You may have lots of reasons to put off the moment when you have to stop smoking
- its a crutch
- its a stress buster
- its a confidence booster
- everyone around you smokes
So how come every year thousands of people manage to do it? Myself included - if I can give it up after 29 years then anyone can.
Once your body is smoke free it will begin to heal within 20 minutes, starting to repair the damage done by all those years of smoking.
- 20 minutes - your blood pressure and pulse return to normal and circulation starts to improve
- 8 hours - your blood oxygen levels return to normal and your change of having a heart attack fails
- 24 hours - Carbon monoxide leaves your body. Your lungs start to clear out mucus and debris
- 48 hours - Congratulations - your body is now nicotine free! You should be starting to taste and smell different things.
- 72 hours - Your breathing is easier and you should start to have more energy
- 3-9 months - Your lung efficiency is up by 5-10 %, breathing problems are starting to fade away.
- 5 years - You now have only half the chance of having a heart attack compared to a smoker.
- 10 years - The chance of you getting lung cancer is now half that of a smoker. Your chances of having a heart attack are now the same as a non smoker.
Top Tips
- Contact your local NHS Stop Smoking Service or your Doctor
- Take it one day at a time
- Stop with a friend so you can support each other
- Use nicotine replacement products
- Avoid situations where you might be tempted to smoke again
- Put the cash to one side that you would normally spend on cigarettes
The initial few days without any nicotine are often the hardest, I personally found that the first 3 months were the hardest and then it started to get easier. Now its been 18 months and I still get the odd craving but if you occupy your mind then it soon passes.
My story
I smoked for about 29 years, not heavily until the past 5 years where I probably smoked 20 a day and more on a weekend or socially. I had tried at least 3 times to give up, the longest was for 3 months with the help of champix tablets. I used them again this time (please note that champix tablets are prescription only and you will need to see your Doctor first to see if its suitable for you as the side effects can be very unpleasant). I tried champix tablets again this time and stuck with them, after 4 months I came off them and haven't looked back.
My problem was getting over the first cigarette in the morning - so I would take my time getting ready in the morning instead of rushing downstairs. I stopped having my usual cup of coffee and would have some breakfast instead.
I started doing cross-stitch again as it gave my hands something to do.
I did try to smoke when out socially with friends, but found that it did taste awful and made me choke - so going out socially with friends didn't bother me after that. I would stand outside with them while they smoked so I wasn't missing out on anything, but felt GOOD as they stank and I felt CLEAN.
I can now walk up hills without wheezing, I still get short of breath on occasions but it's getting easier. The more I do the easier it gets.
One bad thing about giving up smoking is that I get hay fever now! But I can cope with that - I feel so much healthier and cleaner now. My skin has a healthy glow again and my eyes have got their sparkle back again, my teeth are also cleaner and my gums are looking nice and pink again.
STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND TAKE ACTION NOW - I DID IT AND SO CAN YOU
Source:
Nicola Gibbin - Single mum of 2 teenage boys, a mere novice when it comes to writing blogs but learning everyday.
