How To Quit Smoking With Hypnosis

Is quitting smoking without going crazy your goal!?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:56:00 +0000

Quitting smoking without going crazy - is this actually possible?!!

Your panic attacks, nicotine cravings, anxiety, withdrawal symptoms and irrtability make quitting smoking one of the hardest things you can do. And to do it without going crazy is a pretty hard feat to a cheive.

But can it be done? The truth is yes! But it is not as simple as you may think.

All the things that make you 'go crazy' are real things that have a huge effect on you and your body. I've already mentioned some of them above, and to make it easy you need to understand two things.

Firstly, the things that make you feel like hell on earth when you stop smoking are not all down to a lack of or your body's adiction to nicotine.

Yes nicotine plays a huge role in the way you feel in the days after your last cigarette, but it most definitely does not cause you to get into a panic or alter the way you think.

Nicotine can only cause a few of the 'symptoms' or 'side-effects' that I've listed above. And they are caused because your body is removing nicotine and other toxins ( a exhaustive cleaning process to remove the 4,000 chemicals in each cigarette from your body), not because your body wants it or needs it.

Secondly, it's a good idea for you to see that each and every single of the above issues like panic attacks, anxiety and irritability are each different problems brought on by different causes.

You don't get panicky and go crazy because you 'need nicotine'. You do so because you and your mind are so used to relying on cigarettes to deal with stress and problems, that when you don't have a cigarette you don't know what to do with yourself!

And you go crazy because you feel strange - but you're not aware that that panic attack, anxiety and strange feeling is more to do with the fact that you haven't got a cigarette to turn to. It is not caused because you don't have nicotine in your system to 'relax' you.

Each and every sinlge problem you have when you stop smoking, has a root cause. And therefore a root solution. You can't just quit smoking and expect a patch or a new wonder drug to beat every single one of your problems.

So what is the solution to quitting smoking without going crazy?

The best thing you can do is sit down and anticipate all the smoking pitfalls and problems you are likely to face. From withdrawal symptoms and carvings, to weight gain, everyday stress and problems, to recurring habits and routines.

Remebering that many of these problems will not be directly caused from quitting smoking, some will be every day problems that you face now and don't realise you solve by smoking.

Then you can anticipate and plan on how to beat each and every single problem, seperately. You are not going to be able to solve all the possible smoking pitfalls with one or two solutions.

So the secret to quitting smoking without going crazy is to plan how you are going to quit smoking, and realise that you need to look at and solve each problem seperately. You're not going to be able to quit smoking in a few days, it will take a couple of weeks and some good plans.

How long does it take for hypnosis to work?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:41:00 +0000

From my personal experience, many smokers steer clear of hypnosis to stop smoking because they think that it will wake too long. Understandably most of you want to stop smoking ASAP!

Which is great, but it's also a by-product of today's super fast paced society. We have fast food, broadband internet connections, fast cars and the ability to travel from the US to the UK in under five hours. So it's understandable that you want to stop smoking right NOW!

So how long does it take for hypnosis to work?

Well, unfortunately from my experience you can't stop smoking with a magic pill or in a few hours. There is a lot of work you absolutely must do. By far the best way to approach the problem is with hypnosis. And many hypnotherapist have good success rates with one quick one or two hour session, and some prefer 3 sessions.

Hypnosis works because it deals with the root causes of your smoking habits and actions. After allm you smoke for a reason don't you! You either want to relax or reduce stress, you are bored, you are lacking confidence in new surroundings and with new people, you are anxious or because you enjoy it.

These are just a few of your reasons for smoking. So to answer your question - how long does it take for hypnosis to work? I would say that it deepends a little on how much you rely on cigarettes, and not on how many you smoke a day.

For example you may smoke 40 a day, but most of them are probably out of boredom or habit. You don't need them, you just smoke them to pass the time. When you and your hypnotherapist
find your reasons for smoking, it simply a matter or re-programming your mind to focus on something different.

For most smokers this usually takes two one hour sessions. The first one for you to find out what makes you smoke, find out what it is that you want in terms of replacing your desire for cigarettes with something else and to then re-program your mind.

And the second one to re-inforce your new desires to stay off cigarettes.

The whole process usually takes about a week or two. But that's not it! In my opinion many hypnotherapists and smokers fail to spend time on one very, very important area of stopping smoking - staying stopped!

Yes your one or two sessions may have worked, but what about when you see a passer by smoking, or you get a whiff of smoke of a colleagues clothes. I think you need to spend a little time before your session planning on how you are doing to keep yourself distracted and how you are going to block out any desires to smoke!

Some people don't need this, but why take the chance that you will end up smoking again!

If you ask me - how long does it take for hypnosis to work? I would say that the hypnosis it'self only takes about two and a half hours in total at most.

But there are a few other things that you should do to stop smoking and stay stopped, and ensure that you really enjoy your life much more as an ex-smoker than you did as a smoker!

When is the best time to quit smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:29:00 +0000

I know that a lot of smokers often think that there is always a best time to quit smoking.

Whether that be for your New Year's resolution, on your birthday, for lent, just before you go on holiday or vacation, for women when you are pregnant or when you move house.

The 'best times' you could choose are endless. And you might also think that there are bad or 'worst times' to quit smoking. Like after a breakup with a partner, before Christmas when you know that you'll probably have some sort of family squabble, when you are highly stressed, when you lose your job or just before a big night out.

You may not realise it but the timing is never right or wrong. Or worst or best. The problem or success in quitting smoking comes from your approach and your outlook towards your task - quitting smoking.

With the exception of being pregnant there is no 'best time to quit smoking', and this only becomes the best time to quit smoking because it can harm you and your baby. In all other cases you probably see the 'best time' as a situation or mement in time.

What you should be doing is finding your best state of mind. Let's say that you promised yourself that you would wuit smoking, when you were 30 or 40 - a very common belief / hope in most smokers, while also disguised procrastination!

You're putting it off for now! But's that's not what I'm getting at. So let's say next week is your 30th birthday and you have a big party organised. You know you want to stop smoking and now is the 'best time' because you promised yourself, and it means you can stop poinsoning yourself with all that harmful smoke.

That's great! But then you start to think that you can't remember the last time you went to bed without smoking a bed time cig. You reminisce about the great cigarettes you give yourself after a workout at the gym, the ones you read with your book, or what about the ones you have while you're on the phone?

And you consciously and unconsciously start to panic that you just won't be able to cope without cigarettes. You wonder what you are going to do when you are bored, or when you are waiting nervously for some exam / test results, or how you are going to cope with stress.

What will usually happen is that most smokers will either consciously or unconsciously feel that they just can't do it, it's too hard. So they stop! And they end up blaming themselves for believing that a.) the time is 'wrong' and b.) they just 'can't' quit.

Then makes is so, so much harder the next time. And people wonder why it takes 7 attempts to quit smoking with will power and why nicotine patches and gums etc only have a 16% success rate! A rate which whe you look at it is a 84% failure rate!

Anyway, the problem was not that it wasn't the best time to quit smoking. It was their mind set.

They set off reminiscing and focusing on the good things and great cigarettes they would leave behind! This then sets them up for a fall before they even started! The mind will go after the very thing you focus on. And if you focus on the cigarette that you are going to miss then one of two things will happen.

1. You'll very soon end up smoking again, or

2. You'll manage to quit, but your life will be a living hell! Everytime you seen someone smoking you'll wish you could have 'just one drag' nad you'll punish yourself for life!

I know plenty of these people - but the shame of it is that they just don't want to listen and can't take the obvious truth - stop thinking about cigarettes! Problem solved!

So if you are looking for the best time to quit smoking, Stop! And find your best state of mind.

Make sure you really want to stop smoking, and that you will never look back over your shoulder reminiscing or wishing you could smoke again.

Then my friend you can look forward to a richer, healthier, fresher and happeir life. Don't let your thoughts focus on the things you are going to miss. Instead concentrate on the things you are going to gain.

Are you looking for things to say to get someone to stop smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:00:00 +0000

If you are looking for things to say to get someone to stop smoking then you're going to have a hard time.

Let me explain, no matter how much you love someone and they love you, trying to get someone to stop smoking will probably cause an argument. Smoking is a way of life for smokers, they enjoy it, it's a part of practically everything they do.

From the minute they wake up, to the minute they go to sleep - often a day will start and end with a cigarette. Smokers often don't know or can't remember when things were different. And if you try to get them to change this, you're probably going to be on the receiving end of a cold shoulder!

Most people don't like change, especially from something they like. And all smokers, even the ones that want to stop smoking, enjoy some of their cigarettes. Maybe it's the one after sex, maybe it's the cigarette they have with their coffee or maybe they love finishing a meal and relaxing with a cigarette.

So if you're trying to find things to say to get someone to stop smoking you're only going to succeed in annoying them!

Telling them that they are going to die or that they are aging at three times the rate than the rest of us or that their clothes smell terrible will get both of you nowhere. And it might even work against you, and make them smoke more. Either just to annoy you or because hearing all these things stresses them out.

I know this from personal experience. I once tried to help an ex-girlfriend stop smoking (when I was learning about helping others to stop smoking) and it failed miserably, in fact we almost broke up because of it!

So what can you do? A couple of things really. Firstly find out if they want to stop, and if so let them know that you are willing to help. But don't push them or bring it up constantly, they'll get annoyed, trust me!

Secondly, help them find a new focus in life. I know many ex-smokers who do nothing but fantasize about having 'just one cigarette.' This is not healthy, and they are miserable for it! So help them find a way to make sure that when they stop smoking they really, really enjoy life for making this positive chage.

And with all the money they are saving, around about $2,000 a year for a pack a day smoker, they can invest in a new car, a new expensive holiday or vacation or two, some new clothes and a make over or a new TV. Whever it is help them to see that their life is better once they stop smoking.

So if you if you really want to know what kinds of things to say to get someone to stop smoking, you should put yourself in their shoes - if someone wanted you to give up something you really enjoy and just can't stop doing, how would you feel and what would it take to get you to stop?

Do you have any ways to prevent smoking habits?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:57:00 +0000

I don't think I need to tell you that smoking is a habit as well as an addiciton! But in my oppinion smoking is about eighty percent habit and twenty percent addiction. So I think it's pretty important for you to find ways to prevent smoking habits.

Think about the cigarettes you have had today, the ones you had yesterday and the ones you've smoked over the last week. How many of them come at the same time of the day, every day?

If you take a few minutes to think about your daily routines, it's certain that cigarettes play a key role in your habits. I mean do you have a cigarette 1st thing in the morning as soon as you roll out of bed, or when you put the kettle on or when you walk out the door to work?

What about in the car, as soon as you get off the bus, tube or train before walking in the office door?

Then there are break times, the after meal cigarette, stress reducing and 'head-clearing' cigarettes you have. These are a very, very small selection of the smoking habits you have.

When you stop smoking, these times, events, places, people and emotions will remind you to smoke. And if you don't find at least a few ways to prevent smoking habits you're going to face a difficult time!

The first thing to do is find out each and every single one of your smoking habits. So write them all down - each cigarette you smoke has a reason for it. You either needed it or you smoked it to resolve a problem.

The best way to pevent your smoking habits is then to either resolve the problem, find a new solution to replace the cigarette or break the link all together.

What you need to do is break and prevent your smoking habits so that no time, place, feeling, problem or event makes you smoke again. Once you've done that my friend, you will be well on your way to stopping smoking and the very importantly - staying stopped!

Nicotine Withdrawals

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Sun, 18 May 2008 10:31:00 +0000

Is this a big problem you face when you stop smoking?

Almost every smoker I know blames their cravings, excessive eating, headches, irritable moods, uncomfortable bodily feelings and even sore arms and knees down to nicotine withdrawals!

The simple truth is that your nicotine withdrawal cannot cause all these things! For a start, the amount of nicotine you inhale is so little that you cannot become addicted to it! Ok so you're thinking - what? Everybody knows that nicotine is addictive!

Well that's what we've all bee led to believe. So let me give you a few small examples to clarify my point. Nicotine is a poison. If you were to inject the total amount of nicotine in each cigarette into your body, or drop it on your tongue - you would die in a matter of seconds.

Between 60 - 90% of the nicotine in each cigarette dissappears in the sidestream smoke ( also known as second hand smoke), so you are only receiving a fraction of the nicotine you believe you are.

Each and every sinlge night since you started smoking, you have slept anywhere from 6 - 10 hours. But have you woken up every night on the hour or every forty five minutes to have a cigarette? We both know the answer to that one!

If nicotine is more addictive that heroin how come you can go each and every night without a cigarette for seven or eight hours, while a heroin addict will suffer heavy sweats, go into shock, experience uncontrolable kicking movements and will get dihorrea, if they don't get their fix?!!

So all those side effects you get when you stop smoking are not down to your nicotine withdrawals because you are not addicted to nicotine! If your body really were dependent on the substance, which is a poison, you would need your nicotine fix right throughout the night wouldn't you!

The terrible side effects you experience when you stop smoking are not nicotine withdrawals, but they are the symptoms of your body's heavy cleaning process. Each cigarette has 4,700 chemicals in it and each year you smoke you deposit 3/4 of a cup of tar into your lungs.

This is going to require some heavy duty clenaing to remove. So your body is stressed and under a huge strain to remove those chemicals. So no wonder you are going to feel off and uncomfortable.

When you have a stomach bug you feel bad don't you? That's party because your body is working overtime to remove and kill off the bug. It's the same with smoking.

You're not experiencing nicotine withdrawals, instead your body is out of sync as it tries to remove the nicotine, lead, candle wax, lighter fuel, carbon monoxide and tar in each cigarette, from your body.

The next time you think to yourself I can't take these nicotine withdrawals, remember that you feel this way because your body is trying to remove these chemicals from your body, not get more!

The best ways to solve these feelings you've confused with nicotine withdrawals? Eat. That's what I said! If you eat the right kinds of foods, you won't gain weightt, and you will be giving your body the energy it needs to clean out all the gunk.

Do you need help to stop smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:36:00 +0000

Ok, so this is something a lot of smokers ask - do I need help to stop smoking?

The answer is yes , and no! Yes in that you need help in finding out what to do and how to do it. And I don't mean, you need someone to tell you to quit because it's killing you! And I don't mean you need someone's help to figure out that you need strong 'willpower'!

And no you don't need help to stop smoking, because once you know the secrets to stopping smoking, you can do it all on your own. You will be your biggest motivator and only you will be able to control your attitude, your outlook and your approach to stopping smoking! No one else can help you with this!

So what help do you need to stop smoking? Well, you should find either friinds who have stopped - with little or no problems or someone who knows how to stop the common stop smoking side effects.

