In this article, I write about the reasons why I decided to quit smoking. I feel that it is important that you have a number of good reasons as to why you want to stop smoking, as this will help you to get through the great number of cravings that you will no doubt have. I hope this article proves to be of inspiration and can help other people to cut cigarettes out of their lives once and for all.

When different governments around the world have attempted to convince people to stop smoking, they always seem to go down the health route. It could be by showing a man who is dying of cancer for example. I knew about all of the health risks that were involved with smoking but I still did it. This was because in my own mind these health problems were unlikely to really start affecting me for around thirty years. I used to say to myself that there is a good chance that I will not be alive in thirty years time and that I should live for today. I would also try to convince myself that if I do live for another thirty years that there is a good chance that they will have found a cure for cancer by that point. When I decided to stop smoking, health was one of the reasons why I wanted to quit, but it was by no means the main reason.

The main reason was without doubt financial. The price of a packet of twenty cigarettes in the UK has rocketed upwards over the last few years. It is not that I can not afford to continue buying them, it is that I would rather spend the money on other things such as clothes or a holiday. I have worked out that I save over a thousand pounds a year by no longer smoking. This for me is a lot of money and was what I always thought of when the demons in my head were trying to convince me to smoke just one last cigarette.

There were of course other reasons why I wanted to stop smoking. These include the amount they make your clothes smell, the amount they make your house smell, the affect they have on your teeth, the fact that most women find smoking a turn off and the sheer dependancy that one can get from cigarettes. For example I feel a bit stressed, I must therefore have a cigarette. I am drinking coffee, therefore I must smoke a cigarette.

It was very very hard to stop smoking cigarettes but all of the effort is more than worth it.

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This article looks at ways to reduce the amount people stress. I was often known as a bit if a stress head, which I have to admit was a good description of me. I have now learnt about ways to relax, which have helped me to live a much more care-free life.

There have been a number of issues in my own life which have caused me to lose confidence, become stressed and even depressed. These include:

A lack of true friends

I have had problems with debt

A stutter

A bald patch

I have had problems controlling my weight

I was often paranoid about what other people thought of me

These issues have caused me many sleepless nights. I would be unable to get to sleep as I was unable to relax. This was due to constantly worrying and thinking about my problems.

I then decided to study ways in which I could increase my self-esteem, reduce the amount that I stressed and also about how I could learn to relax. After a long time, I believed that I had some tools and techniques which would help me.

Stress management techniques

Stop thinking so much

I am what people call a thinker. I basically think too much. This would not be a problem if I was thinking in a positive way but of course I was a negative thinker.

To help me in this quest to stop thinking, I decided to start listening to more music. Whenever I hit a negative thought process, I would play this music. This could be when I am in the car, when I am in the house and even when I am in bed.

The music helps to take my mind off the issues that I was stressing about.

Quit smoking and start exercising instead

Many people decide to smoke a cigarette when they are stressed. I believe that a far healthier and cheaper option is to exercise.

I will do a few weights and a few press ups which helps me to let off some steam. It also helps me to fight my anger and fears.

Learning to relax

Relaxation was something I found very hard to do.

I have now started various forms of alternative therapy such as tai chi, meditation and reflexology. These are superb at helping people to relax and also help to reduce levels of stress.

This is what has helped me to reduce my own stress levels and I hope the advice will be of benefit to other people.

Reduced risk of cancer Smoking causes cancer. We've all heard that. Everyone knows that lung cancer is one of the most devastating side effects of smoking. However, what is less known is that it puts smokers at risk of many other types of cancers as well, for example, mouth cancer, cancer of the larynx (voice box), bladder, pancreas and cervix among several others.

Increased risk of lung disease Smoking dramatically raises the risk of lung disease such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. These diseases are also known as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). They are progressive in nature and can eventually be life threatening.

Heart disease The likelihood of smokers dying from heart attacks is twice that of non-smokers. It causes peripheral vascular disease, where blood vessels that carry blood to the leg and arm muscles are constricted.

Makes you look bad! If you are thirty and a chain smoker, then it should be no surprise that you have premature wrinkles. Moreover, smoking also makes your breath and clothes smell bad, and gives you yellow fingernails.

Risks for women Women smokers are at a higher risk of having a miscarriage or a baby with lower birth weight. Women over 35, who take the 'pill' risk heart attack, stroke and blood clots in the legs.

Shorter life Smoking dramatically reduces your life expectancy - by an average of 13.2 years for men and 14.5 years for women (Source: US Center for Disease Control). The bottom line is - quitting smoking will help you live longer.

It's expensive! Do a simple calculation - multiply how much money you spend on tobacco each day by 365. The results may astonish you. Go a step further - multiply this amount by the number of years you have been smoking and you'll probably fall off your chair. It's just not worth it - quit today!

Social acceptance Smoking is no longer socially accepted as it once was. It is banned in many public places and most work places have some sort of smoking restriction. You maybe asked to smoke 'outside' at a party. Your job application may be rejected simply due to your smoking habit. Studies show that employees who are smokers, report sick more often that their non-smoking colleagues. Since employers pay part of the employees' health insurance premiums, smokers increase their insurance costs.

Concern for others Smoking not only harms you, but others around you as well. Indirect inhalation of tobacco smoke, or 'passive smoking' is a health risk to others. It can cause lung cancer and heart disease even in healthy non-smokers.

Hence, the case for quitting smoking is strong. Quitting will improve your life and of those around you as well. Let us all strive for a tobacco free world.

About the Author

Logan Rokwild writes about various topics. This article is free to re-print as long as nothing is changed, all links remained intact, the bio remains in full and the rel="nofollow" tag is not added to any of the links. Thank-you