Benefits of
quitting smoking
The idea to stop smoking might seem
great, but what are you going to get out of the process? For many people there are some benefits that are
immediately obvious. Of course, your clothes and house will smell a lot better, and if you have been a car
smoker, your car will start to smell better as well. However, if you dive beyond these shallow reasons, what can
you really expect to gain by quitting? The issues of money and even your health is far greater than any minor
smells that cigarettes can give off.
One of the biggest benefits is the
savings of money. Consider that a one pack a day habit can easily rack up huge bills. This adds up to an
enormous amount that is hard to play down. It is important to be honest with yourself about how much your
cigarettes are costing you, if you are attempting to slash your budget, quitting smoking can go a very long way
towards freeing up a lot of money.
While the money is obviously nice to
save, there are huge benefits to your health as well. For example, research tells us that as little as 20
minutes after you stop smoking you will be able to see a difference in your health. If you consider that
quitting smoking can help you reduce your risk of heart problems, stroke, high blood pressure, lung cancer, and
even breathing complications you have just located a plethora of reasons why smoking really is good to avoid.
The research that tells us smoking is bad has proven that just a short period of time after quitting is able to
reverse many of the harmful effects that cigarettes have caused, no matter how long you have been a
smoker.
For example, if you quit smoking for a
period of 5 years, you are no more at risk of a stroke than someone who has been a non-smoker for their entire
life. This is huge considering that those who smoke are considered at least twice as likely to suffer a stroke.
Additionally, if you quit for 15 years, you can enjoy the same risk of coronary heart disease as a non-smoker as
well. While it might seem strange to enjoy the risk for coronary heart disease, it is much better than having
coronary heart disease. Taking these small victories for your health is important since you will be able to
significantly improve your quality of life.
Working to decide which benefits are
the most motivation for you is not always easy. You need to look at your lifestyle and determine what truly
matters for you. Not everyone is concerned about the health benefits, if you find yourself more concerned with
the money then focus on what you can save. If you are more determined to improve your health then focus your
efforts on the health benefits that stopping smoking for good can really have for you. Ultimately, the reason
you choose to quit smoking is up to you, the way you do it will be based around your personality and smoking
habits. Knowing what your motivating factors are can go a long way towards boosting willpower though, which is
always a helpful benefit no matter why you try to quit.
|