(ThySistas.com) We all know how harmful smoking is, but it is also one of the least ladylike habits you could possibly have. A cough, wheezy chest, premature skin aging and yellow teeth are most definitely not things you want to force upon yourself. To make matters worse, women who smoke and are on birth control pills also increase their vulnerability to strokes and heart disease significantly. Yes, everything about smoking is bad news — but the good news is that there are ways to help you finally quit.
No matter how long you’ve been a smoker for, as soon as you stop, your lungs will begin to heal themselves. Within eight hours, nicotine will have mostly left your system. Within forty-eight hours, your sense of smell and taste will begin to return. Within two weeks, your cardiovascular health will have significantly improved and you will find yourself being able to run and go up the stairs much more easily. After one year, your risk of heart disease will be halved. The
benefits of quitting on your health will just keep adding up each year.
Ladies, it’s time to quit for good.
Pick a day
Quitting requires both mental and physical preparation. Mark a date on the calendar that is less than a month away and get yourself mentally ready to quit in the weeks leading to the day. Be happy! It’s an exciting time; you are looking towards healthier days and a better version of yourself. Stock up on healthy snacks such as nuts and carrot sticks, as well as sugar-free gum to curb the cravings.
The day before your chosen date, throw away all your cigarettes and get rid of your ashtrays, matches, lighters and anything else related to cigarette smoking. Remember that you will wake up a non-smoker, so you won’t be needing those any longer.
Pick a method
Several quit-smoking aids are available to you. They range from behavioral or nicotine replacement therapy, to medicine or going completely cold turkey. The method you choose is entirely up to you, but it should be the one that you feel you are most likely to be able to stick with.
One particular method that has grown in popularity in recent years is the use of e-cigarettes. Not only can they deliver a controlled dose of nicotine that will let you wean yourself off slowly, but the act of vaping also mimics traditional smoking. This will help getting rid of the physical addiction first, while you get ready to kick the psychological addiction afterwards. Companies such as My Von Erl USA and FIN ecig offer super stylish and feminine starter kits that won’t make you feel embarrassed to vape in public.
An electronic cigarette, or e-cig, consists of a battery-operated device that vaporizes flavored liquids containing various doses of nicotine, or none at all. The liquids are made of water, nicotine, flavoring, glycerin and propylene glycol. E-cigarettes come in various flavors, from classic tobacco, to mint, to more fruity and sweet flavors. They also come in nicotine dosages ranging from 0mg to 20mg. Initially, you should choose a liquid that has a similar nicotine dosage to the cigarettes you are smoking. This will leave time for your brain to accept the replacement while not crave the nicotine. Once you are comfortable with the shift, start to progressively lower the nicotine dosage of your e-cig. When the weaning is complete, use nicotine-free e-juice for a few weeks before giving up vaping completely.
Don’t get discouraged!
If there are any bumps in the road on your journey to quitting, don’t panic. A relapse doesn’t mean that you’ve failed! Maybe you’ve smoked one or two cigarettes, but it happens. First, keep calm. Look back and realize how far you’ve come, how much money you’ve saved and how much better you feel. Relapses are a normal part of the process and are very common. Try to understand why it happened and see if you can avoid repeating the same pattern again. Don’t give up!
Reward Yourself
While the major benefit of quitting concerns your health, one great side effect is all the money you are saving. If you choose to quit via e-cigarettes from the likes of My Von Erl USA or FIN ecig, you’ll find that vaping can be a much cheaper lifestyle choice than smoking.
Make a plan ahead of time on how you will be rewarding yourself after one day, two days, one week, one month, six months, and so forth. Opening a bank account where you can put the money you are saving by not smoking is a great way to do this. Reward yourself with things you love: a massage, a meal out with your loved one, or a much-needed getaway. Cigarettes are expensive, so chances are you can, in fact, afford those things now! You deserve it, too.
Staff Writer; April Smith