Benefits Of Giving Up Smoking

I can't remember the number of times I tried to give up smoking (and of course, failed dismally) in the past. I knew all the benefits of giving up smoking it didn't seem to make any difference, I still continued. Over the years I'd tried different methods although I always felt that when it came to the crunch, if the frame of mind wasn't right then failure was inevitable.

From July 1997 to March 2009, I worked in the Middle East as a Field Service Engineer for communications and radar equipment. One of the radar stations I used to maintain was situated on an island (more like a rock) some 12 miles from the mainland. Access was mainly by boat and of course I dreaded this because once on the jetty, it was a climb of about 80 very steep, uneven steps up to the bottom of the rock. Then another 200 meters up a 30 degree path to the radar station itself at the top. What with the heat as well, I was struggling for breath at the top of the steps and sat it out for a few minutes wishing I knew how to give up smoking. Then came the climb up the path to the top, this was just as bad as the steps.

I thought a great deal during these excursions and was still giving it some thought on one of my leave periods back to England. I really wanted to give up smoking but knowing my history it still only remained a desire.

While on leave back in January of 2003, as with other leaves I paid visits to various arms of my family dotted around different parts of the country. One person I visited was a cousin and she greeted me with, "We all love you and want to see a lot more of you. Will you give up smoking?" Well, with everything else that had been going around in my head I do believe this was the one thing more that I needed to to put my mind in the right frame.

That was 29 January 2003 and after leaving my cousin's house, on my way home I dropped into the local chemist and bought a full course of patches (10 weeks worth) and it cost me a fortune. That was added incentive to stop smoking.

Since that day, I have never looked back and it's my belief that will power was the main driving force. The patches - well, I think they probably controlled mood swings I had suffered in the past when trying to stop.

Looking back, what did it for me was everything fell into place at the right time. My desire to stop was very strong and had been for some time, I saw some very sickly stop smoking advertisements on the TV and the final gel was that short request my cousin made. I will forever be in her debt.

Within a few months (or even weeks) I was reaping the benefits from it. A trip out to the rock in the middle of the sea saw me walking from the jetty to the radar station at the top without a stop. I seem to have lost a persistent cough I used to have. I always blamed it onto the last cold I had, just a hangover from that.

If I was asked to advise anyone, I think I tell them to really look for all the reasons you want to stop for and of course, the family theme is a very strong one too.