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.

Out of the 879 ex-smokers, who took part in the survey, almost 70% felt that they were happiers after they had quit smoking. Less than 4% were less happy and about 26% felt no change in their mood.

The findings corresponds well with my own experience: people don’t regret that they have stopped smoking, rather they regret that they started.

There is a myth, that if you quit smoking, you might prolong your life, but at the same time you lose some quality of life. But the ex-smokers who have come through it the first time with withdrawal symptoms both have the cake and eat it too: they feel proud to be able to stop, feel free of dependence, has more energy and is meet with recognition for their achievement. They are, in short, on the winner of the 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 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.