Smoking cigarettes creates a web of side effects that is so consequential, this habit often costs people their lives. You’ve seen the doomsday ads to get people to stop smoking and they portray real life people who are currently suffering because of this nasty habit. Many smokers would like to quit but they just don’t feel like they can. There is no room for judgment. Instead, with optimism, look at quitting smoking as a one day at a time, quest for completion.
You’re not going to do it all at once. Even if you throw the cigarettes in the trash can, you’ve got the aftermath to deal with. You must retrain your body and make lifestyle modifications that you will learn about over time. Quitting smoking isn’t just about the nicotine withdrawals because the worst of the withdrawals will be over in a few short days.
The actual habit and the time spent smoking is going to play tricks on your mind. The decision to quit smoking is a progressive victory, and you might need a nicotine patch or lozenge to help you during your journey. Try looking at the side effects of smoking but don’t allow the consequences to get you down. Instead, use them for motivation to work towards a healthier you.
Here is a short list of some of the worst side effects of smoking cigarettes when it comes to your health:
- Bad breath
- Yellow Teeth
- Coughing
- Excessive mucous production
- Shortness of breath
- Wrinkles
- COPD
- Increased cancer risk
- More colds and respiratory illnesses
- Infertility
- High cholesterol
- Irritability
- Vision loss
- Second hand smoke hurting other’s
These are just a few of the many side effects that smoking has on your health. There is also the fact that you are spending so much of your hard-earned cash on cigarettes. The price keeps getting higher and higher and many people are quitting simply because they can’t afford to buy them anymore.
It can be difficult to break this habit. Because the side effects on a person’s health don’t show up until years later, it may not seem as bad as a drug addiction like heroin but the addiction can be more powerful and harder to overcome.
There is help available in the form of support groups and even, nicotine replacement therapies. No matter what route you choose, you’re going to have to commit. You can’t let slip-ups become defeats. To begin winning, you will need to face your addiction and realize that it’s not going to be easy. Quitting smoking is never easy, but it can be done. You have what it takes to put those cigarettes down and never smoke again.
Develop a plan and keep your priorities in focus. Consider your small victories and celebrate them. Notice those moments when you’re thinking patterns are redirected away from life as a smoker and towards what you remember life to be without cigarettes. Embrace those moments and work towards both your short-term and long-term goals. It’s about making changes, not getting from point A to point B all at once. Putting down the cigarettes starts the battle and then you work towards victory.