The number of ways there are to stop smoking is probably almost as numerous as the number of people who have quit!
Whilst this may seem rather overwhelming, thinking about all the choices available, it can also be comforting to know that there is a lot of support out there, once you do decide to take the plunge.
Not only that, but knowing that millions of people have successfully kicked the habit already, leaves you with a clear message that it is perfectly possible for you too.
If you take a moment to think about it, although during the day you might feel compelled to ‘have another cigarette’ and even though it is an addictive habit, there are also times when you don’t smoke as well. Like when you go to sleep at night. Even a heavy smoker can go through a full night without having to ‘take a drag’. This means that the body can actually manage quite well for long periods of time without needing a nicotine ‘hit’.
Some of the cravings that smokers experience is down to psychology. This is good news. It means it is possible to make the decision to go for longer periods of time without a cigarette. You only need to decide to do it.
There are many techniques and tools you can make use of to help you on the journey back to better health. Some of the most popular ways include hypnosis, nicotine patches or gum, bio-magnets, e-cigarettes , emotional freedom technique (EFT) or going cold turkey. This last one, even though it might sound like a difficult and scary thing to do, is actually a very popular way of giving up, by just suddenly stopping all at once. That’s it! No more cigarettes from now on!
This method has worked very well for many thousands, if not millions of people. But that’s just it. Making the decision is arguably the hardest part. We may need to spend quite a bit of time first building up to the decision. We may start by imagining what it would be like to be a non-smoker, for example. Or we find a reason that feels important and urgent enough to take action. It may be a decision to have a healthy body in order to have a healthy pregnancy to give the baby a good start in life. It may be that you are fed up of always feeling tired and run down, having constant coughs and colds. Maybe you have decided that you want to save for the holiday of a lifetime.
Whatever the reason, a strong motivation to quit is a powerful factor in guaranteeing your success. If you really want to stop smoking would be a good idea as a first step to write down as many reasons as you can think of to quit. Then read through them every day before, during and after your ‘quit day’. You can use these or combine them with other positive statements to make up a list of affirmations which you can repeat to yourself daily.
Once on the ‘path’, there are lots of ways you can support yourself in coping with any cravings and easing any stress. This is where hypnosis, meditation, energy therapies, cognitive behavioural therapy (or CBT), nutrition and various other aids can help.
Hypnosis
Hypnotherapy is basically a way to deeply relax. When you are in a state of deep relaxation you are more open to healthy suggestions that are good for the body and mind. So at this point the hypnotherapist (or yourself if you are using a self help program) will introduce positive suggestions like ‘I am a non smoker now’, I feel much better now that I have stopped smoking cigarettes’, ‘all cravings are gone’ and so on. Hypnosis can help to minimise or stop cravings altogether and may be the only thing you need. The main secret is in the motivation. If you don’t really want to quit, the whole program will be compromised and you may find yourself saying ‘I tried that and it didn’t work’
Energy Therapy
Energy therapies can be a good way to go too, for example, Acupuncture, Reiki, The Bowen technique and so on. One in
particular, a therapy called EFT, is one of my favorites. Its success rate is very high. It basically involves tapping lightly with the fingers on 7 or 8 acupressure points on the body whilst focusing on the problem at hand, which can be anything, from body pain, to stress, to addictions and cravings. You can go here to find out more: EFT Therapy
Other Aids
There are a number of other aids that can help you in your journey. Most of these are designed to help reduce the cravings and make it easier to manage without smoking cigarettes. This is where nicotine gum and patches, inhalers and E-cigs fits in. Prescribed medication from your local medical practitioner may also be available. Ask your doctor for advice. It is thought that making use of these aids can increase the chances of success, but which aid to use is down to individual choice. Other approaches are pyschological, like CBT, NLP and so on which are bacically aimed at rewiring thought processes, to think differently about yourself.
Nearly every smoker would like to be a non-smoker, but did you know that the number of non-smokers who want to be smokers is virtually nil! In the end, the motivation and decision to quit are ultimately more important than the method you choose. Good Luck!
Further Resources
For those sick of trying to Quit Smoking using patches, gum, sprays or pills a method which gets down to the nitty gritty of ‘will power’ using the latest techniques in NLP looks like a winner
Every smoker was once a non-smoker. You can be a non-smoker again. Here is a stress free program that works by turning off the desire – you won’t miss smoking at all!
The thought of trying to quit is often quite frightening. Especially if you have already tried and failed. Some simple psychological tactics to rewire your thought patterns on smoking offers new hope.
This ‘HappyQuit’ hypnosis program shows you how to give up cigarettes once and for all. It helps to change your feelings about smoking
Instant strategies anyone can use for smoking cessation, to curb addiction and stay away from cigarettes for good
