Smoking is seen as an objectively bad habit because of the damage it does to you and the people around you. Despite this information, and despite learning about the dangers of smoking, many people still engage in it daily. I’m not going to delve into the details of why people engage in social smoking and similar activities today. But, I am going to talk about quitting smoking because there’s a major misconception about smoking as a whole.
So, what is the misconception about smoking?
Here it is:
Smoking is bad–that much is clear, but people need more reasons to stop
Smoking is bad for you in the most objective sense. You could extrapolate some benefits to smoking, such as meeting new friends and having great conversations with co-workers during work breaks. With that said, there are also plenty of other ways to get those same benefits. Healthier alternatives include going for walks and joining a social group.
But, the same can be said for many of the negatives against smoking too. One of the leading problems with smoking is that it increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, but there are many different factors that can lead to this condition. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, lack of exercise, obesity, and family background.
As such, if you need reasons to stop smoking, you shouldn’t just look at the health-related effects. The reality is that smoking affects everyone differently.
There are some people who will pass away from cardiovascular disease related to smoking, but there are also seniors in their 80s and 90s who still smoke on a regular basis. As such, folks definitely need more reasons as to why they should stop smoking and ways to gradually cut down.
Stop smoking by controlling your habits
One of the best approaches to end your smoking habit is to actually learn to control it. Then, gradually reduce usage and, finally, stop it entirely.
Going cold turkey on cigarettes can be detrimental to your health. That’s because of the intense cravings that come from suddenly ceasing nicotine consumption.
For that reason, many people are looking for different options. For example, learn to control the amount you smoke and gradually getting it out of your life.
A good example of this method is using preroll packaging instead of keeping a box of cigarettes or joints with you. That is one way to regulate how much you smoke, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors. You can only carry a certain number of cigarettes, which means you can gradually reduce how much you smoke.
That is just one way to limit smoking with the intention to gradually get it out of your life. You can also look at other motivators to help you quit, such as how much it costs to smoke regularly, or how much time it takes to get the smell of smoke out of your clothes.
Conclusion on the reality and misconception about smoking
Everyone needs a reason to stop. The reality is that more people are reaching a point where they need more than just health-related reasons to encourage them.