How does quitting smoking fit with your values?

Most people continue to smoke because they are addicted to nicotine. An addiction can make a person behave in ways that are inconsistent with their values. A value is something that is important to you...something that has worth.

For example, a student eats organic food as much as possible because she values the environment and wants her dollars to support farming practices that are better for the environment. Parodoxically, she uses tobacco, which is a crop that uses toxic pesticides that are not allowed to be used in the food industry. Her addiction to nicotine has led her to buy a product that contradicts her value of protecting the environment.

Examining your values and identifying how tobacco doesn't fit with them helps shift your attitude to become more favourable to quitting smoking. Most of us don't want to do things that contradict our values...it makes us feel inauthentic.

Take some time to list the values that you hold dear. Then identify how smoking fits with the value (see the examples below). You will likely see that smoking doesn't fit with the things that are important to you. 

Also, identify how quitting smoking fits with the value. You will likely see that quitting smoking is completely in line with what is important to you.

If you have a hard time identifying your values review an online values checklist. 

Example 1:

One thing that I value is: My health
How does smoking fit with this value: I can't see how smoking fits with being healthy.
How quitting tobacco fits with this value: Clearly, when I quit smoking my health will improve. I will reduce my risk of a variety of illnesses including some cancers, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and more.

Example 2:

One thing that I value is: Money
How does smoking fit with this value: I can't see how smoking helps me get more money or keep more of the money that I have.
How quitting tobacco fits with this value: When I quit smoking I will spend less money. I can use this money to pay some bills (such as my tuition) or invest it so that I can have more in the future.