Articles on Smoking | Topics: smoking, smokers
by Irving Turner
Thousands of people are addicted to smoking, and, every day, thousands of people fight the battle of breaking this addiction. But, how can someone go about successfully quitting smoking? There are many reasons to quit, but the most important reason is for your self.
Quitting for Others
Many people trying to quit smoking are doing so in order to make others happy. They try to quit so their spouse will quit nagging. They try to stop because their job frowns upon smoking. They try to put out the cigarette because society has made smoking unacceptable. They try to quit because their kids look at them with big, puppy dog eyes and plead with them to stop. While it is great to have family and friends around you who care and who want to see you stay around awhile longer than you will if you continue smoking, the only reason that will truly motivate you is if you quit for yourself.
Sure, pleasing those around you may get you to start on the road toward recovery from nicotine addiction. You might tell yourself, "I'm doing it for my kids. I don't want them to see me go through cancer." Or, you might think, "If I quit smoking, my spouse might finally just leave me alone about it." While these thoughts may get you initially motivated to quit smoking, they won't help you sustain a cigarette free life. In fact, quitting for others might just help you make excuses to start back up again. For example, you might quit for your spouse, and then when you have a disagreement about something, you might say, "I'll show him (or her)." Next thing you know, you're lighting up. You may not think you would do that, but we do strange things when we're upset – even destroy our own bodies.
Why You Should Quit for Yourself
There are plenty of reasons you should quit for yourself. A couple of them even do tie into quitting for others, but with a slightly different slant. For example, you might quit because of your kids, but not for them. By this I mean that you might want to quit so you can enjoy spending more years with them, rather than because you don't want to see them get hurt by your early death. This may sound selfish, but you have to think about yourself when you are trying to quit. You have to convince yourself there are many reasons to quit that will benefit you personally.
| Historical Quote |
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,
who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz.
| —Allen Ginsberg (b. 1926) |
|
|
Of course, there is the obvious health benefits involved with quitting. If you quit, you put years back onto your life. This is because you have now effectively reduced your chances of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, throat cancer, lung cancer, and emphysema. You have also lessened your likelihood of having a heart attack and of developing gum disease and ulcers, just to name a few.
If you aren't feeling too concerned about the inside of your body, consider the outside. Smoking makes your finger and teeth yellow, not to mention the bad smell. Of course, you probably don't realize just how bad it smells because your sense of taste and smell has both been dulled by smoking! Fortunately, quitting will help bring back these small joys of life.
In addition, smoking makes your skin wrinkle faster, particularly on your face. Not only that, the notion that smoking makes a person look "cool" has been gone for a long time. In fact, the majority of people are less attracted to people who smoke than the other way around.
Of course, there are also the financial rewards of quitting smoking. Most smokers will save literally thousands of dollars every year by simply quitting smoking. Just imagine all of the things you can do for you if you quit. Perhaps you have seen some new outfits or shoes you would like to buy at the end of a year of successfully not smoking. Maybe you can purchase a new entertainment center, or buy that new transmission for your project car. Perhaps you can take that vacation you have always wanted to take. If you managed to win the battle against this addiction, go ahead and spoil yourself – you deserve it! Consider it a celebration of saving your own life.
|
We strive to provide
only high quality articles on our website. If
there is a specific smoking-related topic that you do not see but would like us to cover, please contact us here.
Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "How to Quit Smoking for Yourself" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by HealthExerciseSports.com. |
Golf Green - Not Just a Color in your Crayola Box!
By Zack J. Lara
No, not just a color in your Crayola Box, it is now possible to have your own private putting green in your own yard. For the avid golfer it might seem like a dream come true to have your own green....
Joints for Health – Staying Flexible Through Physical Fitness
By Henry Horn
Arthritis is a debilitating condition for many people. Lots of new people are diagnosed with this terrible condition each year....
Medication Messes with your Breath – Which Ones are the Likely Offenders?
By Sophie Jacobs
Medication Messes with your Breath – Which Ones are the Likely Offenders? Probably the most common dental disorder is that of the dreaded halitosis. While this is simply a big word to describe bad breath, it is not so easy to get rid of it....
Watch Football
By Limber Tran
Every fall I know I am going to watch football with my husband each Sunday. He has been a fan of the Buffalo Bills for a long time, and each year his hopes of a trip to the Super Bowl renews....
|
