Quitting smoking can have many benefits to your life, including in your career! We have all heard the dangers of smoking and what affect it can have on your health, but research has also shown that it can have a big impact on your social life and career performance.

This month, Cordant People are encouraging people to take part in the #NoSmokingDay campaign, which asks smokers to put down their cigarettes and seek help to quit for good. As a result, we’ve come up with our top 4 reasons as to why you should quit smoking, and what benefits it can have on your career success! 

Quitting smoking improves work productivity

Smoking can be a distraction to many. How many times a day do you leave your desk for a cigarette break? Most companies usually allow smoking breaks for their employees to take, but all this time spent puffing on a cigarette is time that could be well spent on being productive at work!

The nicotine in a cigarette actually improves concentration and focus, however, it also quickly becomes an irritant when there is no nicotine in your system. Without a constant supply of the substance, this heightened concentration eventually wears off and then the smoker tends to become grumpy, sluggish and often erratic.

By quitting smoking, you’ll improve your focus, work productivity and will no longer be a slave to nicotine!

A healthier body

Regardless of whether you smoke or not, everyone should strive to have a healthy body and lifestyle. Having a healthy body naturally makes you more active, ambitious and focused which will then reflect on your productivity at work.

We all know the dangers to health that are associated with smoking, such as heart disease and cancer, but smoking can also make you feel lethargic and tired. Research has shown that smoking causes a depletion of oxygen capacity of the blood, which in turn can have a negative effect on the performance of our organs, muscles, and our brain.

 On the other hand, those with healthier bodies tend to have better circulation which can help them perform tasks more proficiently or work longer hours more effectively. 

Less stress and anxiety

As well as affecting your physical health, smoking is also well associated with increased levels of stress and anxiety. Like any drug, excessive smoking can lead to high levels of dopamine (a chemical that uplifts your mood) in the brain. This influx of dopamine can cause withdrawal symptoms to kick in when a smoker doesn’t get their regular fix.

Withdrawal symptoms can lead to pent-up stress or anxiety, which in turn can explode into fits of rage and anger. This is something that you definitely don’t want to happen at your workplace! 

More confidence!

Not only does smoking affect your health, but it also has a load negative side effects that affect your social life and confidence. One of these is the smell of ash and tar that lingers on your clothes, hair and breath after smoking. For many, this smell can be very offputting – especially during an important business meeting with a client!

Similarly, smoking can give you bad breath, pasty skin and discoloured teeth, all of which will affect your appearance in the workplace. All of these side effects can impact your self-confidence massively, which in turn can end up turning into depression.

By quitting smoking, you’ll put an end to these negative side effects, as well as boosting your long-term self-esteem at work and life in general! For NHS advice and help on quitting smoking, you can visit their webpage here. Do you have any tips or tricks to suggest to smokers looking to quit? Get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.