This is a common reaction for a new quitter and acknowledging that you are essentially benefiting your health in the long run is vitally important. Continuing to puff 10 to 20-odd cigarettes everyday could wreck havoc on your life, resulting in potential illnesses such as emphysema and dreaded cancer.

Everyone gets told quitting the bud is hard, but this statement isn’t exactly accurate. It’s not the actual process of stopping that’s difficult, it’s the withdrawal symptoms you may experience that make the process seem impossible.

One of the principle withdrawal symptoms is anger and anxiety. You’ve essentially become dependent on cigarettes to calm you down every time the secretary messes up, or to need an excuse for a breather at work.

As if it wasn’t enough for you to do without your 15 minute smoking session, practically every cell in your body is screaming at you because you aren’t supplying it with soothing nicotine. No doubt your friends, family and even colleagues will notice the change in your temperament!

It is important to try and avoid stressful situations, which is easier said than done, but it will help your willpower to K.O. all those little cells begging you for a nicotine fix.

Another common symptom is experiencing severe headaches: a rather strange symptom since you’d think your body would be grateful for not polluting it anymore. But it’s for these exact reasons that you’ll experience a thudding headache. With all the extra oxygen coursing through your veins, it comes as a shock to your system. Invest in some mild painkillers, such as Disprin or Panado to help you through the day.

Of course, another side effect you may not anticipate is a lack of concentration. This is due to your mind being polluted with subconscious thoughts of cigarettes and your conscious thoughts of willpower trying to overpower them. If you have a job that requires concentration as an essential element, your work may suffer. It’s not your fault, it’s simply your body that’s going through withdrawal.

Lastly, you’ll feel the need to eat more than what you usually do. For a lot of people the same cravings they experience for a cigarette is exactly the same cravings you have for sweets, chocolates and chips. This is why so many people gain weight after kicking the habit, so armor up and carry chewing gum or filling foods such as fruit, biltong or nuts to nibble one when you absolutely can’t handle it. This will also get rid of the desire to hold something in your hand.

Just like any addiction, quitting is extremely hard. Don’t let people tell you that smoking isn’t as serious as other drugs and that it should be easy to quit because it’s not. Knowing what you are getting yourself into and what to expect will help you continue through the struggle until everything is completely out of your system.
But bear in mind that unless you seriously want to quit, you might be able to stop now but you’ll only light up a bud in a couple weeks’ or months’ time, so know your reasons for quitting and then kindly embrace the boxing ring as you take on every impulse of your body that screams otherwise.

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