It is more than likely that the things that worked for your friends will work for you. But bear in mind that you will power will play absolutely no role whatsoever in helping you to stop smoking.

So if your friend stopped using their will power, they are either one of the very, very, very few who has managed to do so. Or they used a combination of will power and some other treid and tested teqniques, wether they are aware or not.

But your friends' little tricks and techniques can help you. Things like, drinking lots, and lots, and lots of water will help you. Why? Well water helps your body flush out nicotine and the other chemicals from your body. Helping you to minimize and prevent the bad side effects.

Maybe your friends started going to the gym or picked up a new hobby - these are two very good dissassociation and distraction techniques. They help you focus on something else other than cigarettes.

And perhaps your friends found that eating lots and fruits and veg helped. This helps prevent weight gain and minimize the side effects. Fruit and veg have many vitamins and minerals that you simply cannot find in processed, fast and frozen foods.

This helps prevent and minimize side effects, as most of them are your body's way of teeling you that you need food to provide energy to remove the toxins and poisions from your body. And they are a low in calories and fats, which means that you will minimize weight gain when you stop smoking.

So if you're looking for help to stop smoking, ask your friends what worked for them, put those things into action and remember that only you can stop smoking. Having pushy friends will only make things worse.

Once you know what to do to make the stopping process easy, quick and enjoyable - yes it can be enjoyable if you adopt the right approach, you need to set a plan and stick to it. This is the best way to help yourself to sto smoking!

3 ways to prevent smoking again

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:25:00 +0000

I can't tell you the amount of time I spend telling smokers that they need to put some serious effort into preventing smoking again.

It is one of the most important parts to stopping smoking. The easiest way I can clarify this is by using an example. Imagine you are smoking a cigarette right now, or in fact go ahead and light one up. Seriously, light a cigarette right now and keep reading!

Ok so you're smoking a cigarette, and now I'm going to ask you to put it out. So go ahead put your cigarette out. You know you can do this easily.

If you want to you can put your cigarette out after only a few drags, it's not a big problem. But now what are you going to do and how are you going to feel when I say - don't light another cigarette?

This is the hard part! Not lighting a cigarette again is the bit you struggle with!

You can put them put but you can't prevent yourself from smoking again! Let me tell you why, it's because you and every other smoker out there have Reasons For Smoking! And yours will differ from your friends.

Ok so you're thinking - well I smoke again because I'm addicted ... Right? I'm sorry but that is wrong! For the most part anyway. Yes nicotine plays a role but, you struggle to keep that cigarette unlit and out of your mouth for many, many other reasons!

You have smoking routines, these are the daily cigarettes you have on your way to work, with your coffee, after your meal, after sex and at least a dozen other things make you smoke again.

These play a bigger part on your life than addiction.

So what are my 3 ways to prevent smoking again? Firstly there are many, many things you can do, so I'll give you three of my best ones.

But remember - that you cannot prevent smoking again in a matter of hours or a day or so - you need to do several things in preparation for over a week before you actually stop smoking.

1. Find out what things make you smoke - like the things I listed again. If you find that you smoke because you are stressed, find another way to relax - spend a weekend at a spa, treat yourself to a massage.

Make sure stress is not thing that will make you smoke again.

2. Get it out of your head that you need cigarettes. If you rely on cigarettes when you lack confidence, when you feel insecure, when you get a flat tire, burn your dinner, hear some bad news, or need to let off steam, then you really need to look at other ways to do this.

For years now you have consciously and subconsciously told yourself (by smoking when you're upset of lacking confidence, composure etc.) that you really need cigarettes.

To prevent smoking again you should remember that you are the one that deals with the problems - the cigarette does not magically help you cook dinner or make your first meeting with your new partner's parents go well.

You don't need cigarettes - you have told yourself that you do but it is all in your head!

3. Prevent smoking again by preventing withdrawal syptoms and cravings. Yes I'm 100% serious when I say this can be done, and it must be done, or else you will have a miserable time.

You get withdrawal symptoms because your body is going through a heavy cleansing process - getting rid of the 4,700 chemicals in our body found in each cigarette. And how do you normally help to ease this discomfort?

Eating. And actually the best thing you can do to prevent withdrawak symptoms is eat! But the thing is you eat a bag of chips, junk food and processed food that has very small quantities of the vitamins and minerals your body needs at this crucial time.

So to prevent withdrawal symptoms you should eat three square cooked meals a day with plenty of fruit and veg and take multi vitamin supplements to help give your body the foods that you have been denying it when you smoked.

Those are symplified versions of my top 3 ways to prevent smoking again. But if you do just this alone you will be miles ahead of your friends who are using their will power (which is useless by the way) and those that are using patches.

Stopping smoking side effects

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:52:00 +0000

Have you considered the possible stopping smoking side effects?!

Because if you haven't then I strongly urge you to find out what they are! Yeah we all hear the words 'pangs', 'cravings' and 'withdrawal symptoms', but what do they really mean? And what are they?

Some of you will probably know all too well what the possible side effects of stopping smoking are, through your own horrible and painful experiences!

So what do they include? I'm not going to name them all, but here are just a few:

1. head aches

2. panic attacks

3. strong urges / wants / desires 'cravings' for a cigarette.... now!

4. increased hunger levels

5. increased irritability

6. smoking dreams ... you may not have heard of this one - you can really dream that you have smoked, and you will really, really believe that you have smoked a cigarette even though you can't remember smoking one! It's all to do with the next one...

7. heavy cough and tobacco and tar taste in your mouth ... when you dream about smoking and combine it with a cough or smoky taste in your mouth you can really begin to believe that you have actually smoked a cigarette

8. inability to stop eating after your meals

9. inability to cope with stress

10. crabbyness and a generally foul mood!

11. quick and uncontrolable weight gain

Ok these are a few of the bad ones! But there are two reasons you should be aware of these!

Firstly, you will know what to expect. The thing about these stopping smoking side effetcs is that they are without a doubt going to be the things that make you light up your cigarette again.

When you get easily irritated or can't focus or concentrate you immediately think about how you normally solve the problem - by smoking. When you put on weight or get into a panic attack, you think that a cigarette will help.

Innevitably, you will return to them.

Secondly, now that you know about these problems you can be prepared for them and plan on how to actually prevent them. Yes I'm absolutely serious, you can on your own, stop every single one of the above, and any other, side effects of smoking.

And I'm not talking about going on a diet, or taking some wonder drug. I mean you can take a number of steps to prevent you from over eating and gaingng weight. Like eating the right foods your body needs to heal itself for example.

You can find new ways to concentrate, relax and gain confidence and you can find a new focus in your life.

A lot about preventing these side effects is about eating right, and distracting you and your mind away from smoking. It's not the nicotine that your body needs or wants, if it was you would get up every our of the night to smoke a cigarette ... but you don't do you ...

Your mind is used to a cigarette ... clear your mind and distract it and you will be well on your way to completely destro the possible stopping smoking side effects

Quit Smoking Timeline

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:02:00 +0000

Most smokers I know want to know how long it will take them to quit smoking and what their quit smoking timeline should look like. And to be honest is all depends on the approach and method you use as a smoker.

But firstly I think that it is a pretty good idea to think of a quit smoking timeline. Mostly because you can see beforehand where you should be in X amount of time. And you'll be able to track your progress over that time and you can see and compare if you are where you should be, and make adjustments and changes if you are not.

But our quit smoking timeline will not be the same as everyone elses. For example, if you go on a nicotine patch or gum course, your quit smoking timeline could be as long as a year! And studies have shown that only about 8% of smokers using patches and gums and the like, succeeed at stopping smoking!

If you use will power, your quit smoking timeline could be as long as several years! Because studies have shown that the average smoker using the will power method alone will have six or seven failed attempts before they manage to stop smoking. That is a long timeline!

For the different types of drugs available your timeline can vary betwen four weeks to twelve weeks, and a lot of those drugs fail or serisously hinder your body or have such bad side effects on your body and mind that most smokers end up giving up on them and return to smoking.

In my opinion the ideal quit smoking timeline should be spread accross three to four weeks. In each week you should have set goals and tasks to complete.

For example, in week one you should be looking at what it is that makes you smoke, not just nicotine by the way. There are habits, phsycological reliance (smoking to relieve stress, help concentrate etc.), routines, boredom and because you enjoy it, these are just a few. You can do this by actively making a note of everything that makes you smoke, on a daily basis.

In week one you should also work on ways to break these reasons for smoking, and you need to find alternate sources of stress relief, pleasure and confidence builders.

Then in week two of your quit smoking timeline you should look at how you can prevent weight gain, withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Preventing these things is very, very acheivable and can be done by any and all smokers.

Towards the end of week two and middle of week three you should actually set your stop smoking date. And what are you going to do in the last week?

This is one of the most ignored areas of stopping smoking. You need to ensure you stay stopped. How do you do this?

Well, you actively ensure that you are putting into practice all the things you planned in weeks one and two. You need to ensure that you continue to enjoy life and find alternate sources f pleasure. What's the point in stopping smoking if you are going to be miserable?!!

You also need to ensure that nothing reminds you to smoke and you disassociate everything you do from smoking. Once you have done this for a week or so you will have successfully stopped smoking.

When your quit smoking timeline is down on paper then you can go ahead and get working, and you can check up on your progress.

Stopping smoking will not happen in a day, it takes a few weeks of acurate and careful planning. The you should put those plans into action and stick to them.

Once you have been through a week or so ensuring you don't want to smoke and you stay stopped then you can really tell people, that you have stopped smoking.

Your quit smoking timeline is a plan for stopping smoking, and it will help you more than you could ever imagine.

Do you want to stop smoking today?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:18:00 +0000

I would say that when smokers decide to throw away their cigarettes, around 80% of them are thinking - 'this is it, I'm going to stop smoking today!'

The good news sit that if you are one of these people you are making a good decision. The bad news is that it is pretty much impossible to say to yourself, I'm going to stop smoking today, and then be able to do it.

The only way that'll happen is if, 'today' is half way through your planned strategy! You see, it is pretty much inpossible for you to stop smoking in one day!

Think about it. You have to beat your nicotine addiction, your reliance on cigarettes to help you relax and reduce stress. You have to disassociate smoking from all of the things you do.

I mean, you probably smoke as soon as you wake up, with your coffee, on the way to work, when you are relaxing and reading a book, when you are with friends and when you finish your meal and after sex.

So how can you realistically expect to stop smoking today?!!

Heck, it's a good idea to stop smoking. But one of the meain reasons why smokers fail is because they have high and unrealistic expectations about the time it will take to stop smoking and the efforts that are needed.

You have smoked for years, you are used to having cigarettes as a major part of your life, you rely on them and you need them. So stopping smoking in one day is a little far fetched!

If you want to stop smoking today, then 'today' needs to be smack bang in the middle of your stop smoking campaign!

You should plan on the days leading up to your stop smoking date. Things you should do in this time include - how are you going to prevent weight gain, withdrawal symptoms and cravings, and how are you going to break your smoking habits.

On your stop smoking day, you should re-inforce your thoughts beliefs and desires to stop smoking and you should throw away everything that reminds you about smoking, cigarettes, novelty ash trays and lighters and you should clean out your smoke filled car and smoke filling curtains in your home.

Then in the days after your stop smoking day you need to put into practive all the things you planned on, like preventing withdrawals and weight gain.

Stopping smoking a process that needs a little thought and some effort. That's why I tell my friends and clients that unless you make good plans, you can't realistically expect to stop smoking today!

Just make sure you are aware of this before you try to stop smoking today, fail and then end up broken hearted!

How do I stop smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:24:00 +0000

As a hypnotherapist I have had plenty of people and friends asking me, how do I stop smoking?

And although at first it sounds like a simple question, the answer simply isn't! I mean there are several methods available to you. I know which one is best - hypnotherapy and a planned strategy to tackle every issue involved when you stop smoking.

But to answering your question: How do I stop smoking?, I think it is very important that you consider your mental approach, as well as the method you choose to use.

Your attitude and the way you look at what you are doing - stopping smoking, will play a large part in your success or failure!

So, firstly you need to think, say and believe that you are stopping smoking. And at all costs you should avoid thinking and saying 'I'm quitting / giving up smoking'.

This helps you have a positive attitude and general feeling about the issue. The point being that you will not feel as if you are 'giving up' your pleasure!

The next thing you should do is approach stopping smoking, the same way you approach a break up with a partner!

And what do I mean by this? Well, when you break up with a partner you know several things. That once the two of you were good together, there were some good times and you enjoyed each other. However, now things have changed.

You are no longer good together and as much as you may have been together in the past, you are no longer part of the same future and now it is time to part.

This is precisely what I tell people when they aske me, how do I stop smoking?!

It's not just about the method you use, but it is also very important to choose the right mental approach, mindset and outlook.

Combining the right mental approach and planning each phase of stopping smoking, from preventing weight gain, withdrawal symptoms to ensuring you don't relapse is my answer to he question: How do i stop smoking?

How long does it take to quit smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:27:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about how long it does or should take you to stop smoking completely?

Surprisingly I've found that most of my clients and smokers in general do not know or have an idea as to how long it will take. But the thing that I find most worrying is that a majority of smokers expect to stop smoking instantly!

I suppose that can be expected in today's society where we have fast food, fast internet connections and fast cars! We naturally expect things to get done quickly or instantly, and we as a whole are very impatient.

But I try to help smokers understand that stopping smoking is not one of those things that is going to happen quickly, in a couple of hours or over night. Just think about how long you've been smoking. It's probably been years!

So to expect to completely remove something from your life that is a major part of everything you do is pretty unreasonable! Just think about the cigarettes you've had today. If you decide to stop right now, what will hapen tomorrow?

You're still going to want a cigarette first thin when you wake up, on your way to work, with your coffee, in the car, during your break, after your meals etc.

So if you think you can stop smoking and be done with it in an hour or with a 'magic pill' for lack of a better phrase, then you are in for one major surprise!

You see, smoking plays a major part in your everyday life, a lot of your routines revolve around, being with or end with a cigarette. And this has nothing to do with nicotine addiction. And I've got to admit that it is a major struggle to get smokers to see this!

Most smokers want to stop smoking immediately, but they don't think about every other part of smoking aside from addiction. It is not just addiction that makes you smoke. That is the main reason why nicotine patches, gums, lozenges and the latest pharmaceutical pills dont' work. They cannot help you with your other reasons for smoking.

And what are your other reasons for smoking?

Well let's see, your psychological reliance to deal with stess and problems by smoking, curing boredom, as a way to relax, cigarettes are a part of your wake up / bed time routine, you smoke when you drink alcohol and for social reasons, you smoke when you need to concentrate and cigarettes are your friend!

Patches and pills cannot help you with thes problems and issues! They only have a 16% success rate!

