subject: Stop Smoking - Let it Be Your Last Cigarette [print this page] In life, it is very difficult to do something for the last time. But when you want to quit a harmful habit, you have to somehow find a way to stop it. When it comes to smoking, it is important that you first understand the rewards you'll earn by quitting.
Restore your life!
Once you smoke your last cigarette, your body will slowly start restoring its normal functions.
20 minutes from your last cigarette:
Your blood pressure and pulse rate come down to normal
8 hours from your last cigarette:
Level of oxygen in your blood increases
Level of carbon monoxide decreases
A day after your last cigarette:
Risk of getting a heart attack decreases
Within 2 weeks to 3 months from your last cigarette:
Blood circulation improves
You get more energy while walking
Your lungs begin to work more efficiently
After a year from your last cigarette:
As you celebrate the first anniversary of your smoking cessation, you'll feel a lot more energized. Your chance of getting coronary heart disease will also decrease by 50% compared to a smoker.
After 5-15 years from the day you stop smoking:
Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, lungs and esophagus decreases significantly
Chance of stroke is minimal
Ok, now tell me how
The secret of quitting smoking is willpower. You can try out various methods, but the key is to stick to your gut feeling and resist the nicotine temptations. Here are certain things you can try:
Avoid places such as backstairs and balconies of your workplace, or cafeterias where people smoke.
Whenever you get the urge to smoke, try doing something which you equally like to do. But make sure they are physical activities such as jogging or swimming. This is because most mental activities are usually accompanied by a cigarette!
Don't give excuses if you're seriouly want to stop smoking. Some people are fond of justifying every bad habit under various pretexts. For example, "Smoking energizes me". Although nicotine does have that power, but you can always find more healthy ways to overcome tiredness.
Stop smoking aids
There are many stop smoking aids available in market today. Prescription only medicines are there to help you stop smoking and increase your life expectancy. Champix can help you stop craving for nicotine and also cope with the withdrawal symptoms. This Pfizer product attaches to the nicotine receptors in the brain and inhibits dopamine. Dopamine causes the pleasure that you get from smoking. So with Champix, the pleasure goes missing, and you slowly start to feel repelled by cigarettes. There is another method called cold turkey. When you use cold turkey, you stop smoking without giving a second thought to what you're doing. It means the number of cigarettes you smoke everyday comes to zero on one fine morning and stays zero! It is estimated that about 90% smokers used the cold turkey method in the past with good results. You can also go for a host of substitutes for cigarettes such as smokeless tobaccos, gums, electronic cigarettes or vaporizers.
