Gratitude May Be Key to Quitting Smoking

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Aug 2, 2024 - 10:13 Updated: Aug 1, 2024 - 19:15
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Gratitude May Be Key to Quitting Smoking

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It may not be all about willpower.

Could the simple act of appreciating life’s blessings help you quit smoking?

A recent Harvard study suggests that gratitude might be the unlikely hero in the battle against nicotine addiction. Researchers found that fostering appreciation not only curbs cravings but also boosts participation in quit-smoking programs.

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The Gratitude Effect

Gratitude stands out among positive emotions, Ke Wang, a doctoral candidate at Harvard Kennedy School and the lead researcher, told The Epoch Times. Its unique ability to shift focus from immediate gratification to long-term health and relationships is crucial for people attempting to quit smoking, he noted.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study examined gratitude’s influence on smoking habits among a diverse group of over 34,000 participants, using self-reported data from various U.S. surveys and global samples. The researchers analyzed how perceptions of life’s blessings and appreciation of kindness correlated with smoking behaviors, measuring factors such as frequency, cravings, and participation in cessation programs.

The results showed that higher levels of gratitude lowered smoking rates while inducing feelings of compassion or sadness did not yield these positive effects. Also, gratitude increased self-reported enrollment in cessation programs.

“We found that inducing gratitude among people who smoke can reduce their craving for cigarettes and increase their enjoyment while in smoking cessation programs,” Mr. Wang said. The findings complement previous meta-analyses that primarily focused on general positive emotions rather than specific ones like gratitude, he added.

Gratitude “helps crowd out negative thinking, increases positive mood, and can provide a sense of peace and satisfaction even during challenging times, like trying to shift a habit,” Lauren O’Flaherty, a clinical psychologist who taught at New York University’s School of Medicine, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times.

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Gratitude’s Impact on Smoking and Cessation Efforts

The study suggested two primary ways gratitude influences efforts to quit smoking.

One way had already been explored before. The researchers pointed to findings from the National Study of Youth and Religion, research examining the religious lives of young Americans, and the Midlife in the United States survey, a national study of health and well-being, which show that gratitude reduces cravings among smokers. The Harvard study confirmed that this effect persists even when accounting for age and general positive feelings.

Gratitude also supports cessation efforts. Grateful participants were more likely to enroll in the smoking cessation program; 40 percent of those feeling gratitude enrolled, compared to only 24 percent of those in a neutral state.

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Moving Beyond Scare Tactics

In an effort to deter smoking, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Tips From Former Smokers” campaign, the largest federally funded anti-smoking initiative in the United States, has featured stories of people suffering from smoking-related diseases for over a decade.

Traditional campaigns often rely on evoking negative emotions like sadness or fear, Mr. Wang said. The research team proposed integrating gratitude into these campaigns. This could increase effectiveness by eliciting positive emotions to encourage quitting smoking and adopting healthier lifestyles.

The study also suggests that incorporating gratitude could effectively combat other addictive behaviors, such as drinking and drug use.

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, claiming 480,000 lives annually and contributing to 90 percent of lung cancer deaths, according to the American Lung Association.

Cultivating gratitude can provide vital emotional support and motivation to quit smoking.

According to Ms. O'Flaherty, key steps to do this include:
  • Gratitude journaling: creating daily entries to reflect on blessings and track personal progress
  • Expressing thanks: acknowledging everyday moments, the support from others, and fostering humility
  • Mindfulness practices: embracing the present moment and nurturing gratitude
Ms. O'Flaherty recommends incorporating a daily gratitude journal into routines, either in the morning or before bedtime. “A daily gratitude practice ... shifts our focus to the things we are thankful for in life and promotes mindfulness, paying attention to the moment we are experiencing,” she said.
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Future Research

As research continues, Mr. Wang stressed the importance of exploring effective gratitude practices for health interventions, noting that future studies will compare methods, such as gratitude letters versus face-to-face expressions, to better support addiction recovery efforts.

Integrating gratitude into public health initiatives has the potential to transform attitudes toward addictive behaviors and improve global health outcomes, he added.

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