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The Best Ways To Quit Smoking?
Hi,
If you have tried different ways to quit smoking, and struggled to find one that works for you, then you are not alone. You might have tried nicotine patches, gums, inhalers, lozenges etc., or acupuncture, prescription pills, smokeless cigarettes and hypnosis.
But how may of these ways show you how to deal with all the issues associated to smoking? None I suspect. And what about the biggest problems you face when you quit smoking? Do any of these hyped up ways to quit smoking solve your biggest problems or show you how to prevent relapse? Again, this is highly unlikely.
Most smokers and the people that come up with these exiting ways to quit smoking don´t realise that you simply can´t quit smoking with a miracle pill in a matter of hours or days.
You probably know that smoking is a habit as well as an addiction, and as such you need to break your habit. How can a patch or pill or a celery stick, as some people suggest, help you break your habits? The truth is they can´t.
If you really want to quit smoking you need to take a proactive approach. I mean, you need to set out a battle plan. You desperately need to look at smoking and all its little issues and all the little things that make it difficult for you to quit smoking - most of which you have probably never thought about. And you've probably not thought about them, because no one has told you!
So what makes it difficult for you to quit smoking? You probably know some of the issues, but there are others I suspect, that you may not have thought about. And it´s the ones that you may not have thought about that are the real cause for your difficulties in quitting. Issues include:
Addiction Habit and Routines Stress / Problems Enjoyment Attitude and Mental Approach Fears / panic / anxiety / worry about quitting and having to live without your cigarettes Lack of planning and preparation Lack of understanding and knowledge about why you really smoke Misunderstandings about the necessity and effectiveness of your will power
All of these affect your ability to stop smoking and they can all lead to a Relapse. But there are several other things that can lead to a relapse:
These are the real issues you need to know about, understand and plan for when you quit smoking.
But out of all the ways to quit smoking that you have heard about, how many show you how to deal with these problem issues, or even mention them? Again, none I suspect.
Hypnosis is one of the best ways to quit smoking as it deals with issues like relapse, weight gain, cravings and habits but you still need to look at the other issues.
To start you should understand the effectiveness of your will power - it has absolutely NO effect whatsoever. Let me explain, there are two parts to our mind - the Conscious and the Subconscious. Our Conscious mind controls the daily decisions we make and it also controls our will power - it's the part of the mind that would like to think is in control.
However, our Subconscious mind is the part of the mind that is really in control.
The subconsicous mind controls our character, our bodily functions and our habits and routines. And that is exactly what smoking is - a habit.
And you probably know that it´s a habit because you have a cigarette in the same way and at the same time in the mornings, on your way to work, after your meals - all without even thinking about it. You have made it a habit and your subconscious mind controls your smoking now.
So your smoking is controlled by your subconscious mind but your will power is controlled by your conscious mind, and as much as we control both parts of our mind, they do not always work together! So your will power can have no effect on your ability to stop smoking - because it is controlled by a different part of your mind.
So despite your strong will power your ability to stop smoking will not have been helped in the slightest. This little bit of inside knowledge can save you a lot of heartache, and will provide an explanation to why will power just doesn´t work.
Below I´ve made a note of one of the best ways to quit smoking and I´ve broken it down into a list of ten things you can do that will help solve your biggest problems and I show you how to prevent relapse - an idea you may not have thought about before. But before you have a look at it, take note of a few interesting statistics.
Studies have shown that only 16% of smokers who use nicotine replacement therapy (patches and gums etc.) succeed at quitting, and only 10% of smokers who use will power succeed. Furthermore the people that use these methods still have to deal with cravings, pangs, nicotine withdrawal symptoms, weight gain and stress.
Not only that but the will power method usually takes seven attempts before a successful quit and after six months most of smokers using either method end up smoking again.
But 84% of people who use nicotine replacement therapy like gum or patches -- or try to rely on will power -- ultimately FAIL!
If you want the best ways to quit smoking in the least amount of time with the least amount of hassle and the least amount of stress, follow these ten simple but very effective steps.
1. Honestly want to quit - if you are quitting because of pressure from your friends, family or doctor or due to the government bans, have a strong think before you proceed.
Different sources of pressure will only make it harder for you because you are having to either satisfy them or live up to their expectations. Both of these added thoughts can stress you out.
You also know that if someone says ´smoking will kill you´ or ´you´re going to get cancer´ etc. you are probably going to want to strangle them! So be aware that you should be quitting for yourself and because you want to. If you are doing it for someone else you may end up resenting them, you´ll do it half heartedly and you´ll probably only end up smoking more.