Anyway back to how long it should take you to stop smoking. People who use will power alone usually need seven attempts on average! That's years of failure and stress.

A nicotine replacement therapy course (patches, gums etc.) takes anywhere from two months to a year.

Cognitive behavioural therapies and other such methods can take up to three months.

Hypnotherapy is one of the best methods around with an average 33% success rate - more thn twice anything else, and it usually takes two to three sessions lasting a few hours each.

So there are different timescales for different methods.

The method I use with my clients takes 3 - 4 weeks. And it is the most thorough method I know of, (sorry if I sound like I'm blowing my own trumpet!)

I personally believe that you absolutely must plan and prepare on how to stop smoking and then stay stopped, an idea not many smokers or experts are open to or are a ware of.

That's why I think three weeks is the righ time scale. Like any idea, you need to plan beforehand. You need to see the plan through the any possible problem times and you need to make sure it works by keeping at it - especiallly after the big day.

So to answer your question: How long does it take to stop smoking? I think to successfully stop, deal with all aspects of smoking and then ensure that relapse is totally prevented, you are loking at three weeks.

One and half to two weeks preparation, one day to stop smoking and another week and a half to ensure that you do not ever relapse.

How many cigarettes do you smoke a day?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:35:00 +0000

I often wonder why how some smokers can go through 10 - 20 cigarettes a day, perfeclty fine, while others go through 30 or 40, and sometimes even 80! How much is that costing!

My point is not the cost, it's more of a quesiton actually - why do you smoke the amount of cigarettes you do? It's a simple question, but one that perhaps you haven't thought about before.

Think about it for a minute: How many cigarettes do you actually need each day?

If you go through your day, you will find that you probably only need about a third or a quarter of the cigarettes you smoke each day. So why more?

Stress may be your first answer. And yes it's true, but if that were the case you would smoke less at the weekend, when you're off work and when you are on vacation or holiday woulnd't you...........................?

The answer is actually habit and routine. Run through your day, from the minute you wake up to the minute you go to sleep. Write down each cigarette you smoke. Most of them begin with, revolve around or finish with a routine of yours.

Walking to work, drinking coffee, watching TV, chatting with friends, taking a break etc. These activities do not require a cigarette. Yet you always have one, because you always have!

These are the real problem situations you will face when you stop smoking. It is actually much easier to forget and stop the cigarettes you need, than the ones you have because you always have.

The reason is that, the are habits - smoking habits you have created. And breaking your habit is the most difficult part of stopping smoking, not beating your addiction to nicotine.

So when you stop smoking you have to plan on ways to beat, prevent and break your habits so that at no point in the future does your walk to work remind you of smoking!

With the right planning you can do it!

Stop Smoking Isle of Man

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:11:00 +0000

The Isle of Man is still one of the few places left in the UK that hasn't banned smoking in public, yet. So while most peole in the UK and the rest of the world can enjoy a drink without having to inhale smoke, we in the can't. But this will all end very soon.

So helping people stop smoking in the isle of man will soon be on the up. We have already had Allen Carr's people come over for several seminars, we have several hypnotherapists all over the island and last but certainly not least, we have yours truly!

So stopping smoking on the isle of man is a competitive market, but this is also the case all over the world. You as a smoker who wants to quit have several options ahead of you. You can try will power, Nicotine Replacement Therapy which is any form of nicotine patches, gums, lozenges, inhalers, gums etc and you can try the new flashy drugs your doctor offers you.

And there are things like CBH, hypnotherapy, thousands of free and $0.99 eBooks off ebay and every site with the words 'quit smoking' in it, and you can try acupuncture or cutting down. So your options are pretty vast if you really want to stop smoking.

In the Isle of Man the smoking population is pretty high so I imagine when the smoking in public places ban comes into place some people will be looking for the best ways to stop smoking.

But not too much. After all, just because the government says you can't do something doesn't mean you're going to stop or not do it, does it!

So if you're in the Isle of Man or anywhere else for that matter and want to stop smoking have a look at your wide range of options and choosea method with a high success rate which is proven to work, make sure it helps you deal with the problems you will no doubt will face before, during and especially after you stop smoking.

Don't forget there is a lot that can go wrong! From withdrawal symptoms and side effects, habits like drinking and your routines, weight gain, cravings, pitfalls such as having 'just one' cigarette and living the rest of your life in hell because you wish you could just have one drag or draw!

Don't le me putt you off! It's just a reminder of the things tou will face when you decide to stop smoking.

If you want to sto psmoking quickly, easily and as trouble free as possible, make sure your method helps you make plans to deal, beat and prevent all these problem areas. With this blue print for success you will be a lot more prepared than just swallowing a magic pill or sticking a patch on your arm.

And most importantly don't forget to enjoy your life as an ex-smoker, don't regret your decision to stop smoking for one second, because your life will be a living hell!

Quitting Smoking Can Be Pretty Difficult If You Don't Like Change

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:37:00 +0000

Everybody has a tolerance for change. When I was younger I hated it, moving house every few years, a new school, new friends and new cultures, but now I love it! With change comes a different point of view.

And stopping smoking is obviously a major change to your life. So if you are not a fan of change and you love the status quo, then you could face a bit of a struggle.

But the important thing about stopping smoking is that you actually want to make that change! Yes it can be difficult to deal with all the issues involved when you stop smoking. But when you really want to make this change in your life and accept the change as a good and positive step, you'll find it easier.

Some people can't stand change, wether it be a change to the time of your lunch break, a change of boss, a different menu at your favourite restaurant, a new neighbourhood or a different kind socks! And we all have to make adjustments.

But the important thing about stopping smoking is that you have the benefit of foresight. You can plan for, accept and most importantly plan your change.

When you look a head to change you can see all the benefits it will bring, you can plan and prepare on how to defeat, break and prevent any issues that could get in your way. You can forsee the pitfalls, the side effects and the possible problem situations. And also very, very imporantly you can plan on how to make the change enjoyable.

It is possible to enjoy making a change of this kind. All it takes is a bit of effort and planning. When you look ahead to a drastic change you can see it from all sides and then plan on how to best tackle it. That is the single best way to stop smoking - planning.

Look a the problems, plan on how to beat them and look to your future self as a happy ex-smoker who has made an excelent decision to make a positive change in your life. Then your job will be ten times easier.

What will you gain when you stop smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:55:00 +0000

You will already be aware that stopping smoking has many benefits, from better health and easier breathing to a heck of a lot more spending money and less time out in the cold and wind and rain!

But what about all the other little things that you get when you stop smoking? First of all there is the free time, if you look at it you probably spend an hour or so a day sucking on that little white stick. Of course some of that time you are drinking coffee, talking with friends or driving or reading.

But a lot of this time is spent on your own just puffing away, if you add up all that time even i none month you could spend it more productively. By the way I really suggest that you spen this time on a new or forgotten hobby when you stop smoking.

And then there is cleaner and healthier skin. This is usually much more of a priority for women! But not always. When you smoke your body is clogged up with thousands and thousands of chemical which severely increase the rate at which you and your skin ages. When you stop smoking your skin will look more vibrant, full of life and smoother.

But one of the best and biggest advantages of stopping smoking is smell. And it's not just being able to smell things better but you and your clothes will smell much much better too! if you ask any smoker who has stopped smoking what one of the first things they notice is, they will usually say. 'I can't believe how much I used to smell.'

