There are a number of things that you should expect when you try to quit smoking. Some of those things are better than others.
Kicking a bad habit comes with a wild mixture of good and back side effects.
If you are looking for a little extra help, you may want to consider the Quit Smoking Magic program.
The Benefits of Quitting Smoking
You may be surprised by how soon the benefits of not smoking will be seen and felt.
It is important to note that these are the effects when you decide to quit cold turkey. These benefits are not to the same timeline if you have decided to wean yourself off of the habit.
Within Hours
Even over the course of just hours, you will experience a number of different benefits to your health and well-being. Some of those benefits are:
- Better blood pressure
- Circulation will improve in your hands and feet (meaning a return to normal body temperature)
- Your blood oxygen level increase and carbon monoxide level drop
- The amount of nicotine in your body will drop drastically
Within Days
If you continue to stick with quitting after the initial cravings, here are some of the benefits you may observe over the next few days:
- Any damaged nerve endings will begin to repair or regrow
- Your taste buds and sense of smell will strengthen
- Within a few days, the nicotine will be completely out of your system
- Breathing becomes a little easier
Within Weeks
If you’ve made it to this point, congratulations! If you have stumbled, that’s okay. Keep trying.
Below are some of the benefits of not smoking for a few weeks:
- Cravings become less frequent and less intense
- You will find that nicotine is no longer in charge of you or your health
- Circulation in your mouth—teeth and gums—should return to normal
- Negative side effects (anxiety, anger, etc.) no longer affect you
- Risks to your heart have dropped drastically
- Overall lung function is much better
- Your skin is much healthier than if you were still smoking
Within Months
You might still face the occasional battle with cravings, but you are doing well if you’ve made it months without smoking. You should be reaping some of these rewards for your fight:
- Circulation improves overall
- If you were afflicted with a chronic cough, that should have subsided within a few months
- Going for a walk is easier and more enjoyable
- Trouble breathing and sinus issues should clear up
- You feel more energized
- Stroke and issues of the heart should now be about half of what they were when you smoked
For Years to Come
You’ve made it years since your last smoke? Fantastic!
Here are some of the long-term benefits of no longer smoking:
- Women have a lower risk of developing diabetes
- A stroke becomes less likely
- There is now a lower risk of developing lung, mouth, throat, esophagus, or pancreas cancer (although still higher than someone who never smoked)
- A decreased chance of tooth-loss
- Coronary heart disease becomes less and less of a threat the longer you don’t smoke
The Negative Side Effects of Quitting Smoking
Withdrawal
Withdrawal isn’t fun. It’s kind of hard to argue with that, right?
There are so many things that your body does when it’s craving nicotine. Some of those negative effects are:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Anger
- Restlessness
- Depression
- Impatience
- Lack of concentration
- Bad cravings
You may find that a support system or program could help you overcomes these side effects. You may want to consider the Quit Smoking Magic for smoking cessation.
Potentially New Bad Habits
Unfortunately, sometimes when you are quitting on bad habit, you can’t help but fall into another.
For example, maybe you begin eating a lot of chocolate or increasing your intake of sugary drinks. But if it helps you quit smoking, it can’t be all bad, right?
Wrong.
Replacing one bad habit with another might lead to different problems (such as weight gain) but they are still problems.
Try instead to replace the bad habit of smoking with a good habit, like a nightly walk after dinner. Do something good in that space of time that you would previously have smoked a cigarette.
Conclusion
Quitting smoking isn’t an easy thing to do at all. There are going to be a number of pitfalls and hurdles that you will have to overcomes.
Stay strong.
Why go through the withdrawal? Because there are countless advantages to quitting.
They might just seem like any old list. If that’s the case, make them more personal. Consider what each of the advantages mean to you in your life filled with your loved ones.
