#QuitStories Martha's Story
Looking back, smoking was my everything: stress relief, party favour, part of my identity, bonding, friendship, and culture.
I know that I heavily relied on cigarettes for many years, having my first cigarette at age 14. Smoking became a regular thing for me and it continued when I moved away to university.
University was the first time I took a yoga class and it really kicked my butt. It was a wake-up call because I realized how out of shape I was at age twenty. That was when I realized I needed to make some changes. I started doing yoga, I stopped going to the bars and I smoked less. As my lifestyle changed, my smoking habits changed.
When I began teaching yoga I still smoked on and off. As a yoga instructor I saw my body and mind get stronger, smoking no longer made sense. I arrived at a place of acceptance. Acceptance for myself, for my past, and my habits. I acknowledged my nicotine cravings without judgement, but rather as a normal and necessary part of the quitting process.
I read the Allan Carr book - a British author who quit smoking after a 30 year, 100 cigarettes a day, chain smoker. It was great. It really opened my eyes to how the addiction and psychology of smoking worked. After that I really did stop, my quit date was March 18, 2016. Don’t get me wrong, I went through some ups and downs when I tried to quit smoking.
Now that I’m in a place where I have been smoke-free for almost 2 years, it’s so worth it.
It is now 2018, almost two years later, and I'm married with twins on the way. I know that during the latter 5 years of my smoking life I could feel that my body was asking me to stop. I was growing up and committing to a healthier lifestyle.
"I can remember many moments during my quit smoking journey, thinking about having a family in the future and how I had to quit to be healthy enough for my babies."
Now that I am pregnant, I am beyond grateful for that journey. There was such a long on and off period of smoking in my life that at times I thought I would always be that way. What I want to share with current smokers is that it is possible to quit. It takes becoming informed, becoming inspired, and trusting that you are better off without it.
You will never know how well the human body is designed to feel until you make this change in your life.
Martha's tip to quit smoking:
For me what’s worked in helping quitting is making lifestyle changes and getting interested in other things.
Martha's Quit Story (transcript) |
Words on screenLiving a smoke-free life is possible. Find your inspiration, keep your eye on the prize. This is Martha’s story.Video descriptionClose up of young woman with blond hair, sitting in front of a blue fabric background.WomanMy name is Martha, I’m 27 years old and I’ve lived in Kingston for four years now.Words on screenMartha, 27. Yoga studio owner, Kingston.MarthaI run a yoga studio here downtownWords on screenWhen did you have your first cigaretteMarthaSo I had my first cigarette when I was 13. High school is when it really picked up, especially once I transferred from private school to public school. In public school we could leave the campus for lunch and I was walking there to and from on my own it was right in our neighbourhood, and that’s when smoking really picked up. Especially because a lot of the other kids at school smoked right on the front lawn, and we would gather there like several times a day even between classes we’d go for a smoke and then right up into University.Words on screenWhen did you know it was time to quit?MarthaThe first time I took a yoga class it really kicked my butt and it was a wake-up call because I realized how out of shape I was at such a young age and then I started attending yoga classes regularly and it just had this ripple effect through my whole life.Video descriptionPan across photo of women in a yoga classMartha, off cameraI started eating healthier foods, I started walking everywhere, I had more energy I felt vibrant for the first timeVideo descriptionPan across photo of Martha’s back as she strikes a yoga pose.Martha, off cameraIt was like being a little kid again. Yoga was a major inspiration for meVideo descriptionClose up of Martha, sitting in front of a blue fabric background.MarthaTo stop smoking.Words on screenDid you see having a family in your future?MarthaOnce I made the transition into a healthier lifestyle I could, that’s when I could really start picturing having a family in my future. And then once I met my partner we share such a common visionVideo descriptionPhoto collage of Martha and her partner on their wedding day, Martha pregnant, and Martha holding twin baby girls.Martha, off cameraOf how we wanted to raise our family. And so knowing that I’m in a healthy body now, smoke-free, it feels really good that I’m going to be able to share these positive and healthy life habits with my girls.Video descriptionClose up of Martha, sitting in front of a blue fabric background.Words on screenWhy did you want to be part of the #QuitStories campaign?MarthaAnyone who’s thinking of getting pregnant or is pregnant and is a smoker or having trouble quitting smoking what I want to say is that it is possible and it is better to live a smoke-free life I can say that from experience and I truly want to share that message.Words on screenDo you have advice for someone who is trying to quit smoking?MarthaOne piece of advice that I would give to someone who is trying to quit smoking is that you will never know how good the human body is designed to feel until you make this change in your life. It is so significant that just keep your eye on the prize.Words on screenWhat will inspire you to become smoke-free?To quit smoking, talk to a health care provider. |
Resources:
- Tobacco - Getting Help - KFL&A Public Health
- Become Tobacco Free - KFL&A Public Health