You can have your children and family in mind but ultimately you should quit for yourself and the things that YOU will get when you quit.
2. Mental Approach - avoid thinking that you are ´Quitting´ or ´Giving Up´ smoking - unfortunately adopting this attitude is as effective as taking one step forward and two steps back. If you think of the words ´quit´ and ´give up´ - what do they imply and suggest?
Essentially they both have a negative underlying theme. They both suggest that you are losing out on, quitting, having to do without, giving up on and denying yourself something. This ´something´ being the things you get from smoking.
So by saying and more importantly - thinking, that you are ´quitting´ or ´giving up´ you are subtly and unconsciously telling yourself that you are denying yourself pleasure, happiness and the good things that you get when you stop smoking.
The other problem with this way of looking at it is that you are actually focusing on the things that you are depriving yourself. By saying and thinking ´I´m giving up smoking´ you are simultaneously focusing on smoking and you are telling yourself that you are punishing yourself - because you are ´giving up cigarettes´.
It´s the same problem people experience when they go on a diet - they think ´I can´t have this, and I can´t have that´, the problem is they are thinking about the very things that they´re trying to cut out!
They are just teasing themselves by thinking of the things they can´t have.
If you take this approach when you stop smoking, you are telling yourself that - you are denying yourself (giving up / forefiting) the very things that you want (cigarettes), and then you are constantly focusing on cigarettes and longing for them.
The result is that no matter how hard you try, you still focus on the ´good´ things that you are having to do without. So basically you will feel that you are depriving yourself of pleasure and relaxation etc.
Instead you should look forward to the things that you will get when you stop smoking, and fully focus yourself and your mind on them.
Think ´I´m stopping smoking and I´m saving an extra $2,000 a year, I smell ten times better, I can taste my food more fully, I can spend more time on my hobbies / with my children, I don´t have to hide my cigarette breath from my partner / children / customers and I don´t have stand out in the wind and rain to have a cigarette.´
Look at the things you are going to gain, not at the things that you are cutting out.
3. Set a Stop Smoking Date - and look forward to a new lifestyle after that. A problem many smokers have when they set a date is they don´t do anything else other than set a date. Then the date arrives and they get onto a panic because ´this is it´ and they are now under pressure to stick with it, this panic results in stress - and what do smokers do when they are stressed? They smoke!
Set your date and smoke without guilt until that date and follow the steps below to ensure that you avoid the common smoking pitfalls in the days and weeks before and after you stop smoking.
4. Find the things that make you smoke - your Smoking Links. In addition to nicotine addiction, there are several other things that make you smoke. Most of these other things are people, events, situations and emotions.
For example, you smoke when you wake up, on your way to work, after sex, when you pick up the phone, with your tea or coffee, when you finish your meal, when you argue with your partner, when you are stressed, to relax, before you go on a long haul flight, when you meet your partner´s parents for the first time etc. All of these situations and many, many more, either start with revolve around or end with a cigarette.
Once you´ve stopped smoking, these situations and events will occur again. Over the years you have created a strong association that says - this event / issue goes hand in hand with a cigarette.
So now you have to remove and break these associations, re-establish new routines and find new ways to achieve the feelings, satisfaction and benefits you used to get from smoking.
If you haven´t got a reason to smoke, why smoke?!!
5. Accept that there will be problems - everyday is full of ups and downs, it´s a fact of life!
So you should plan on how you are going to deal with stress and your smoking links. First remember that smoking will not put out your kitchen fire, fix your flat tire, get you your job back, fix your argument with your partner, solve your financial problems, calm your nerves after a car accident or satisfy your over zealous boss.
You should do two things, firstly find simple yet effective ways to calm your nerves and reduce stress in a matter of seconds or minutes. Breathing techniques are a good way but not necessarily everybody´s favourite choice. So take a five minute break, play with a stress ball, channel your aggression and stress and let it all out in a controlled manner - e.g. sports, call a friend or close your eyes and forget about the problem for a minute.
Secondly, make and set aside special time for relaxation and de-stressing. For example, plan a weekend retreat, set aside half an hour at the end of every day to go for a run, go to work on a boxing bag, read a book, take a bath, spend time with your partner / children with no TV or other distractions.
Know that there will be problems and accept that smoking is no longer an appropriate way to deal with them, and then find something else to help you.
