Quitting smoking is one of the best things a person can do for their health. When someone quits smoking, the benefits start immediately and continue to increase over time. Within 20 minutes after quitting, heart rate and blood pressure drop. After 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal. Within 3 months, lung function and circulation improve. After 1-9 months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease. After 1 year, risk of heart disease is cut in half. After 5 years, risk of stroke falls to the same level as a non-smoker. After 10 years, risk of lung cancer is cut in half. The health benefits of quitting smoking are clear, but what about the impact on happiness and well-being? Are ex-smokers happier after quitting compared to when they were smoking?
To answer this question, we must first define what constitutes happiness. Though abstract, happiness encompasses feelings of joy, contentment, and satisfaction with life. Therefore, evaluating happiness requires looking at both emotional states and people’s subjective life satisfaction. Research on ex-smokers has examined both their emotional well-being after quitting as well as global evaluations of their happiness and life satisfaction compared to when they smoked. Additionally, factors that influence happiness in ex-smokers, such as changes in stress, social life, self-esteem, and symptoms of depression and anxiety have been studied. By evaluating these different aspects of well-being and the associated research, we can develop an understanding of how quitting smoking impacts happiness.
Do ex-smokers experience more positive emotions after quitting?
Studies that have utilized daily mood measurements have found that ex-smokers experience more positive emotions and moods after quitting compared to when they were smoking. For example, a study published in nicotine and tobacco research in 2013 followed smokers longitudinally for 4 weeks prior to a quit attempt through 1 week after quitting. Participants completed daily surveys rating their positive and negative emotions. In the month after quitting, participants reported increases in positive emotions like feeling happy, content, and calm compared to pre-quit levels when smoking. They also reported decreases in negative moods like feeling sad, tense, and angry.
Another daily diary study in the journal Addiction in 2008 examined affect in the first 6 months after quitting smoking. This study also found an increase in daily positive affect following smoking cessation which was sustained across the 6 month follow-up period. Additionally, participants reported decreases in negative affect after quitting smoking which lasted for 3 months post-cessation. The authors note that these improvements in positive emotions were over and above reductions in craving and withdrawal symptoms, suggesting additional mood boosting benefits of being smoke-free.
Together these studies demonstrate that in the days, weeks, and months after quitting, ex-smokers experience more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions compared to when they were actively smoking. By reducing negative moods and increasing positive feelings like happiness and contentment, smoking cessation appears to provide immediate emotional well-being benefits.
Do ex-smokers report higher life satisfaction after quitting?
Beyond just improvements in daily emotions, research has also found that ex-smokers report higher overall life satisfaction after quitting compared to when they smoked. Life satisfaction refers to a conscious cognitive assessment of how happy and satisfied someone is with their life as a whole. Smoking cessation may increase life satisfaction both through improving health and by eliminating the daily hassles of smoking.
Several longitudinal studies have compared life satisfaction before and after smoking cessation. For example, a study in the journal Social Science and Medicine looked at life satisfaction trajectories among ex-smokers. They found that satisfaction with life as whole, as well as satisfaction with health specifically, increased significantly in the years after quitting smoking. Importantly, while those who continued to smoke had declines in life satisfaction over time, quitting smoking appeared to protect against these declines.
Another study published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine in 2005 tracked life satisfaction over 2 years in smokers who had quit recently compared to continuing smokers. They found that those who had quit smoking reported improvements in life satisfaction across the 2 years, while satisfaction remained unchanged in continuing smokers. Additionally, the increase in life satisfaction was mediated by reductions in smoking withdrawal symptoms.
These findings indicate that beyond just mood improvements, quitting smoking enhances cognitive evaluations of life satisfaction both in general and for health specifically. By alleviating nicotine withdrawal and improving health over time, smoking cessation provides lasting boosts to ex-smokers’ subjective happiness and satisfaction with life as a whole.
Do ex-smokers have lower stress and anxiety after quitting?
For many smokers, cigarettes feel like a source of stress relief and a way to calm anxiety. However, research indicates that quitting smoking may actually decrease stress and anxiety for ex-smokers in the long run.
In the short term nicotine withdrawal raises stress and anxiety levels. However, studies show that after the withdrawal phase passes, ex-smokers report lower perceived stress compared to active smokers. For example, a study in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine in 2018 surveyed ex-smokers and current smokers. They found that after controlling for demographics and health factors, ex-smokers reported significantly lower perceived stress compared to everyday smokers.
Research has also found that anxiety symptoms decrease after quitting smoking. A meta-analysis in the journal Addiction in 2014 compiled data from 26 studies examining anxiety before and after smoking cessation. They found that after quitting, symptoms of anxiety were reduced by over one-third within 4 weeks post-cessation. These reductions were sustained over time in abstinent ex-smokers.
The mechanisms for decreased stress and anxiety after quitting are not fully known. However, researchers hypothesize that improvements in health, self-esteem, feeling in control, and not needing to manage nicotine withdrawal and cravings may all contribute. By reducing stress and anxiety, smoking cessation removes key barriers to happiness and well-being for ex-smokers.
Do ex-smokers have higher self-esteem after quitting?
Higher self-esteem has been linked to increased happiness and life satisfaction across many studies. Research suggests that successfully quitting smoking can boost self-esteem and self-efficacy in ex-smokers.
When a smoker quits, they accomplish the difficult task of overcoming nicotine addiction. By breaking free of their dependence on cigarettes, ex-smokers gain increased confidence in their ability to set and achieve goals. Studies have shown that following smoking cessation, ex-smokers report greater feelings of autonomy and perceived self-efficacy compared to when they smoked. A literature review in the Journal of Smoking Cessation highlighted that abstaining from smoking reinforces one’s sense of mastery and self-control. This boost in self-efficacy gained from quitting smoking may lead to higher self-esteem.
Additionally, self-esteem increases as the ex-smoker’s self-image shifts from that of a smoker to a non-smoker identity. Research described in the Journal of Health Psychology found that following cessation, abstinent ex-smokers reported feeling better about themselves compared to relapsed smokers. By breaking their addiction and achieving a smoke-free identity, quitting smoking enhances self-worth and self-esteem. In turn, higher self-esteem can increase ex-smokers’ happiness and life satisfaction.
Do ex-smokers have lower rates of depression?
In addition to boosting positive well-being, smoking cessation also alleviates negative emotional states like depression that impair happiness. Studies consistently show that ex-smokers have lower rates of depression compared to continued smokers.
For example, a longitudinal study in the journal Addiction in 2018 examined depressive symptoms immediately after quitting through 8 months abstinence. They found that depression levels decreased steadily the longer participants maintained abstinence from smoking. Additionally, a meta-analysis in nicotine and tobacco research in 2015 compiled data from 26 studies on depression and smoking cessation. They concluded that quitting smoking reduces depression compared to continuing smoking, with greater reductions the longer abstinence is sustained.
Researchers have theorized several reasons why quitting smoking improves depression. These include reversing the physiological effects of nicotine on neurotransmitters, eliminating a major source of stress, and improving health and self-esteem. Given the strong link between depression and reduced happiness, the alleviation of depressive symptoms and risk of depression through smoking cessation is a key pathway to greater well-being.
Do ex-smokers experience changes in social life and relationships?
Social and family relationships are a major contributor to overall happiness and life satisfaction. Research suggests that smoking cessation leads to both improvements and struggles socially, which impact well-being in ex-smokers.
On the positive side, studies show that ex-smokers report increased social functioning after quitting compared to when smoking. With their improved respiratory function and physical health, ex-smokers are able to engage in more social, physical and recreational activities which enhances well-being. Additionally, research described in the Journal of Smoking Cessation found that quitting strengthens non-smoking social connections and motivates family members to quit. The increased social support and reduced exposure to smoking cues from others facilitates long-term abstinence.
However, ex-smokers may also experience some social isolation, especially if their close friends still smoke. A qualitative study in the Journal of Health Psychology described ex-smokers feeling excluded from their smoking circles. Ex-smokers have to rebuild social connections, specifically with other non-smokers, which takes time and adjustment. Counseling and peer support groups help ex-smokers maintain social engagement during this transition.
While smoking cessation can lead to complex social changes, overall the research favors greater social satisfaction and happiness on balance as an ex-smoker. By increasing social opportunities and supporting a new smoke-free identity, quitting smoking improves social well-being.
Does the happiness boost from quitting last over time?
An important question is whether the improvements in well-being that ex-smokers experience after quitting are temporary or long-lasting. Research examining ex-smokers over years finds that increases in overall happiness and life satisfaction are sustained long term after smoking cessation.
For example, a study in the Journal of Happiness Studies tracked ex-smokers annually for 10 years. They found significant increases in happiness and no evidence of hedonic adaptation (a return to baseline happiness) across the decade for continuing ex-smokers compared to relapsed smokers. Sustained smoking abstinence predicted long-term elevated happiness.
Other research describes that over 8 to 15 years abstinence, ex-smokers have increasing positive attitudes towards smoking cessation. In a study in Psychology and Health in 2017, ex-smokers endorsed substantial life improvements, feeling happier as a non-smoker, and confidence in remaining smoke-free. This suggests that the well-being benefits of quitting strengthen over time rather than diminish.
Therefore, while acute withdrawal symptoms resolve within a few weeks after quitting, the enhancements in overall well-being and happiness last years into sustained abstinence. This lasting boost highlights the dramatic positive impact smoking cessation can have on subjective happiness and quality of life over the long term.
Are there individual differences in happiness among ex-smokers?
While most studies show consistent improvements in well-being after smoking cessation, research indicates there may be some individual differences in the happiness boost from quitting. Factors that influence happiness changes among ex-smokers include demographic variables, smoking history, social influences, and personality traits.
Several studies have found that women may experience greater enhancements in positive emotions and life satisfaction from smoking cessation compared to men. Those with lower socioeconomic status also seem to derive greater happiness benefits from quitting smoking. Individuals who were heavier smokers with greater nicotine dependence prior to quitting tend to report larger boosts in well-being. Having social support and quitting with others enhances positive outcomes. Personality traits like neuroticism and openness to experiences shape responses as well.
Understanding variables that impact the happiness and quality of life improvements from smoking cessation can help tailor treatment approaches. While research clearly shows that quitting smoking improves well-being across the population, individual differences exist in the process that are important to address. An ex-smoker’s initial smoking patterns, social context, gender, personality and more influence their abstinence experience. Treatment providers should account for these unique traits and situations to optimize happiness for each quitting smoker.
Conclusion
A convergence of research findings makes the case that quitting smoking enhances happiness and well-being in ex-smokers. Compared to when actively smoking, ex-smokers experience more positive emotions, fewer negative moods, lower stress and anxiety, higher self-esteem, increased life satisfaction, reduced risk of depression, and long-lasting social benefits after smoking cessation. While all smokers benefit, individual differences like gender and personality modulate the happiness boost from quitting. These increases in well-being are sustained years into abstinence from smoking.
Some struggles adjusting socially and overcoming nicotine withdrawal in the short term are outweighed by the broad improvements in overall happiness and life satisfaction from quitting smoking. The question of whether ex-smokers are happier after quitting smoking can conclusively be answered in the affirmative based on this wide body of research. Smoking cessation offers expansive and enduring benefits to subjective well-being and quality of life above the physical health gains. Healthcare providers, policy makers, and individuals seeking happiness can promote smoking cessation as an evidenced-based path to becoming both healthier and happier.