The Big Picture

Healthylife® QuitWell™

Part 1

Women crushing cigarette in hand.

A tobacco/nicotine addiction has a degree of control over you, your time, the places you can go, and your experiences. Smoking steals your breath and your appearance over time. It also dims the world around you by dulling your senses of smell and taste.

Imagine taking a vacation to somewhere you’ve always dreamed of seeing. Now imagine being too out of breath to enjoy a hike, standing outside on the deck to smoke while your traveling companions enjoy a shipboard show, stopping to smoke when you’d rather be in the water swimming or paddle boarding. Imagine not being able to fully enjoy your dream vacation.

*  How does your current habit affect your life?

*  What could you enjoy more if you left tobacco/nicotine behind?

*  Relationships, career goals, financial goals, and other areas of life can also be affected. What other “big picture” goals do you have in your life right now?

*  How would cutting back or quitting support these goals?

Keep working hard on your other goals-you may find that seeing yourself succeed helps you feel more ready to tackle quitting.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine