Want to stub out your smoking?
It’s National No Smoking Day so if you’re thinking of quitting here are a few reasons why this could be, in the immortal words of Martine McCutcheon, your perfect moment.
If you’re reading this, you probably don’t need me to tell you how hard it is to quit smoking. But what you might not realise is research shows you’re more likely to quit with the right support.
So, whether you’re simply curious about quitting or ready to put down the pack for good, strap on a ‘can do’ attitude and take a look at the below. Plus, today’s National No Smoking Day so if you want to stub out your smoking, this isn’t a bad time to start.
Benefits
Quitting smoking might not be the easiest thing to do, but one thing that can’t be denied is that it does have some fairly hefty benefits.
Health is often a key one for many people. If you’re worried the damage is already done then good news, no matter how long you’ve smoked for, or how many cigarettes you smoke a day, your health will start to improve as soon as you quit.
According to the NHS, 20 minutes after putting out your last cigarette, your pulse rate will return to normal and research shows that after one year smoke-free, your risk of a heart attack halves and you’re likely to feel happier.
There are lots of other benefits too, like having more cash in your pocket, being able to exercise more easily, and not having the craving niggling away at you.
Tips
If the benefits sound tantalising, the next step is to make a plan for quitting.
There’s lots of information out there, from getting moving when you feel a craving coming on, to identifying when you normally crave nicotine and mixing up your routine to help break the habit.
The main thing is it’s important to find what approach works for you. A lot of people also find it helpful to remember their ‘why’ i.e. what’s driving you to quit, whether it’s your health, to protect the people around you, so you can run around the park without wheezing like an old penguin squeaky toy or to save money.
Something else to bear in mind is that you’re up to three times more likely to quit with a combo of stop-smoking products and support than if you try to quit on your own. There’s lots of free help out there, so dive on in and make yourself at home.
Support
At Onward we have a couple of initiatives to help our customers quit smoking.
For example, our May Logan Centre in Bootle hosts a stop smoking service which provides a clinic every day.
There’s also a Quit Squad session on a Friday over in our Callon office in Preston (although this week’s is actually cancelled!).
You can also get in touch with our Wellbeing team for guidance and signposting on this and a whole host of other issues if there isn’t anything suitable in your area.
Get in touch to find out how we can support your health & wellbeing
