Free Custom «Personal Health Project» Essay Paper

Since I was a chain smoker, I intended to adopt a plan for stopping my chain smoking habit. There were several reasons that led to this decision; the habit had to a great part affected my life and health, which were deteriorating; I had the loss of stamina and other related illnesses which were making my life difficult. Moreover, I was afflicted with hypertension, and my susceptibility to related cardiovascular disease was enhanced.

Since I enrolled into this program, my awareness of the short and long-term effects of a smoking habit on the body have been enhanced. Susceptibility to heart attacks is heightened relative non-smokers not to talk of risks of cancer and other related complications. After coming to knowledge of the risks I was subjecting myself to through my smoking habit, I made a decision to stop smoking.

The first step involved the reasons that led to the adoption of the habit, after which I developed a plan to deal with the issue. I identified the situations which led to a desire for smoking, the company that led to the desire and times leading to the desire. I then made a decision to avoid situations that would result to the desire or find an alternative. I requested my friends to avoid smoking by explaining to them that I was quitting. Over time, I cut down on my consumption of cigarettes through reflecting on the consequences of smoking on my body.

 

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I made a resolution to quit the habit within a month by dividing the month into levels of one week with each week representing a milestone achieved. During the first week, I was to stop smoking in public places, which milestone I was to achieve by the 10^th of June 2011. By the end of week two, I was to quit smoking at home, which milestone was to be attained by 17^th June 2011. By the end of week three, I was to stop smoking at least two hours prior to bedtime and avoid smoking immediately after waking up, which milestone was to be achieved by 24^th June 2011. By the end of week four, I was to quit smoking in social company, which milestone was to be achieved by 1^st July 2011. By the end of week five, I was to quit smoking completely by 6^th July 2011. I set up a mechanism of self-motivation by getting myself small gifts like a mobile phone, a night out and, if I finally succeeded in quitting, a laptop.

While I was not successful in completely stopping the habit, I was able to reduce the level of smoking considerably. I can now boast that I do not chain smoke, and I have considerably cut down on the number of cigarettes I smoke a day. I believe the reason for my failure to completely stop the habit was that I set unrealistic goals and very short time period for the process. I also did not employ alternative forms of leisure such as chewing gum or nicotine.

Going forward, I will adopt a strategy that assigns more time for every level while adding more levels while also getting help from an expert.

The change was particularly difficult given that this is a habit developed over a long period of time, and which I was trying to change in a period of a month. I also lacked the necessary determination to see through my objectives, and I believe I should have more determination next time if I am to be successful.