Quit Smoking And You Can See Your Social Life Soar
- Details
- Parent Category: Quitting Benefits
- Category: Social Benefits
- Created on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 00:00
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 00:00
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 1295
When you quit smoking, you can also increase your
confidence, meet new people, and join new activities. An improved social
life is just one more reason to quit smoking!
A) Gain confidence-
Smokers become addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes and
tobacco. Cigarettes, cigars, and pipes all emit smoke that holds
thousands of other chemicals, in addition to the nicotine. When a
person?s body becomes addicted to nicotine, the chemical temporarily
creates pleasant physical and mental effects, which keeps the smoker
coming back time and again.
When you successfully quit smoking,
you overcome this physical and mental addiction. Overcoming such a
powerful addiction is no easy task. Once you?ve accomplished it, you?ll
have more confidence to face other difficult tasks in your life, armed
with the knowledge that you have succeeded at one of the most
challenging hurdles many people encounter. If you can quit smoking, what
is there that you can?t accomplish?
B) Meet others trying
to quit-
Hopefully your family and friends will be supportive of
your efforts to quit smoking. However, non one can truly empathize with
you except someone that is going through the same trials and
tribulations. Join an online or local community that offers support to
people who are quitting smoking.
The Center for Disease Control
(CDC) offers phone counseling at 1-800-QUIT-NOW. WhyQuit offers
discussion groups for both first-time quitters and ones that have tried
before. WhyQuit focuses on abrupt nicotine cessation (as opposed to
smoking cessation with a gradual decrease in nicotine intake).
Many
forums are geared toward quitting with the aid of a specific medication.
However, forums that are more general include:
American Lung
Association?s Freedom from Smoking? offers modules to walk a quitter
through the process and associated message boards.
The Quit
Smoking Company?s message boards are visually sparse, but offer visitors
many opportunities for discussion with others trying to quit.
Quit
Smoking Support has been helping smokers quit for over nine years
through peer-to-peer support and encouragement.
To meet people in
your local area and have a face-to-face discussion on quitting smoking,
visit Nicotine Anonymous, Smart Recovery, or check with your insurance
and health providers. Get more support for your efforts, and make new
friends!
C) Learn new activities-
Many experts recommend
taking up new activities to fill up your time and keep you from thinking
about smoking. As your health improves, you can join a local gym,
recreational sports league, or take fitness classes.
To keep
their hands busy and away from cigarettes, some people take up hobbies
like knitting, crocheting, or doing puzzles. What will you do with your
new energy and time? The possibilities are endless!
D) Get out of
the house-
When first quitting, smokers are often urged to spend
a lot of time in public places where smoking is prohibited, such as
libraries, malls, theatres, or museums. Revel in the fact that you can
stay inside as long as you like?no need to run outside and satisfy a
nicotine craving!
Make a point to meet friends and families for
dinner at non-smoking restaurants that you may have avoided in the past.
As the amount of time since your last cigarette increases, your sense of
taste will improve and you can enjoy the food more.
E) Enjoy your
financial freedom-
A big part of quitting smoking is giving
yourself rewards when you reach an important goal, whether it?s going a
day without smoking or six months. How can you reward yourself?
Tally
up all of the money that you would be spending on cigarettes and think
of ways to spend it. You can save up for a big trip or larger purchase,
or spend it on weekly social activities like dining out, going to the
theatre, or taking hobby or fitness classes. Use your extra money to
improve your social life and reward yourself for resisting the
temptation to buy another pack of cigarettes.
When someone quits
smoking, their physical, mental, and emotional well-being all improve
dramatically. Quitting smoking can take your social life to new heights
since you?ll have time and money for new hobbies, and will be able to
venture out in public without fear of finding someplace to smoke your
next cigarette. Once you?ve quit smoking, your social life will be on
fire!