Intro:
We all know that smoking is bad for you.
It leads to disease and disability and harms just about every organ of the body.
Plus, it’s just plain gross! It stains the walls, makes your mouth taste bad, and hurts your teeth.
At this point, more than 16 million Americans are currently living with a smoking-related disease.
Smoking leads to conditions like cancer, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic pulmonary disease.
It even increases your risk of suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
With that being said, it can be difficult to see a loved one take up the habit when you know how dangerous it is.
But what can you do when someone decides to engage in a habit that’s simply not good for them?
Well, unfortunately, trying to talk them out of it can be difficult.
So in this blog post, you’re going to learn our 5 preferred methods for trying to discourage loved ones from smoking.
Let’s dive into it.
1. Discourage From A ‘Positive’ Standpoint
One thing to understand about the word ‘discourage’ is that it tends to carry a negative connotation.
Therefore, it may be a better idea to think of this task as the process of ‘encouraging someone to quit as opposed to ‘discouraging them from smoking.’
Maintaining a positive outlook is important.
You can’t control what other people do.
You can only control how you respond to it and/or handle it from your own perspective.
2. Encourage Them To Consider Their Health
This is a person you love.
You want them to have a happy, healthy, productive, thriving lifestyle.
And obviously, smoking doesn’t assist with any of these things.
Therefore, encouraging them to quit—while making sure that they understand the health risks—can actually be surprisingly effective.
One of the great things about the literature on smoking is that it’s filled with evidence for why people shouldn’t do it.
Sometimes, pulling out a little bit of this evidence and using it to productively encourage someone to consider their own health can be a fantastic way to further the conversation.
3. Share The Dangers Of Smoking With Them
Sometimes, you may need to get a little bit pointed and to the point when sharing the dangers of smoking.
Sometimes, when you don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings or make them feel bad, you’ll soften your words of encouragement.
However, when it comes to smoking, it’s important to understand that at some point, it may very well become a life-or-death situation.
So don’t be afraid to share even some of the more bleak and dangerous statistics.
4. Help Them To Understand That There Are Alternatives
People smoke for all kinds of different reasons.
Some people smoke because they just straight up enjoy the habit and the little ‘rush’ it provides them with when they inhale the nicotine realdatesnow
Some people smoke to ease stress.
Some people smoke because they use it as a coping mechanism for anxiety at work.
Some people smoke because it’s a social habit that they’ve just never kicked.
Some people don’t necessarily even want to smoke, but they do it because they’re addicted to it.
At any rate, it’s important to help people understand that there are alternatives—and that if you try hard enough to find alternatives that work, you can definitely kick your smoking habit for good.
For example—did you know that Psilocybin has recently shown promise as a tool to help with depression symptoms?
It’s amazing! Science is making big headway in this department!
5. Be Honest
Don’t be afraid, to be honest with your loved ones.
If their smoking habit worries you and concerns you, bring it up in a loving and nurturing—yet honest fashion.
Don’t be afraid to tell them how it really makes you feel.
Here’s the thing.
It truly is a health and wellness concern.
So be bold, and speak up.
Conclusion
There you have it.
Our 5 favorite ways to discourage someone from smoking.
Equipped with this information, you can now go forward and talk to your loved ones about this dangerous and destructive habit—with a few conversational tips to help you along in the process.
You can do this.
Now get out there and make it happen.