And they know this because when they smell other smokers they can really notice it! A friend of mine who stopped smoking said that she really could not believe it! When you stop smoking you will really notice it - I have no doubt. And you'll see what non-smokers have to put up with on the tube, train and bus!

So your clothes and hair will smell better, and you'll be able to smell foods and aromas much better and you taste buds will return to normal!

Stopping smoking has a ton of benefits. And these are the things you need to look out for when you decide the time is right to stop smoking. Concentrate on the good things you will get when you stop and not the things you will have to 'lose out on' when you 'quit'.

I've put those words in inverted comas because when you as someone who wants to stop smoking uses them, you make it ten times as hard for yourself - because you take a negative approach.

Look forward to, go get and really want the good things and your job will be easier!

The Worst Ways To Quit Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:46:00 +0000

Many smokers search and search the internet and ask their doctors for the best ways to stop smoking. But a majority of the time they end up using or are given the worst ways to quit smoking!

There are a variety of was you can use to quit smoking, from accupuncture to hypnotherapy, using fake cigarettes, will power, herbal cigarettes, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and all sorts of pills and drugs.

But by far the worst ways to stop smoking are those that prolong the time it takes you to remove nocotince from your system. When you stop smoking completely the nicotine in your system is gone completely witih 72 hours.

But when you use methods such as 'cutting down' the number of cigarettes you have each day and nicotine replacement therapy - nicotine patches, gums, lozenges etc. you prolong the time it takes for that nicotine to leave your body.

And at times this can be for up to a year! That's a year of nicotine withdrawal symptoms, a year of your body removing and then re-absorbibg nicotine! How is that going to feel for you?!!

When you stop smoking and leave all sources of nicotine out, you are helping your body to adjust in a matter of a few days. And that's exactly why nicotine patches and gums don't work for 86% of the smokers that use them - because they prolong nicotine withdrawal symptoms!

Furtheremore, appart from hypnotherapy none of the methods listed above help you to deal with or show you the other crucial parts of stopping smoking. Things like, how to you actually prevent withdrawal symptoms, how do you prevent cravings, how do you prevent weight gain and how do you enjoy life after you stop smoking.

None of the other methods show you what foods to eat to help you stop smoking quickly, they don't show you how nicotine affects your body and why exactly you find it difficult to stop. And they don't show you how to use your mind (not will power) to completely remove your desire to stop smoking for good!

Which ever method you use, make sure you it also shows you a good plan and guide on how to deal with leaving cigarettes in your past, how to cope with the first few days, how to forsee prevent and avoid the pitfalls and make sure it gives you a good strategy for how to go on free from cigarettes.

You're probably aware how big a role cigarettes play in your life right now, unless you deal with that and several other issues properl, you could end up trying to stop smoking for months and years!

And most of all make sure you enjoy stopping smoking and are glad you are doing it, the correct method can show you how to do this. After all what's the point in stopping or quitting something you enjoy?!!

How do you motivate yourself?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:14:00 +0000

I know lots of smokers who try to motivate themselves by saying things like - I'm going toput five notes into a tin every day once I stop smoking or when I stop smoking my skin will be so much better and when i stop smoking I'm going to be able to taste food fully once again.

Then they gey bogged down with anxiety and panic in the days leading up to their chosen stop smoking date. And they begin to question wether or not they can do it and start thinking about how hard it was last time or it will be.

And soon they've either given up on stopping smoking because they are 'too stressed / it's not a good time' or they begin smoking again! Does any of this look or sound familiar?!

A major problem with stopping smoking and motivation is that often smokers don't take the time to stop and plan and really, really motivate themselves. It's good saying you're going to put five notes into a tin every day but then what?

You should plan to give yourself rewards, and real rewards you can look forward to feeling seeing and experienceing. So you should start by plannin on giving yourself a reward at the end of every day you go free from cigarettes.

Make it something you don't usually get to do or have. Then plan on a weekly reward and a monthly reward. Maybe you could plan on a weekend away, a trip a shopping spree or a luxurious spa treatment. Anything, anything at all that you really, really want and can now afford because you have all that extra money!

Motivating yourself is key, it's not everything and cannot help you on its own but changing your view point when you stop smoking will go a long way. When you strongly motivate yourself you do two things.

Firstly, you stop thinking, focusing and concentrating on all the things you are going to miss and have to do without when you stop smoking.

And secondly, you change the way you look at your life - you're now looking forward to the things you are going to get rather than the things you are leaving behind! The best part of this is that your mind is now focusing away from cigarettes and the things you got from them.

The mind is a very complex thing, but also works in a vey simple manner. It will seek out and help you to get whatever you focus on. So if you focus on how much you miss cigarettes
and how you used to love them, your mind will make you go back to them.

But if you focus on all the good things and rewards you are geeting now that you are free from them, your mind will be happy and will seek those things!

If you wake up thinking 'oh this is a miserable day, I've got a meeting with my boss, the weather is dreadful and I just don't care anymore' then you will have a terrible day!

But if you wake up thinking 'I don't care about the weather, it's actually refreshing to have all this rain ( or something similar ;) ) and I'm going to resolve my problems with my boss' then your day will go completely differently!

That's how the mind works! It will go after whatever you tell it to! So focus on the good things you eill get and spend a lot of time planning on the things you will get when you stop smoking. Soon you will see that it is nowehere near as hard a you thought!

Are you planning on stopping smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:42:00 +0000

Many smokers decide to stop smoking, but have no real plan as to how to go about it, how to make it easiest, and most importantly they make no real plans on how to ensure that they stop and stay stopped!

So what goes through your head when you decide to quit?

Do you think about how you are going to have to put up with withdrawal symptoms, weight gain and how you are going to be miserable for a few weeks?

Or

Do you think about how to prevent withdrawal symptoms, weight gain and the other side effects and symptoms of stopping smoking? And do you plan on how to ensure that you enjoy stopping smoking?

If you're like most smokers, the answer is no! And this is a big mistake!

If you're made no real plans then, to use an old and clichéd expression - you're failing to plan and therefore planning to fail!

You need to do everything in your power to ensure that when you stop smoking, it's for good - with no relapse, ever!

The best way to ensure this is to plan ahead and take steps to actually prevent the problems that most smokers think are innevitable, like withdrawal symptoms, cravings, weigh gain, relapse and anxiety and that panicky feeling - you need to stop these before they cause a large problem!.

Here are my ten steps I advise you take into account and put into practice to ensure you stop, and stay stopped:

1. Honestly want to quit - being under pressure from family / doctor / friends will only make it harder for you

2. Stop thinking that you are 'Quitting' or 'Giving Up' smoking. This attitude will only make you concentrate on the things you are going to lose or 'give up'. And you will feel as if you are depriving yourself of pleasure / relaxation etc.

Instead stop smoking and look forward to the things you are going to gain.

3. Set a date and look forward to a new lifestyle after that. And smoke without guilt right up until that date.

4. Find the things that make you smoke - your Smoking Links - you smoke when you wake, on your way to work, after sex, when you pick up the phone etc.

5. Accept that there will be problems so plan on how you are going to deal with stress and your smoking links.

6. Find a new hobby / source of pleasure to take your mind off smoking

7. Prepare and plan on how to PREVENT withdrawal symptoms and weight gain.

8. 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.

If you think 'I haven't had a cig since ....' or 'I can't belive I can never had a cig again' you are only punishing yourself. Accept that this is a positive step and change your focus away from cigarettes.

