The American Cancer Society (ACS) states that "each year, a staggering 440,000 people die in the United States from tobacco use." The ACS adds "About 87 percent of lung cancer deaths were caused by smoking." Smoking is a very dangerous habit that too many people continue until it is clear this toxic habit has seriously damaged their health. The sooner you stop smoking the sooner your body will begin to rebuild the immune system that may be damaged by smoking. Also, eliminating cigarettes from your life will help your lungs start to rejuvenate and regain their health. An unexpected heart attack is too often a sign that quitting smoking is crucial to staying alive. Quitting smoking cold turkey now can help you avoid a possibly fatal heart attack.
Observe the Elderly and Vow to Make Long Life a Priority
Take some time to closely observe the elderly. You will not see many of them holding a cigarette! So find a moment or two on occasion to look at the elderly and wonder what it would be like to live to 90 or 100. This will help to enable visualization of living to an elderly age without serious health problems. There is a beauty in someone over age 80 or 85 who is still active and vigorously enjoying life. Visualize yourself in strong health at an elderly age. Picture how much fun it will be to enjoy retirement with an ability to get outside to exercise and be active.
Add Up the Financial Impacts
Take time to think about how much money has been wasted on cigarettes. How many better uses were there for that money? Also think about how smoking may seriously damage finances in the future. Smoking often leads to cancer surgery. Cancer treatment bills are not always fully covered by insurance. A cancer operation may result in huge overages to the insurance's lifetime limit that the patient will have to pay. Each cigarette smoked can put the smoker closer to financial ruin. Smoking can imperil your financial stability.
Think about How Your Children Need a Parent
Too many children have lost a parent because that parent smoked heavily. Smoking too often takes away what children need most---their parents. Having children should be a time when good health habits become a very strong priority. Upon becoming a parent, it is crucial to do everything possible to ensure you will be healthy and alive to help raise and nurture the children.
Smell Your Closet
Smoking makes your clothes reek. Cigarette smoke is a toxic smell that makes many people feel nauseated. Smoking causes your body and clothes to emit gusts of foul smelling air that offends many people. When one smokes for a long time, it is difficult to even notice the smell of smoke anymore. So spend some time outside without smoking and then go in and smell the air in your clothes closet. The air will reek of smoke. When you smoke, everywhere you go everyone can tell that you smoke and that you are risking your health. So when you quit smoking, wash all of your clothes to remove the smoky smell and enjoy knowing that you are not trailing a cloud of foul smoke-tainted air on your clothing everywhere you go.
Avoid Other Smokers
Do not hang out with people who smoke. When someone is blowing smoke in your face as they smoke it becomes very tough to not want to ask them if they have an extra cigarette for you. Avoid people who smoke until your cessation of smoking is a firmly entrenched habit. Some smokers like to subtly encourage others to also participate in the toxic habit of smoking. Avoid negative peer pressure to smoke by avoiding smokers. It is also best to avoid smoke-filled environments as they tempt one to smoke and also are very detrimental to the health via secondhand smoke.
Reward Yourself for Quitting Smoking Cold Turkey
Rewards help motivation stay strong. So reward yourself when you go a day, week, a month, a year or a decade without picking up another cigarette. Make a list of rewards for each time frame and visualize yourself enjoying those rewards each time you have the urge to pick up a cigarette. The rewards could be a nice dinner out, a vacation, a book you want to read, equipment for a hobby you enjoy or other items or events that are joyful. Another reward idea is to imagine the look of joy people who have been nagging you will have when you tell them you have quit smoking for a certain length of time. Rewards, whether small or large, help smokers maintain their ability to avoid cigarettes. So find some positive rewards to think about so motivation levels will remain high to stay off the cigarettes.
