There are countless reasons to quit smoking.
Reasons to quit are often extremely personal to the individual. That being said, there are 5 main reasons to stop smoking that we see again and again in clinical practice. Some you may be familiar with, whilst some may surprise you as the benefits can be so far reaching.
Let’s have a look at them now.
1. Overall Health
Long-term and short-term healing concerns are always the number one reason clients give for stopping smoking.
By the time most clients decide to quit smoking, they are already starting to experience the effects of their habit on their health. This could be a persistent cough, shortness of breath or in some cases a more serious health condition.
There are numerous studies that prove smoking tobacco is a leading cause of chronic illness and fatal disease. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention report that smoking cigarettes causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases the risk of tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Fortunately, when we quit smoking, our bodies begin to repair themselves. From increased blood circulation and eased breathing, to a reduction in the risk of heart attack and fatal disease caused by smoking. It’s never too late to quit.
Watch our Quit Smoking Timeline video to see how your body will begin to repair itself just 20 minutes after your last cigarette.
2. Finances
With the average lifetime cost of smoking being in the region of £140,000, cigarettes prove to be a serious drain on our finances.
Smokers are not always aware of the financial implications of smoking when they first decide to quit. When we only consider one pack of cigarettes or tobacco at a time, it may not seem like we’re spending that much on cigarettes. However, when we take the time to calculate how much we’re spending each week, each month, and every year upon year, the money really adds up!
Just imagine what you could be spending that money on instead of literally burning it up in smoke. Instead of a few packs of cigarettes, you could buy yourself a new outfit or a day at a luxury spa. Over the months, that money could buy you a new car, a new kitchen, or a trip around the world! In the long term, the money you would otherwise spend on tobacco could be saved and put towards something truly life changing, such as a deposit on a property or paying off your mortgage altogether.
3. Physical Appearance
The negative effects of smoking on the physical body are not just confined to the inside. Smoking cigarettes is associated with a number of less-than-desirable external aesthetics – far from the glamour associated with smoking in Hollywood classics.
Tar from tobacco smoke stains and yellows the teeth and fingers. As a major contributor to gum disease, cigarettes can also cause your teeth to rot whilst still in your mouth before falling out for good.
Inhibiting oxygen uptake and blood flow, cigarettes cause ageing of the skin, contributing to deeper, more pronounced wrinkles and lines around the mouth and eyes.
Smoking has even been correlated with hair loss in both men and women.
When you quit smoking, some of these attributes can be reversed, although sometimes – in the case of teeth falling out – the damage has already been done.
4. Poor Mental Health
It is a common misconception that cigarettes help us to relax and feel at ease – “a helpful friend” that gets us through tough situations.
Yeah, not so much!
In reality, nicotine is a powerful neuro-stimulant which contributes to feelings of nervous agitation and restlessness.
There are even correlations evidenced between smoking and mental health problems. For example, people who suffer from anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia are more likely to smoke and smoke more heavily than the general population.
When you quit smoking, it is likely that your mood will improve, you will feel much calmer and more positive.
Evidence even suggests that quitting smoking can benefit the symptoms of anxiety and depression equal to that of taking antidepressants!
This is the most profound benefit of stopping smoking that our clients report, and one which often surprises them most.
Clients also say that the sense of achievement at quitting has resulted in increased confidence to make changes and improvements to other areas of their lives also.
The coping skills you learn during treatment are transposable across many areas of your life and numerous clients report a decrease in general anxiety many months after treatment.
5. Interpersonal Relationships
And finally, for many people, smoking isn’t just affecting their own lives, but it’s having a negative impact on those around them too.
Whether it’s wanting to have more years with your children as they grow up, to stop causing unnecessary worry for parents and spouses, or simply to stop being a stale insult to the olfactory system of colleagues and housemates; stopping smoking for the benefit of others is also a common reason to quit smoking.
When we quit smoking, we buy back more time and closeness with those most important to us.
What are your reasons to quit smoking?
Perhaps you can relate to some of these reasons to quit smoking. Maybe some of them have even inspired you to think of other reasons we haven’t listed, which are more specific and personal to you.
If so, great!
The more personal your reasons to quit are to you, the more likely you are to succeed in stopping smoking for good.
Perhaps take some time now to think about your own Top 5 Reasons To Quit Smoking. You can even write them down and keep them close on your journey to becoming smoke free.
Get in touch today if you would like to help quitting vapes and tobacco.
Our evidence-based treatment plan for smoking cessation combines techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and hypnotherapy to help you not only quit smoking but stay a healthy, happy non-smoker for life.