9. Establish new routines - what are you going to do instead of smoking during the 20 or times a day when you normally have a cigarette? e.g. after coffe, in the pub / bar, when waiting for a friend, when nervous or lacking confidence, when bored, as soon as you wake up etc.

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 sooo 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 get broken into or, I split up with my partner etc.'

The best thing you can do when you decide to stop smoking is - think about and plan defore, on how to practically guarantee that you will stop and never relapse.

There is no point in doing it half heartedly! iF you fail, you will be subconsciously telling yourself that you can't do it! And this is foten worse than not trying at all!

Do You Enjoy Smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:44:00 +0000

If you're like most smokers then you enjoy at least a few of your cigarettes. Whether it's the one you have when you wake up, finish your meal, your first cigarette on your lunch break or the one you have after sex!

Most smokers, even the ones that want to stop smoking, enjoy at least a few of their cigarettes. And when you stop smoking, the cigarettes that you enjoy are the ones that are going to cause you the most trouble. Why?

Well there are two main reasons. Firstly, you will probably end up concentrating on these few cigarettes and you'll long for them, you'll wish you could have them again and you will reminisce about how much you enjoyed them.

This kind of thinking will lead you to believe that you are punishing yourself by not smoking, because you are preventing yourself from enjoying the things that you love and enjoy.

The problem with this situation is not only that you are telling yourself that you are depriving yourself of pleasure, but you are also forgetting why you are stopping smoking. When you focus on the few cigarettes you enjoyed each day, you completely lose focus of the other twenty or so cigarettes each day that you hate or can't stand!

So you end up forgetting about the cigarettes you hate, the bad chemicals and toxins in them, the bad breath they bring, your smelly clothes, your yellow teeth or nails and you also forget your reasons for stopping smoking!

This is a very important aspect of stopping smoking that most people and even the so called 'experts' don't ever consider.

You focus so much on how you enjoyed a certain cigarette that you forget why you're stopping smoking! This point cannot be emphasised enough! Don't lose track of your reasons for stopping smoking!

There is a further problem when we talk about how much you enjoy cigarettes - this part of your smoking lifestyle has nothing whatsoever to do with addiction! Do you smoke after sex because you're addicted or because you enjoy it? Do you smoke after a meal because you're addicted or because you enjoy ending a meal with a cigarette?

The cigarettes you enjoy (the ones mentioned above and any others) have nothing to do with addiction. And this leads me to the second reason why the cigarettes you enjoy are the ones that will cause you the most problems when you stop smoking.

Did you notice that the cigarettes I mentioned in the first paragraph are down to a routine, situation, event or habit?

These cigarettes come at certain times of the day. Following, during or after certain events, emotions, feelings ect..

When you stop smoking, these situations will happen again - every day! So it will be difficult for you to forget about them when you are being constantly reminded about how much you enjoyed that cigarette at the end of your meal, with your cup of coffee or tea and when you first wake up.

When you are reminded of how much you enjoyed a certain cigarette you are going to end up longing for it, if you adop the wrong approach that is.

The solution to this problem is twofold. Firstly you should, from the very beginning, tell yourself, accept, strongly believe and want to stop smoking, for yourself while looking forward to a life free from the control of cigarettes.

Your mindset should be:

'I'm stopping smoking, because I want to. I'm looking forward to all the good things that I will get, from more money, improved health, fresher breath and better smelling clothes to lower blood pressure and cleaner lungs. I accept that cigarettes were once a part of me, but that was in the past. Now I'm enjoying a smoke free and healthier life'

This mindset will ensure you focus on the good things you are getting when you stop smoking.

Then you should plan on how you are going to enjoy your life when you are free from the control cigarettes had over you. This means, you accept that you will change from enjoying cigarettes to enjoying other things, and this is a key part of stopping smoking.

You absolutely must continue to enjoy your life when you stop smoking! There's no point in stopping if you are going to be a misery guts!

Even if you only enjoy the odd cigarette, yuo really need to find a way to make your smoke free life heappier than your life with cigarettes. This will help you believe that you are making a positive move by stopping smoking!

It's critical! Seriously, enjoy your smoke free life more than your life with cigarettes in it and you will find it easier to stop smoking. And it's going to be a lot easier to stop smoking - especially now that you have more money!

Are you going to be a happy ex-smoker?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:55:00 +0000

With the new year coming I just thought I'g go over the idea of stopping smoking as a new yea's resolution.

I've already mentioned a few times that you should only do it for yourself! And you shouldn't stop smoking now or any time for that matter, because your under pressure from different people.

But my main point now is - when you do stop smoking, are you going to be a happy ex-smoker? I mean are you going to be constantly kicking yourself for 'giving up' the one thing that makes you happy? Are you going to be miserable, always wishing for 'just one' cigarette?

There is no point in stop stopping smoking unless you are going to be a happy ex-smoker. Happy that you have stopped wasting your hard earned cash, happy that you are no longer doing yourself harm and happy that your life is much better now that you are free from cigarettes.

There are several things you can do to ensure you are a happy ex-smoker. For a start, and it should be pretty obvious - stop smoking because you want to! Make sure that you replace the pleasure you got from smoking with something else. For example, you could pick up a new hobby or spend more time with your kids or buy yourself something you normally couldn't afford.

The list of ways you can ensure that you are going to be a happy ex-smoker. But the most important thing is that you take the time to plan and prepare to ensure that you really are a happy ex-smoker.

So if you are not going to be a happy ex-smoker - don't stop smoking, until you are ready and prepared!

Holiday Season Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 10:26:00 +0000

I know how it can be, first we've got to get presents for everybody we can think of, then we leave it too late or find that someone else has already bought somone the same present. Then there's the family argument, or we can't decide where to have Christmas dinner - your parents or theirs!

Does this seem a familiar picture?! Maybe it does and maybe it doesn't. But the fact of the matter is that the holiday season usually has a few stressful moments for all.

And if you're a smoker, this can be prety difficult to handle. Especially when you can't just light up in the house or around kids or at the office party etc.

So how do you beat this stress? Well, I know of a few techniques that are especially helpful. One is called an anchor - and is a way of instantly removing stress and making yourself feel good about any situation. I duscuss it thoroughly in my eBook.

One other very effective way of dealing with stress is a breathig technique I personally use, as well as reccommending to my clients, to remove stress whenever necessary. Ok, so you may be thinking - 'oh no, not anotheer breathing technique!'

The truth is that I sympathise with this point of view, because far too often have I read and heard people and so called quit smoking experts go on about how to quit smoking with breathing techniques.

And for the most part I know that it doesn't work, unless acompanied by and and used alongside several other techniques. Remember smoking involves a lot of things, you can't stop smoking by doing one thing alone. You have to work at things like dealing with stress, weight gain, cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and understanding your habits and nicotine addiction
etc.

Anyway, the breathing technique i reccommend is very simple and is good for reducing stress, I can't tell you the amount of times I've sat here in front of my computer and used this technique!

It's very simple, all you do is breathe out, heavily. Rather than taking adeep breath in, just breathe normally and then when it feels right just breathe out completely. Empty your lungs of all their air, you'll probably find that you're there for a little while.

I mean, really empty your lungs - puff out your cheeks and blow out until your feel your chest really contracting. Then naturally, without any help at all allow your lungs to fill up completely again. Then without taking another out or inbreath, repeat the process and breeathe out fully again.

By concentrating on breathing you are taking your mind of the situation, and breathing in and out heavily actually feels really good - a point i discuss in much further detail in my eBook, and one of the reasons why you enjoy smoking and why you feel it helps you relax.

