Dangers Of Smoking Tobacco

Quitting tobacco might be on your list of goals for many years. But as you know, the first few days are the hardest and the probability of relapsing is very high. More than 6 million people die worldwide every year due to tobacco use. Out of this, more than five million deaths are due to direct tobacco use and more than 600,000 are from second-hand exposure. Tobacco smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths, 17% of all heart disease deaths, and at least 80% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema.

Here, you will get to know some effective ways to handle the first few days after quitting smoking. If you do not want to be a slave to nicotine for life and want to break free, follow these tips:

• Challenge yourself – Quitting smoking is a gradual process, not an overnight one. Therefore, set realistic goals that you can accomplish. Give yourself the challenge to not smoke for next 2 days, rather than giving yourself a challenge to not smoke for the rest of your life.
• Replace your cravings with healthier options – Whenever you feel like having that next cigarette, replace your craving with something healthy like your favorite fruit, your favorite chocolate or nuts.
• Keep a piggy bank – The money which you spend every month on smoking, put all that money in a piggy bank. It will give you a positive motivation towards your goal of quitting smoking.
• Seek support – It is definitely not easy to stop smoking, therefore, talk to your parents, friends about it. Tell them how you are feeling, and ask for their help in this. You can also talk to people who have successfully quit smoking or are dealing with withdrawal symptoms like you, or approach a therapist for assistance.
• Remember the reason you quit – When it gets tougher to quit, keep remembering why you started on this path of quitting. Also, you can make a list of things which can improve your life if you quit smoking, like a healthier lifestyle, healthy lungs, and a more meaningful life.
• Sip Cold Water: Replace the act of smoking a cigarette by sipping cold water with the help of a straw. Doing this, your body will release dopamine, a feel-good brain chemical that can help you with bad moods and overcome the urge to smoke.
• Note Instant Rewards: Yes, the benefits of a smoke-free life are endless and one of them is that your savings will increase instantly. We might not keep a note on how much money we waste on packs of cigarettes and once you decide to finally quit it, you will notice your savings shoot up. Not only this you will feel better, your taste buds will improve and you will feel more energetic.
• Brush Often: That is correct! Brush your teeth every time you get the urge to smoke. This way, you will be less inclined to smoke and blessed with clean and white teeth.
• Free Yourself from Smoking Buddies: It is quite common that the urge to light a cigarette increases when you mingle with a group of fellow smokers. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid them, especially at your workplace, to ride out smoking cravings.
• Exercise: At times, when you feel you no longer can resist smoking, distract yourself and start doing something else. Go for some kind of physical activity since it offers a powerful distraction from the cravings. E.g. Take a walk or a quick run, listen to music or dance to some fast music.

As soon as you quit, your body starts repairing the damage you did to yourself.  Quitting tobacco can make a drastic improvement to your health! Give it a try for yourself!