What Happens When You Quit Smoking
Right from the moment you quit smoking your body will begin to repair itself and after the first 48 hours there is no nicotine in your body. You will go on to crave cigarettes for around a week and in some cases longer. The good news is that the longer you hold out the stronger your will power will become. During the first week you can experience any number of withdrawals which can include headaches, lack of concentration, being agitated, aggressive and/or having mood swings. The best way to overcome any of these symptoms is by being prepared for them. The quicker you identify that you are being moody, aggressive or agitated the quicker you can change your behavior to be more accommodating to others. If you experience headaches simply take some headache tablets. A good tip for the first few days is to get some early sleep. Try break your routine a little.
Often we translate nicotine cravings as a need for a cigarette but in reality it is our body getting rid of the toxins that has been put in. By having another cigarette you are putting in more toxins and will have to wait around 20 minutes before your body starts to reject the nicotine again. So as a smoker every time you believe you need a cigarette and light up it was your body trying to release the toxins. Right from when we first started smoking we teach ourselves that the body rejecting the nicotine is a craving when in actual fact it is the other way round! This is what makes quitting difficult as the more our bodies reject in the first few days we believe it is a craving.
Over the first few weeks and months of quitting your body will continue to repair itself. Between 2 to 12 weeks your body circulation will improve. Your senses will be more sharp and you will now notice what other smokers smell like. If you ever had a secret cigarette and lied about it you will now realize that that smoke wasn’t so secret!
If you quit smoking before the age of 30 your body will repair itself to the point of someone who has not smoked.