Smoking is a damaging habit that has no discernible benefit to you, not to mention those around you being put in danger by your second-hand smoke. Apart from the plethora of fatal diseases it contributes towards, smoking also pilfers your hard-earned cash on a daily basis. To safeguard your health for the foreseeable future, as well as your pockets, here are five methods you can use to help you kick that filthy habit for good this time.
Take up vaping
In a 2015 report, Public Health England verified vaping as a far safer, healthier alternative to smoking. With far less toxins and no effect on those surrounding you, vaping is by far the much healthier option when it comes to inhaling smoke.
Vaping is also significantly cheaper than smoking and can come in any flavour you can possibly imagine. Nacho Cheese ‘Fauxritos’ flavour (that’s fake Doritos for those not in-the-know) is a real thing. Vape seller Vapourmate has a massive selection of flavoursome e-liquid to choose from online and in its Liverpool store – maybe pick something a bit classier than Fauxritos flavour though.
Try nicotine replacement therapy
Nicotine replacement therapy gives your body the nicotine it has been conditioned to crave from cigarettes. The general idea is to slowly reduce your intake over time until you feel you no longer need it at all. You have a wide berth for choosing how best you would like to administer this dose of nicotine. Some elect to chew nicotine gum while others prefer adhesive patches or nasal sprays.
Think of why you are quitting – money
Smoking cigarettes is a genuine financial burden. Wondered why you never could afford that dream holiday abroad? Maybe your smoking habit is to blame – especially if you are a particularly heavy smoker. The NHS calculated that smoking a pack a day would cost you well over two thousand pounds over the course of a single year – making the financial drain of smoking all too evident.
Take up a sport
Taking up a sport gives you a constant reminder of the crippling effect smoking can have on your fitness. Think of how the progress you have made in your chosen sport would be hampered by just a single cigarette. Smoking cigarettes reduces the ability of the body to uptake oxygen and has a debilitating effect on both your cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Shortness of breath, coughing and an inability to cope with sudden exertion are all the fault of smoking.
Tackle quitting together
Taking on the challenge with a partner makes you feel as though you are both in it battling together. Quitting at the same time as a friend allows you to monitor each other’s progress and encourage one another, allowing you to spur each other on to success.
The benefits of permanently cutting out cigarettes are numerous and the method you use is largely irrelevant – whatever works for you is the best method possible. By providing you with a number of methods you may want to consider trying out yourself, we are merely equipping you with a starting point.