As a former smoker, I would have to say that to quit smoking cold turkey is absolutely possible, but with certain conditions – namely the altering of one’s mindset. Something that non-smokers fail to understand is the extent to which smokers develop an emotional attachment with their habit. When I smoked, cigarettes seemed to fill the hole of just about every emotion for me. If I was anxious, I would smoke. If I was ecstatic, I would smoke. If I was bored, I would smoke. If I drank, I would smoke. Cigarettes weren’t just a habit – they were an extension of me.

I believe that is something many smokers can empathise with. Non-smokers see it as just a habit, whereas smokers are well-aware that cigarettes have become part of their identity. It’s not just a simple case of stopping a habit…it’s a case of slicing off a limb. It’s like one is saying goodbye to an old friend, feeling they will never be quite the same again.

So with this in mind, it seems like a monumental task to quit smoking cold turkey. It’s like breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend you have a deep love/hate relationship with, but then having that same partner move in next door to you. You have to live with the knowledge that this partner, with whom you shared such a deep relationship, is just around the corner. To attempt to kick smoking overnight is like being told “Okay, now avoid thinking about your ex and under no circumstances knock on her door.”

If we could all ditch the tobacco habit without any kickbacks, then we would surely do so. According to non-smokers, it’s simply a question of willpower. But it is far, far more than that. Willpower is just about having the mental fortitude to get through the day and to “suck it up”. Quitting smoking has more emotional gravitas than that. Rather than simply getting through the day, it’s about being able to let go. It’s about being able to make your peace with the habit and wave it farewell.

Millions of people manage to quit smoking cold turkey, but I have no doubt the vast majority of them are haunted by smoking for the rest of their lives, just as we would be by our ex-partner living next door to us. If you wish to beat smoking for good, simply ensure that you are changing your mindset while you’re at it. It shouldn’t need “willpower”. You have to fall out of love with smoking, you have to know why it’s a bad habit, you have to know why you don’t need it, you have to know why it’s not a part of you. You need to answer all these questions to quit the habit for good, and ensure that being an ex-smoker isn’t a day-to-day battle for the years to come.

Being educated and informed about the many benefits of quitting smoking is found to be a great motivational factor for many men and women to continue the long road towards kicking the smoking habit for good. By keeping these many benefits in mind, men, women and teenagers who are trying to quit smoking are able to endure the many withdrawal symptoms that come along with quitting the smoking habit, especially for those that have been smoking for long periods of time and heavy smokers.

The first week of quitting the habit is usually the hardest since this is the time that smokers who decide to kick the habit begin to experience a variety of different withdrawal symptoms. But right after this first week, the benefits of quitting smoking are experienced immediately. Ex-smokers find that their sense of taste and smell both have improved, not only allowing them to enjoy the food that they are eating. The improvement of their taste and smell will cause you to minimize the amount of salt, sugar, and other flavorings on your food which could result to them freeing themselves of the possibility of contracting organ failure and diabetes in the near future.

It is not only freedom from chronic and degenerative illnesses that you will get once you have quit smoking. Your physical appearance would also greatly improve. Smoking has been found to cause discoloration of the skin as well as excessive drying of the skin and hair, both making you look older. That is because smoking can cause your skin cells not only to be deprived of life giving oxygen which helps your cells to regenerate themselves to allow younger skin and shinier, glossier hair to grow. Smoking can cause your body to be more dehydrated as compared to those that are not smoking. Dehydration causes dryness in your skin, causing the development of wrinkles around your face prematurely. Ex-smokers have also noticed that they are also now no longer prone to shortness of breath, allowing them enjoy a variety of physical activities that would help them lose weight.

Then there is the benefit on your wallet. Quitting smoking would mean that you would no longer have to allot a certain part of your hard-earned money into feeding your habit. By quitting the habit, you are able to save around $2 a day. It may not sound a lot. But considering that would amount to about $700 a year, that’s a lot of savings on your part and another great reason to quit smoking now.

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Quit Smoking Forever by
Andres Rios
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Quit Smoking Forever

If you decide to quit smoking, and you will stick to that decision you will find yourself to be a new person, due to the incredible transformation that goes within your nicotine free cells. Quit smoking health benefits show immediately, right the next day. The pulse rate decreases, the blood pressure is lower, and you’re experiencing the first recovery and coming back to normal. And these are just the beginning of the quit smoking health benefits. Many more are to follow gradually, as the cell regains basic functions without the interference and stimulation of nicotine.

