If you’ve always wanted to stop smoking, now might be your time. This time quit smoking for good! There are many benefits to quitting smoking and some of them happen right away:

Benefits of Quitting Smoking

• 20 minutes after you quit, your blood pressure starts to drop.
• 8 hours after you quit, the level of carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) in your blood drops to normal.
• 24 hours after you quit, your risk of having a heart attack starts to drop.
• 2 weeks to 3 months after you quit, you start getting more air into your lungs and you can breathe easier.
• 1 to 9 months after quitting, you will notice that you cough less and your lungs feel stronger.
• 1 year after quitting, your risk of getting coronary heart disease is half of what it was when you were smoking.

Why Wait? Pick a Date!

If you think you are ready to quit, set a quit date. Give yourself a few weeks to prepare and about three weeks from now when you have less pressure at work or at home. Some people choose a weekend and plan some activities that will keep their minds off smoking. Commit to your quit date and write it down on all your calendars. Add a reminder to your cell phone so you are always thinking about quitting. Tell others you plan to quit on that particular day.

If you keep it to yourself, it may be easier to change your mind. This will give you another reason to stay focused on your goal and will encourage them to help you when you need support. Not all your friends may be fully supportive, especially the smokers, but that’s okay. Others will be helpful, and you might even choose one of them to be your quit buddy. That will be someone you can call if you start to get cold feet about your plan to quit. You can also visit the pan-Canadian quit line web portal or call the Toll-free Quitline at 1-866-366-3667.

Make a Plan

1. Talk your doctor or healthcare professional because they will be able to provide advice about nicotine replacement therapies or medications.
2. Pick a method. Talk to your doctor or visit the Health Canada website for more information to help you decide.
3. Cut back on smoking before your quit date. This will reduce the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal.
4. Think positively. This is your time to quit. You can do this.
5. Have a plan to deal with the nicotine withdrawal. There are many ways to do this and it will only be intense for a couple of days.
6. Begin your life as a non-smoker.

For more tips and suggestions about improving your health at work and at home, check out our blog.

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