Electronic Cigarettes & My 5 Senses

Naturally there are a lot of dangers that come with smoking and I'm very glad to be no longer submitting myself to them, however I'm slowly discovering the less publicised benefits a man can receive when giving up smoking.

Since deciding to quit smoking I have found myself automatically wanting to change more aspects about my life, a kind of self indulgent assessment and improvement scheme. I don't mean pack my bags and running away for a manly 'find myself' trip like a cheesy Owen Wilson film, but more along the lines of realising small things I've actually wanted all along which would genuinely make me happier.

Amongst these is a variety of tasks, from learning to drive to expanding on my knowledge of the bar industry. I've found that most of my goals are much more attainable if I quit smoking, namely I want to get fitter, have whiter teeth, and spend less money / save more money.

Now I'm using my electronic cigarette I have joined a gym, bought a tooth whitening kit and I still save around £250 per month. I've found I can exercise for much long that what I used to, finally my lungs feel like don't actually want to give up!

I'm ashamed to say my teeth are pretty yellow from my 12-year smoking habit, I previously considered whitening toothpastes as a waste of money so would resorted adjusting my 'photo face' into a mouth-closed smile pose. Not to sound like a Colgate advert, but after using a good whitening kit for two-weeks I've really noticed how much nicer my teeth and breath could actually be!

The final, and probably most disturbing change is the heighten sense of smell and taste that comes with quitting. Since realising these changes last week, I've noticed them more and more. I feel I need to warn you about these because as soon as you appreciate the tobacco smell that's been lingering all over your clothes, house and anything else you've touched, it isn't pretty!

It started like this: Not to sound too domestic, I generally pride myself on my 'laid back' appearance, but after buying new clothes and noticing that 'new smell' then realising that all my older clothes still hold the smoking smell even when washed was pretty disgusting.

Unfortunately, things got worse, I've also started to notice how much our house has slowly absorbed my tobacco loving habit over the past few years, resulting in mass de-smell of the house. For anyone in the same shoes as me I'd recommend a good carpet cleaner, plenty of good air fresheners, a good furniture polish and nice smelling fabric cleaner… not that I'd waste my time on those sorts of things.

Despite my mortification at these new changes, I know they will be perks in the long run, I'm definitely glad my house no longer smells like one of those indoor hotbox smoking areas you get in airports!

TIP OF THE WEEK: Be prepared for a rude awakening of the senses, and the 'I told you so' comments when you agree that smoking really does stink!