6. Find a new hobby / source of pleasure to take your mind off smoking - this is crucial. Remember the above point about focus and ´quitting´ and ´giving up smoking´. You need to find one or two new things to focus on.
You need to find something that will:
a). take your mind off smoking
b). replace the pleasure you got from smoking
c). give you something to look forward to
A new hobby or two will do all three of these three things perfectly. It is very important that you find something or several things that fulfil all three of these needs. If you don´t, you will find yourself longing for cigarettes and constantly thinking about them. You need to find something else to focus on and think about when you are bored.
It´s best to have two hobbies, one you can spend half an hour or so on a day (if you look at how much time you spend smoking it´s probably about an hour a day) and one you can spend a whole weekend on or several hours at a weekend on.
Try to make these hobbies ones you can really get your teeth into and involved in, also don´t forget with the money you´ve saved on smoking you can now afford to spend a little extra cash.
If you really get involved in your new or forgotten hobby you will show and prove to yourself that you can enjoy life free from cigarettes.
7. Prepare and plan on how to PREVENT withdrawal symptoms and weight gain - these are the two most common reasons for relapse. Weight gain and withdrawal symptoms do not have to be a part of quitting smoking. The easies ways to prevent both of these are to eat!! But eat the right kinds of foods.
Withdrawal symptoms are partly due to your body realising that its blood sugar level is extremely low. Nicotine blocks the release of insulin which controls your blood sugar levels. With nicotine in your system - your stores of sugar and body fats are released into your blood - tricking your body into thinking that you have eaten.
When you stop smoking, insulin is re-released which stops the release of your stores of sugars and fats and your body realises that it hasn´t eaten enough food. So you feel irritable and cranky - and you confuse these feelings for withdrawal symptoms.
This is why you eat a lot when you quit smoking - because eating naturally feels good - it´s comforting and also because it eases withdrawal symptoms. But the problem is you eat too much and gain weight. Why? Because today´s foods do not have the vitamins and minerals that our body needs, so you eat in excess to get the ´vital´ foods that your body needs.
To solve the problem you should drink plenty of fresh juice (which contains the vitamins and minerals your body needs) and take vitamin and mineral supplements and eat lots of fruit and veg, also minimize the amount of junk food, frozen food and prepared food you eat.
8. Take it one step at a time - when your Stop Smoking Date arrives - take it one hour at a time and focus on the things you are going to get from quitting smoking. Focusing on ´never being able to have a cigarette again´ or thinking ´I haven't had a cig since ....´ or ´I can´t believe I can never have a cig again´ will only lead you to believe that you are punishing yourself.
You don´t have to deal with tomorrow until tomorrow! So take each day and hour at a time and the rest will take care of itself. And don´t forget to congratulate and reward yourself (not cigarettes, sounds obvious but you´d be amazed at the amount of people who do!) for each day free from the control of cigarettes.
Accept that stopping smoking is a positive step and change your focus away from cigarettes.
9. Establish new habits and routines - what are you going to do instead of smoking during the 20 or so times a day when you normally have a cigarette? What will your routine be after your coffee, in the pub / bar, when waiting for a friend, when you are nervous or lacking confidence or bored, as soon as you wake up etc.
Break your old patterns of behaviour and stick to your new ones until old situations are re-written without cigarettes.
10. PREVENT relapse - No. 1 in this step is to STOP THINKING ABOUT CIGARETTES!!! Don´t put your headaches, stress, sore arm or stress down to lack of cigarettes.
And don´t lust after cigarettes by thinking things like - ´Ohhh that cigarette looks soooooo good, she looks like she´s really enjoying that, I wish I could have one´ or ´What am I going to do if my car gets broken into or, I split up with my partner? etc.´
The other two things you can do to prevent relapse are to prevent weight gain and also prevent withdrawal symptoms - these two are easily prevented and do NOT have to be a part of quitting smoking.
The best thing to do is to combine the best aspects of different ways to quit smoking, taking bits and pieces from each one.
So use hypnosis for its mental aspects and habit re-writing powers, eat (healthily) to prevent withdrawal symptoms and cravings, create a new reliance - instead of relying on a patch, rely on a breathing technique to reduce stress and take up a new hobby to keep yourself happy.
Only you will know what the best way to quit smoking is. By combining many different aspects and taking note of all areas of smoking addiction, habit, associations and issues you will be much more prepared and will find it easier to stop smoking hassle free.
Daniel Fargher
Stop Smoking For Good
Click here to learn how to quit smoking in less than 28 Days with hypnosis - All Completely Risk Free!
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