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 result is obvious: it is difficult to find ex-smokers who are sorry they quit smoking, while it is pretty easy to find the opposite: many smokers regret that they started to begin with.

Quitting smoking might prolong your life, but loss of life quality is inevitable - at least this is a common myth. Rather, ex-smokers actually can have the cake AND eat it too: quitting smoking boosts self confidence and mental energy, and the ex-smokers receives wirespread recognition for their achievement. Ex-smokers are on the winning team.

Focus on life quality rather than health

Instead of focusing on all the harmful consequences of smoking, moving the focus on the positive aspects of a smoking cessation is by far the most efficient method, when trying to motivate people to quit smoking. Fear and condemnation does not motivate.

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 quit 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.