Being a smoker is more fun. This widespread myth has now been busted by British scientists. The survey, which included 880 ex-smokers, showed that roughly 70% of the ex-smokers found themselves to be happier after the smoking cessation. The fear of losing life quality is why many smokers don't want to quit smoking, but after the initial difficult time with withdrawal symptoms, it seems that life a a non smoker by no means is worse than life as a smoker. Quite the opposite actually, a study shows, which was recently published in the journal "Nicotine & Tobacco Research". No ex-smokers regrets having stopped smoking, but what is important is to "survive" the first difficult time with withdrawal symptoms.
Among 879 ex-smokers 69.3 percent answered that they are happier after their cessation. 26.6 percent felt that their mood was the same, and only 3.3 percent said that they were less happy than before.
The findings corresponds well with my own experience: people don't regret that they have stopped smoking, rather they regret that they started.
It is a widespread myth, that if you quit smoking you will lose some life quality in return of a prolonged life. But for those smokers that fight through the withdrawal symptoms, the reward is actually two fold: sure, their life is prolonged, but they also feel free of dependence, feel more confident, have a lot more energy and receives recognition from their surrounding for their accomplishment. Ex-smokers are winners.
Focus on life quality rather than health
When trying to motivate people to quit smoking, focusing on the health benefits is far more efficient that pointing fingers and trying to scare people to quit.
Instead, we are developing new methods in which we dont to focus on diseases and health, but rather on the improved life quality, which freedom from smoke brings. The methods were developed from experiments with advice on smoking cessation for cancer patients. They were excited, partly because they felt that with a smoking cessation they themselves made a difference. Rather than being part of the problem, they were now part of the solution instead.
Better in time
The increased satisfaction is more pronounced, the longer the time that has passed since they stopped smoking. But even with ex-smokers, where the smoking stop was quite new, it was still the majority who feel happier now. Younger ex-smokers was more excited after their cessation than older people. However it did not matter whether they were heavy smokers or only smoked a few cigarettes a day.