feel like it, and I promise I will reply to your comments to give you some extra support. However, you are the person who really needs to put the hard work in. If you are ready, be certain that you can improve the length and quality of your life today.