I find that it is best to close your eyes when doing this technique. Also try imagining that you are on a beach or at your favourite exotic get a way vacatio / holiday location. This helps you get your mind and body involved and working in harmony.

I reccomed that you breathe out, and then in four to six times to really get a feel for it, and the more you do it, the better you will get and the easier it will be!

Anyway, season's greetings from me, and I hope this helps! Feel free to let me know!

Is Quitting Smoking Your New Year's Resolution?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:05:00 +0000

What a great idea!

Quitting smoking as a new year's resolution gives you something to look forward to, it helps to you brin in the new year with a new you (perhaps allowing you the chance to make up for lost time!), and you can be proud of yourself because you are finally making a good decision!

But is it such a good idea?

Before I became a quit smoking specialisy I had partners and friends who said that they would quit smoking as their new year's resolution. And it was great, we all thought ok this is it ... finally going to quit smoking. No more wasting money, no more self-damage and no more putting it off. Determination was strong, we were ready and just before midnight they would have their last cig, and we thought - this is it!

But it wasn't, first there was a problem at work or some sort of minor crisis. Then life was too stressful and we'd wait till the middle or end of january when we weren't so low on cash. And so on, and before we knew it it would be march and my friend or partner was once again too stressed!

Does this look or sound familiar?!

It's a great idea to stop smoking but deciding to do it for your new year's resolution can actually turn round and bite you in the back side! The problem is that many smokers put themselves under too much pressure when they decide to quit and believe that there is a 'right / perfect / best time' to quit smoking. Are you in this group?

It's actually a mistake to think that just because we are bringging in a new year, you should quit. It's more important to ask yourself if you really want to quit. So do you?!!

If you do then that's great, but try not to stumble into the pitfall that is putting your last cigarette out before midnight on December 31st and then waking up hungover or not feeling quite yourself and then 'accidentally' smoking a few cigarettes. Followed by 'oh, today is my last day...I'll have my last one tonight.'

This really hurts your effort to stop smoking! You're putting yourself under undue pressure and you are almost forcing yourself to do it - because it's your new year's resolution.

The best thing you can do is wait and set a date a week or two into January. Firstly, it avoids the problems above. Secondly, you're not making the decision on impulse. And thirdly, you are over any holiday season stress and you have not spen the the two to three weeks during the holidays agonising about how difficult it will be.

This way your approach is much more relaxed, you are not making any excuses and therefore feeling guilty and you know that you are making the decision for the sake of it.

And also remember that there is never a 'good /right / perfect' time to stop smoking. Life is full of stress and problems, so any time you decide to stop smoking will no doubt involve some form or stress or other.

When you know how to deal with this and can prepare for any situaiton thoroughly, you will be ready to stop smoking stress, hassle and guilt free.

Try not to stress yourself if you're decding to stop smoking and happy holidays!

What Kind of Smoker Are You?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel Fargher) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:51:00 +0000

I recently had an email from an advertising student asking me to give him some advice on designing a system to to help him encourage other people to quit smoking!

So I explained to him that this would be no easy task! As there are millions of smokers out there, some who want to quit, and some who don't. And even the ones who want to quit either aren't determined enough, want an easy fix or just struggle aimlessly even with help!

So encouraging someone else to quit smoking can be a good idea, but a difficult task! Have a look below and see what kind of smoker you are and have a think about what kind of smokers you know.

You as a smoker will fall into one of these categories:

1. Those who don’t want to quit

2. Those that are being pressured into quitting by family / friends /doctors etc.

3. Those who know that they will at some stage, but haven’t made much of an effort so far

4. Those that want to quit

I hate to put it this way but the smokers in no. 1 are (at least for the meantime) for lack of a better way to put it – a lost cause!

It’s a hard and unfortunate to say this, but I’ve openly discussed my techniques and facts with smokers. The ones that agree or at least understand the concepts/ ideas I use are the ones that are in Nos. 3 & 4.

The other smokers simply do not accept my, or anyone’s for that matter, ideas about smoking and quitting, and they will argue through their teeth – that we are wrong! I understand their reasoning too, because I’m a hypnotherapist and I understand that once someone’s mind is made up – nothing will change it, even if it’s facts logic and truth!

I’m just saying this to you because some people don’t want to be helped!

It's difficult to encourage those that don’t want to quit, to quit! We already know that the various diseases brought on by smoking don’t have ANY effect on you, ven when you want to quit. So we can’t threaten someone who doesn't want to quit with illness, financial cost of smoking, family seeing them get ill and even death.

They are convinced that they ‘enjoy’ smoking, that it ‘relaxes’ them and that ‘their granddad smoked till he was 84, and nothing ever happened to him!’. Do you know any smokers like this? I know and meet plenty!

The smokers in category in no. 2 can probably be helped, but it’s dangerous. As i've already described in my other posts and articles, it can be pretty easy to annoy them by taking the wrong approach and they can end up not wanting to give up at all - and also hate you for interfering!

Smokers in category no.4 can be even further divided:

a.) Those that don’t know where to start / are scared that it will be too difficult

b.) Those that have tried various methods including Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) including patches, gums, inhalers, lozenges etc. and have all but given up hope as they’ve failed)

c.) Those that are open to try different methods but who believe that ‘will power’ is the most important factor and have seen every scheme out there and are unwilling to spend a little cash on something new and different

d.) Those that expect to quit in a matter of hours, with a magic pill / patch / potion / solution – those in this category may fit into one of the three above too!

So personally, I think that the best way to help and encourage smokers to quit is to educate them as to the reality about smoking. Namely that:

1. Smoking is NOT as addictive as you have been LED to believe

2. Smoking is in NO WAY WHATSOVER relaxing, uplifting, calming, nerve controlling etc.

3. Smoking is more in the mind that you believe – we are creatures of habit and a lot of relapses and problems are caused by habits and mental cues once you have stopped

4. Smokers rely on cigarettes for things like, companionship, confidence boost, appetite suppressant, to cure boredom, to enjoy yourselves and cigarettes are a HUGE part of your everyday lives – so quitting with a patch, a gum an inhaler or by using a few short breathing techniques is not going to get you anywhere near stopping smoking and then Stay Stopped.

And whey you quit, you absolutely MUST find new ways / sources / things to get the things you got from smoking like pleasure, alone time, confidence boost, stress relief etc.

And this is what I do when I help people and it is all down in my ebook – I show smokers that to successfully stop smoking you must go through Two Stages:

Stopping Smoking and Staying Stopped – both take hours to do and understand!

The first stage is all about why you smoke – learing some truths about nicotine, cigarettes, beliefs and helping you to realise that you have been kidded and it’s is a mind trick. And the second stage is about ensuring that NOTHING makes you smoke again. So that means minimizing and preventing withdrawal symptoms, cravings, pangs, anxiety and irritability, weight gain, dealing with stress and also very importantly – ensuring they adopt the correct Mental Approach.

You need a positive expectation and have to ensure that ou continue to enjoy you life when you stop – if you are miserable when you’ve stopped, you will put it down to a lack of cigarettes and you'll pick them up again.

Basically you shouldn’t look at stopping smoking as if you are ‘quitting’ or ‘giving up’ because subconsciously you'e telling yourself that this is a punishment! Instead you should look forward to the things you are going to gain!

So what kind of smoker are you and what will you do to quit?!!

Check out the rest of my site for more free resources! And I hope this has given you a little insight into my job!