When You Quit Tobacco, What Do You Gain?

When people tell you to quit smoking or chewing, do you want to cover your ears and make them go away? Maybe you've heard it all before, you're not convinced that smoking is all that dangerous, or you think you'll be one of the lucky ones who manage to steer clear of the diseases that are linked to the nasty behavior. Are you just overwhelmed with the steady stream of do's and don'ts and the never-ending health warnings and recommendations, and you just want to live your life? But that's just the point. You can't ignore the truth about the dangers of tobacco. For many people, smoking is the tunnel and quitting is the light at the other end. If you want to see the light, you have to visualize a strong and happy life without the baggage that comes with being hooked on tobacco. Painting a detailed picture of your "quit success" can motivate you to work toward your goal, stick it out during the tough times, and try again if you slip up.

It's human nature to prefer positive, specific goals over negative, vague targets. Hey, who wants to take a leap of faith and work toward the "mystery prize" when you can select and then go after the goal that YOU get to identify?

Positive and precise quit-related goals could include saving the cash you'd be spending on tobacco or chew, improving your breathing and exercise stamina, improving your sports performance, and being way more attractive to the opposite sex. Let's face it, who wants to chill with a person who smells like an old ashtray when a minty fresh date is available?

When you set a negative goal that lacks specifics-such as "never smoking/chewing again for the rest of my life"-you might have trouble envisioning your own success. These hazy and pessimistic goals could stop even the most determined warrior in his tracks. Let's not kid ourselves, change is hard, quitting is hard, and breaking old habits and behaviors is no cake walk. So don't make it even harder on yourself! When you have clear, concrete incentives to quit, you'll have more reasons to keep working at it when things get tough.

Your decision to quit is a strategic mission requiring a map, equipment, and tools to succeed. Don't go into it blindfolded, because that's a recipe for disaster. Give yourself the edge by creating a detailed list of the advantages and a "photograph" of what your life will look like when you achieve "quit success."

By quitting tobacco, you can achieve many things, such as:

• You can improve your physical attractiveness. Your breath will be fresher, your fingers and teeth will look cleaner, your hair and clothes will smell better, and your skin will look younger. To put it bluntly, tobacco is a turnoff.
• You can improve your physical fitness and sports performance. Your circulation, lung capacity, heartbeat, and stamina will improve. You'll be more in shape for physical training and all of those little tasks that take strength and energy. Quitting tobacco can also improve sexual functioning. You'll begin reversing the damage within hours, even minutes, after you quit.
• You can save more money. Tobacco is expensive! By quitting, you'll be able to hang onto more of your hard-earned cash to spend on things you really need and want. You can create a powerful incentive to stay quit by adding up the money you'll save and planning how you want to spend it.
• You can enjoy good smells and tastes. If you can't smell it, you usually can't taste it, so smoking often costs you two of life's simplest pleasures. Once you quit, you'll rediscover the joy of good food, fresh air, and your date's cologne.
• You can protect the health of people you care about. Quitting tobacco is a way to look after your family's health, as well as your own. By quitting smoking, you'll reduce your family's exposure to secondhand smoke and nicotine. Your family didn't decide to smoke just because you did, but even if you smoke outdoors or next to an exhaust fan, nicotine-containing particles stick to your clothing and hair and then rub off on the furniture. Eventually the people you live with absorb that nicotine. Research shows that children whose parents smoke outdoors absorb twice as much nicotine into their bodies as children of parents don't smoke. Imagine how guilty you'd feel if your little one mistook your spit bottle for a soda and actually took a sip! We don't even want to go there because that's one hazard you can't protect them from.

Ok, so your picture is painted, your gear is packed and ready, and you've given yourself the orders. Now march!