Smokers usually have digestive problems such as burning sensations, which will disappear within a few days after giving up smoking. One of the most important quit smoking health benefits is that you can breathe easily, without panting or getting short breath. Without nicotine your blood is richer in oxygen, and physical effort won’t be such a torture anymore. If for a smoker, climbing stairs may be breath taking, once the person quits, he or she will be able to take part in outdoors activities effortlessly.

Better sleep quality, less anxiety, better general condition, are other quit smoking health benefits that won’t take long to appear as a result of nicotine elimination. Once rid of smoking, you will also be free of minor health problems such as the cold feet syndrome. The latter is related to deficient blood flow, and one of the major quit smoking health benefits is that it improves blood flow.

The sooner you give up smoking the longer your life expectancy. The variety of quit smoking health benefits is different from individual to individual, depending on physical condition and severity of health problems if any. Last but not least you should not ignore the quit smoking mental health benefits. Any addiction has two sides, a physical and a psychological one, and addiction cessation means freedom of mind. You don’t cure the body without also purifying the mind.

Immediate benefits of quitting smoking primarily relate to blood pressure, the heart, blood stream circulation, taste and smell.  After quitting smoking for 20 minutes, blood pressure decreases, heart rate slows down, and blood stream circulation improves. After quitting smoking for eight hours carbon monoxide levels normalize. After quitting smoking for 24 hours the risk of heart attack diminishes, and after 48 hours of not smoking the sense of smell and taste are increased.

The immediate benefits of quitting smoking are manifested primarily in the blood stream circulation and the lungs. After quitting for two weeks to three months circulation continues to improve, walking becomes easier, and lung function improves.  After one to nine months shortness of breath, cough, sinus congestion and fatigue begin to improve, and after one year, the increased risk of heart attack is reduced by half.

The use of a home blood pressure monitor, preferably a digital one that measures both blood pressure and heart rate, can allow you to experience the immediate gratification engendered by the positive effect of smoking cessation on your blood pressure and heart rate. Although there is no readily available tool which allows healthcare consumers to measure carbon monoxide levels in the body eight hours after quitting smoking or to measure the reduction in the risk of heart attack after 24 hours, the increased sense of taste and smell can be noticed and appreciated.

Another measurable immediate benefit of quitting smoking for which there is a measuring tool is the level of cotinine in the urine, which is an indirect measure of the amount of nicotine in the body. A significant reduction in the cotinine level can be measured with a quantitative urine nicotine test kit within 24 hours of quitting smoking, and 4-7 days after quitting smoking the test kit should show a level consistent with a non-smoker.

Documenting the measurable and subjective immediate and intermediate benefits of smoking cessation can reinforce the mental and lifestyle changes associated with quitting and can serve as inspiration if the records are reviewed from time to time until the targeted quit smoking date is reached. Periodic review of the record after your quit smoking date has been reached might help to reduce the likelihood of relapse once you have successfully stopped smoking.

There appears to be something mystical about generating and keeping a record of important undertakings, whether it be the outline of an important speech you have to give, the design of a sprinkler system are planning to install, an employee manual for a business that you are starting, lectures notes pertaining to an examination you have to take, or progress notes of a weight loss program you are involved in, just to mention a few. The success or failure of many endeavors hinges upon whether or not you have a record to refer to during and after the pursuit. The old adage used to be “write it down”, but with the advent of modern technology including computers and speech-recognition software, it can be better stated “create a record in the most time-efficient manner possible.”

Although the recorded measured and subjective benefits of smoking cessation can be handwritten, the most time-efficient method of recording the gratifying data in the most practical format is with a personal health record software program which will allow the creation of dated legible typed journal entries, as well as tracking graphs which can be stored on your computer and printed out for review and/or presentation to your doctor during office visits, the latter of which might be of great value if a physician is monitoring your progress.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purpose only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical consultation with a qualified professional. The author encourages Internet users to be careful when using medical information obtained from the Internet and to consult your physician if you are unsure about your medical condition.

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These simple, practical, and specific strategies help smokers create quitting plans that make the most sense for them and offer the best possible chances of long-term success. With information on how to identify smoking patterns and establish long-term health goals; clear explanations of various quitting methods, tools and tips to help cope with triggers, cravings, withdrawal, stress, depression, and concerns about weight gain, this guide helps smokers to kick cigar… More >>

Kicking Butts: Quit Smoking and Take Charge of Your Health