As if there aren’t enough good reasons to quit smoking, here’s something more to think about; the effects of diminished oxygen in the red corpuscles of your blood. If you’re a smoker, you may have become so acclimated to this effect that you’re not even aware of its occurrence. But the effects are there whether you’re aware or not.

Anyone that’s experienced chemotherapy will tell you about their energy slump after a chemo treatment. It’s partially due to the drop in their blood’s oxygen level. Just one cigarette causes a similar drop. Accompanying that drop of oxygen includes a drop in your total body energy. So, that “relaxing” cigarette break is also putting a damper on your energy. You’re relaxing alright, so much so that you’re actually slowing down whether you’re aware of it or not.

Your well anticipated relaxing break is really trimming off your cutting “edge”. So when you go without smoking a cigarette for a spell, you may think that’s making you edgy, but it’s really you just getting your edge back.

And do they really relax you? Not really! The nicotine is a stimulant. You’re providing the relaxation yourself when you deeply inhale and then deeply exhale. Exhalation is the body and mind’s way of naturally relaxing you – you were born with it as a natural relaxation response. How’s that for a great business model? The tobacco companies sell you the relaxation you were born with.

And think about this! You stimulate yourself with the nicotine, override that by relaxing yourself, and then reduce your energy by depleting the oxygen in your blood. Doesn’t that seem a lot like stepping on the gas and the brake in your car at the same time?