For me, smoking became an unhealthy habit that eventually affected my health in many ways. I noticed I would easily get out of breath even during simple activities. I also felt that smoking affected my sense of smell and, at times, even my ability to properly taste food. I’m not sure if others experienced the same thing, but that was my personal experience as a smoker.
I started smoking when I was 11 years old and finally quit when I was 25. That was around 14 years of smoking. I usually smoked around 2–6 sticks a day, although there were days when I didn’t smoke at all, especially when I was sick.
Over time, smoking became attached to many parts of my daily routine — going out with friends, taking breaks, after meals, traveling, going to school, visiting the farm, and even while using the bathroom. It slowly became part of my everyday life.
One day, I started reflecting on the changes I wanted to make in my life, and quitting smoking was the first thing that came to mind. I wanted to improve my health, save money, and become a better example for my future family. I also started thinking about how smoking affects not only my health but also the people around me and the environment.
The air that we breathe today is full of toxic and hazardous pollutants. Pollution in the environment could leave mother Earth sapped of its beauty and biodiversity. @conzurge
Fighting the urge to smoke was not easy for me. It took me three attempts before I successfully quit in 2015. If quitting was already difficult for me, I can only imagine how challenging it is for people who have smoked much longer or more heavily.
Quitting smoking is hard. As many as 75%-80% of smokers say they'd like to quit. But it takes the average smoker five (5) to ten (10) attempts before successfully quitting. WebMD
Since I was serious about quitting smoking, I started asking myself difficult but important questions during my moments of reflection:
- Do I want to save money for myself and my future family?
- Do I want to become healthier?
- Who is really in control of my life — me or cigarettes?
- Do I want to breathe easier?
- Do I want to be a better example for my future wife and children?
- Do I want to continue smelling like cigarette smoke?
- Do I want my sense of smell and taste to improve?
Asking myself these questions helped strengthen my motivation to quit. It reminded me why I wanted to stop smoking in the first place.
There are many ways to quit smoking, and different methods work for different people. These are some of the things that personally helped me fight cigarette cravings:
- I prayed to God and honestly admitted that I was struggling with cigarette addiction and genuinely wanted to be free from it.
- I kept myself busy by reading articles online or playing games on my phone to distract myself from cravings.
- Eating apples and carrots also helped me. Until today, I still eat carrots sometimes because of their health benefits.
If cigarettes are cancer sticks, carrots are anticancer sticks. —Kick the habit with nature's help. Natural Health
- I made sure to always carry candies or chewing gum in my pocket or bag. Whenever cravings started, having something to chew helped me resist the urge to smoke.
- Drinking water or coffee sometimes helped me get through cravings.
- I avoided situations and social environments that triggered my urge to smoke, especially hanging out with friends who smoked regularly.
I’m proud to say that I quit smoking without counseling or medication. For me, discipline, commitment, and personal motivation played a huge role in finally quitting. It wasn’t easy, but quitting becomes much more possible when you genuinely commit to it.
As for withdrawal symptoms, the main things I experienced were strong cigarette cravings and an increased appetite.
If you successfully quit smoking too, feel free to share your story in the comments below.
