We forget that cigarette smoking is an addiction. It is something that is hard to remove from one’s system. Once the person is used to smoking, it has become a habit for that person and habits are difficult to break. Just imagine this; you have been working for more than 30 years. You have your routine every day. You wake up, take a bath, get dressed, read the newspaper while having your breakfast, drive to work and come home at around 6pm or 7pm, have dinner, have family time, sleep and the routine gets repeated the next day. You will only have your rest when you do not have work such as weekends or holidays. Therefore, when it is time for you to stop working, your body will have to undergo a lot of changes. The body will take time to adjust. For example, even if you are no longer working, you still get up at 5am. Why? This is because the body is used to waking up at that time. You have to remember that you have been working for the past 30 years and it is not easy for the body to adjust. The body is still conditioned to that routine even if you are no longer doing that routine. Habits, as mentioned, are very hard to break.
The example above can be likened to cigarette smoking. Your body has been used to smoking, especially if you have been smoking for a long time. When you quit, your body will look for that sensation that you get when you smoke. There are also habits that you have developed that involve smoking. One example is when you are stressed. You smoke to relieve the tension and pressure you feel inside. Therefore, every time you are stressed, your tendency is to look for a cigarette and enjoy the nicotine-rich smoke. Another example is when you are having your coffee. Coffee and smoking cigarettes are great partners. It somehow makes you look smarter since we always associate coffee and smoking with artists and writers. Blame it on media, but it is always portrayed that when a writer is trying to write, his constant companions are coffee and cigarette. According to them, it relieves stress and helps them to think. Therefore, whenever you have your coffee, you will also have this urge to smoke.
Those are just two of the reasons why smokers have a hard time quitting smoking cigarettes. There are still other reasons but those reasons usually are different per smoker’s point of view. However, if one is persistent and determined enough, this can be done. One can break the habit by being conscious and aware all the time. One can also do this by trying to deviate from the habit. This requires a lot of effort and time, so patience is the key here. Without patience, you will never be able to stop smoking.