Nicotine is a drug. An incredibly addictive drug. If you are thinking about quitting smoking, you may have a hard time getting started. If you have recently quit smoking, you may need motivation to continue your pursuit. Perhaps it would be beneficial to understand the benefits of quitting smoking according to your body. “How long does it take until I start feeling better?”. Allow me to construct a timeline that identifies how your body will heal over time from abstaining from nicotine.
Once you quit smoking, you can thank your body, because your body gets to work right away. Nicotine is not supposed to be in our bodies, our bodies know this. Twenty minutes after you quit smoking, your heart rate will begin to return to a normal beat. Your blood pressure will also start to drop, and your circulation will improve as a result. You may recognize this as feeling more calm, less “buzzy”, or less elevated. Ironically, smokers may reach for a cigarette when they are already in this state, which can mentally quell their nerves, but physiologically exaggerate how our bodies feel.
Twelve hours after you have quit smoking, your carbon monoxide levels return to normal. Cigarettes contain carbon monoxide. Ever heard of carbon monoxide poisoning? Too much carbon monoxide will kill you. After twelve hours, your body clears itself of carbon monoxide.
Two days after you quit smoking, you may begin to begin to taste your food again. Goodbye extra salt and pepper! Smoking damages your nerve endings, which include your tongue and nostrils. Slowly, but surely, you can begin to taste foods naturally and experience the pleasure that accompanies natural food. This can be great motivation!
Two weeks after you quit smoking, you will find you can breathe easier. You can keep up with the kids or the dogs. You will have an easier time getting up three flights of stairs. You will have more natural energy, without the extra shot of expresso cost!
After one year of quitting smoking, your lung function increases by ten percent, and your risk of a heart attack and heart disease is cut in half. After five years of quitting smoking, other cancers such as mouth, throat, bladder, and esophageal are cut in half as well. The benefits compound the longer you abstain. Quitting smoking is not easy, but absolutely worth it if you value good health and longevity,
If you would like to speak to a professional counselor or psychologist about quitting smoking and reside in Illinois, please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.
Hillary R.,
Masters Level Intern, 2024
Sources –
Villalobos, N. (2023). Timeline after quitting smoking. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317956
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