Eight hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal, and your oxygen level in your bloodstream increases to normal. At 24 hours your chances of suffering a heart attack decrease. At 48 hours nerve endings start to re-grow, and taste and smell sensations return to almost normal levels.
The good news is that you can do it - you can succeed in quitting smoking - millions of people every year make the attempt and thrive. Be aware that it can take several attempts to rid yourself of this addiction, but with planning and perseverance, you will ultimately achieve your goal.
Depending on your personality, you may want to consider quitting “cold turkey” - meaning you throw out all the cigarettes in your house, purse, car and anywhere else, and just stop smoking. The other method is to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day until you reach your goal of not smoking. The differing methods work according to your personal strengths and weaknesses.
Between 2 weeks and 3 months after that last puff, your circulation improves, walking becomes easier and your lung functions increase. After a year of being a non-smoker, you’ll lessen your chances of coronary heart disease by 50 percent, compared to smokers.
The variety of illnesses caused by smoking is amazing - throat and mouth cancer, lung cancer, bladder and liver cancer, brain tumors, macular degeneration (blindness), birth defects from stillborn infants to premature births, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), emphysema, heart disease and all it’s related complications - the list just goes on and on.
Reduce the amount of stress in your life. Many smokers say that “smoking helps calm them down” after they’ve had a stressful day or a troubling event. In reality, just the opposite is true; smoking stimulates the body in a number of ways. It’s the fiddling around with all the smoking paraphernalia that “calms” the smoker down - the cigarettes themselves, the ashtray, the lighter, tipping the ashes off the end of the cigarette, etc. All those patterns of behavior are what constitutes calming routine for the smoker.
Medications are also now available to help you quit smoking - such as the nicotine patch, which - depending on which brand you use - gradually reduces the amount of nicotine in your bloodstream over several weeks to help reduce the cravings you’ll feel to light up another cigarette. These medications are also available as gum, inhalers and nasal sprays - some require prescriptions, some can be purchased over the counter. Many people have found that this type of medication can alleviate much of the discomfort caused by nicotine withdrawal.
Find a “hot line” that supports smoking cessation. The more contact you have with therapists or counselors experienced in therapy for those who are quitting, the more likely it is you’ll succeed. Sometimes the ability to talk to someone who’s been through what you’re going through during withdrawal is enough to overcome those momentary symptoms.
And the long term benefits are just as remarkable - after quitting for 5 to 15 years, you cut your risk of suffering a stroke to that of people who have never smoked. At 10 years your chances of contracting a multitude of cancers decreases to levels similar in non-smokers. At 15 years your risk of developing coronary heart disease drops to non-smoker levels.
The first step in quitting is not simply throwing out that pack of cigarettes, but preparing yourself mentally to quit. You must begin to think of yourself as a non-smoker, rather than someone who’s kicking the nicotine habit. What’s the difference? By stating that you’re a non-smoker, you’re announcing it as an established fact; it’s a statement of who you are, similar to saying “I’m a banker,” or “I own my own company.” It’s all about mindset.
The next part of preparing yourself mentally to quit smoking is to be aware that you’re facing a battle - perhaps the most important battle of your life. As with any battle, you’ll need tools and weapons to assist you. From support systems to medications, there are a variety of avenues open to you that will help you succeed.
If you’re quitting “cold turkey” it may cause higher levels of stress, just as abrupt withdrawal from any drug would cause in bodily systems. Because your body no longer has the drug it’s addicted to, the need for the stimuli from smoking can become an overwhelming craving. But by the same token, many people find that quitting cold turkey works better for their personalities because it removes the source of their addiction and they can concentrate on getting through the withdrawal period.
Next, change your routine - learn new skills and behaviors. Studies have shown that the human brain takes approximately three weeks to learn and implement a new pattern of behavior - the neurotransmitters in your brain are resistant to changing more quickly than that period of time. So although you may tell yourself you’re quitting on June 15th, it will take at least 21 days for the message - and the new behavior pattern - to get through to your brain.
When you quit smoking, you need to change your daily routine that included cigarettes. For example, if you normally had a cup of coffee and a cigarette for breakfast, change that to a cup of tea and read the paper. Or check your email. Or have a healthy breakfast and a quick walk before you begin your daily tasks. Change the environment around you so that it doesn’t include time for smoking.
Once you’ve overcome the initial withdrawal symptoms from quitting smoking, realize that you’re over the first hurdle - now it’s simply a daily battle to stay away from the source of your addiction. Using these tips and techniques will help ensure that you’re successful at your ultimate goal. Congratulations! You’re truly a non-smoker now.