If you were looking for a sign to knock smoking on the head, Stoptober is surely a great place to start.
A new calendar month and a clean start go hand in hand - but if that hasn't convinced you, finding out how incredible you will feel if you manage a whole month without sparking a cigarette just might.
You might reckon that you simply don't have the willpower to kick the bad habit to the kerb, but knowing that millions of other Brits are also giving it a go might be the exact encouragement that you need.
According to the NHS, if you stay smoke-free for 28 days, you are five times more likely to quit for good - and if that's not a tempting enough thought, just listen to how bloody brilliant you will feel for doing it.
Advert
Let's face it, we are all pretty impatient and most of us want immediate results, and the good news is that the benefits of quitting smoking are almost instant and your body will start to recuperate pretty much straight away.
So by the end of the month, you'll be in a much better position than you started in - but we understand that giving up a vice is a lot easier said than done.
Still, after hearing what an incredible impact sticking to your guns for a month can have on your health, I'm not sure how you can't fancy giving it a go.
20 minutes after a cigarette
You can feel the benefit of stopping smoking in as little as 20 minutes after your last puff, as your pulse rate and blood pressure will drop and begin to return to normal, while your circulation should also get a good boost.
Eight hours after a cigarette
Eight hours on from your last ciggie, your oxygen levels will also start to recover and your body will start to cleanse itself from all of the crappy chemicals which you have inhaled.
Advert
Just think - to flush out all the s**t you have breathed in while having a sneaky smoke, all you have to do is get through the working day without being tempted to break your pledge to lay off them.
One day after a cigarette
Your risk of suffering a heart attack will already be diminishing when you get over the first day, while you will probably be able to feel a bit more energised when exercising, instead of huffing and puffing in the corner like usual.
Two days after a cigarette
After two days, all lingering carbon monoxide is dispersed out of your body, while Medical News Today explains that your tastebuds which have been dulled through smoking will have a new lease of life as the nerves have a chance to heal.
Three days after a cigarette
It gets a bit more intricate on day three, which is when the 'bronchial tubes begin to relax' and it may 'feel easier to breathe'.
Advert
These initial days will obviously be intense and difficult to get through with cravings and withdrawals, however, once you're over this hurdle, experts say it becomes a lot easier.
Two weeks after a cigarette
Before you know it, you will have hit the two week mark - which is where you will really notice a big difference in your circulation and breathing.
Advert
"Blood can pump through the heart and muscles more easily," Medical News Today states. "A person’s lung function also begins to improve."
What's not to like so far, right?
One month after a cigarette
In as little as 30 days, you could be saying goodbye to that cough you just haven't been able to shake.
Advert
You won't struggle with shortness of breath as much either, as the health publication explains that 'hair-like structures called cilia which move mucus out of the lungs regain typical function'.
"This increases their ability to handle mucus, clear the lungs, and reduce a person’s risk of infection," it adds.
I'm sure you have picked up on the running theme, but obviously, things only continue to get better from here on out.
Stoptober doesn't sound that scary anymore, does it?
Three months after a cigarette
Picture yourself after hitting the three months mark, celebrating the fact that your lung function has increased by 10 percent, while any coughing, wheezing and breathing problems will be drastically reduced.
One year after a cigarette
And after a year, you have successfully slashed the risk of a heart attack of coronary heart disease by half.
Who's having Stoptober then, lads?
Olivia Burke