What smoker has not at some point tried to flip a cigarette out of a closed car window? There you are, trying to fish it out of your lap without burning yourself or the seat, and even worse, trying to maintain control of the vehicle if you are the driver. The only consolation in this case is that maybe you are the only one in the car witnessing the crazy antics.
Combined with the times your cigarette has accidentally dropped off a balcony, singed your good clothes, or almost set your long hair ablaze, you may be starting to realize how lucky you are that these incidents have not yet resulted in much greater damage and cost to you or someone else. Is it time to quit smoking? You are not alone, each day thousands of people make the decision to quit, and succeed.
The decision to quit smoking can be successful, if you have will power, determination, and for many it helps if you have something to replace the cigarettes with. From alternate sources of nicotine, to the real or imagined reward of being able to kiss someone without tasting like smoke, there are many different methods that have helped people make this transition.
Whether you decide to stop smoking for the sake of your own health, or out of concern for your loved ones, there are many resources available to help you quit. Patches, gum, herbal cigarettes, toothpicks, straws or cinnamon sticks have all been found useful by some former smokers. Others recommend learning an instrument, meditation or hypnosis. Because smoking involves physiological, habitual and psychological factors, you can approach quitting from any of these directions, or ideally, some combination.
If you turn to snacking, remember to choose healthy snacks to avoid gaining weight and trading one unhealthy habit for another. Sunflower seeds, carrot sticks, licorice, pretzels or unbuttered popcorn are all relatively low-fat snacks to soothe your oral fixation. Other healthy replacements include drinking water, going for some exercise, or distracting yourself with some mental or physical activity. While many of the tricks used involve keeping your mouth busy, some find it equally important to occupy their hands with something, from a stress ball to playing cards, or knitting.
For additional help, do some browsing online, learn from others, join a support group, check out an anti-smoking agency, and evaluate your options. What works for some does nothing for others, but you are sure to find a method to quit smoking that works for you. Cold turkey or slow and gradual, do not give up. Better health for you and an improved quality of life for you and your loved ones is in sight.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Meditation to Stop Smoking
There are a number of drug-free methods to help you stop smoking, including hypnosis and meditation. Meditation is something you can learn on your own, using books or recordings, or with instruction by a qualified teacher. It may be helpful in a number of ways as you learn to relax deeply, thereby calming any discomfort or anxiety you may be experiencing during the withdrawal process, and combating underlying stress that has contributed to your smoking habit in the first place.
Meditation primarily uses deep breathing techniques and guided imagery to calm a variety of physiological processes and promote a sense of inner peace and well-being. Some forms of meditation use the repetition of a phrase or mantra, others just focus on emptying the mind of all thought. The health benefits are numerous, as stress related conditions are at the root of many health problems. Some yoga and meditation teachers believe that learning to meditate even without focusing on quitting smoking will naturally alleviate the need to smoke, simply by calming and bringing balance to the body and mind.
The mind-body connection is one that has been studied in eastern medicine for thousands of years and is becoming increasingly accessible in the west, with growing interest in holistic and herbal health, acupuncture, acupressure, yoga, tai chi, and so on. Because smoking has social, psychological, behavioral and physiological components, it makes sense to incorporate different approaches into a comprehensive stop smoking plan.
Successfully quitting smoking is a different experience for everyone and will depend upon your preferences, determination and preparation. If other methods have not worked, don't be afraid to try something new, and keep trying until you achieve your goal. With meditation, the benefits are so widespread that your health is sure to experience positive results and contribute to your efforts to quit smoking one way or another.
Consult with a professional to learn more about the applications of meditation to stop smoking. You may find that visualizing your way to success is easier than you would have imagined, and learn relaxation skills that you can use throughout your life to help you achieve optimal health in all areas. Information on meditation techniques can be found online, at the library, or through local practitioners. Look forward to becoming free from addiction and exploring all that life has to offer. Combined with other lifestyle changes such as healthy dietary choices and adequate rest and exercise, you can develop new habits to last a lifetime, and enjoy a quality of life that exceeds anything you've previously experienced. Find out what kind of natural highs you have been missing, and inspire others to do the same. You deserve the best in life.
Meditation primarily uses deep breathing techniques and guided imagery to calm a variety of physiological processes and promote a sense of inner peace and well-being. Some forms of meditation use the repetition of a phrase or mantra, others just focus on emptying the mind of all thought. The health benefits are numerous, as stress related conditions are at the root of many health problems. Some yoga and meditation teachers believe that learning to meditate even without focusing on quitting smoking will naturally alleviate the need to smoke, simply by calming and bringing balance to the body and mind.
The mind-body connection is one that has been studied in eastern medicine for thousands of years and is becoming increasingly accessible in the west, with growing interest in holistic and herbal health, acupuncture, acupressure, yoga, tai chi, and so on. Because smoking has social, psychological, behavioral and physiological components, it makes sense to incorporate different approaches into a comprehensive stop smoking plan.
Successfully quitting smoking is a different experience for everyone and will depend upon your preferences, determination and preparation. If other methods have not worked, don't be afraid to try something new, and keep trying until you achieve your goal. With meditation, the benefits are so widespread that your health is sure to experience positive results and contribute to your efforts to quit smoking one way or another.
Consult with a professional to learn more about the applications of meditation to stop smoking. You may find that visualizing your way to success is easier than you would have imagined, and learn relaxation skills that you can use throughout your life to help you achieve optimal health in all areas. Information on meditation techniques can be found online, at the library, or through local practitioners. Look forward to becoming free from addiction and exploring all that life has to offer. Combined with other lifestyle changes such as healthy dietary choices and adequate rest and exercise, you can develop new habits to last a lifetime, and enjoy a quality of life that exceeds anything you've previously experienced. Find out what kind of natural highs you have been missing, and inspire others to do the same. You deserve the best in life.
Make Quitting Smoking A Reality
Quitting smoking is an art. Making quitting a reality is not far once you earn a strong and sincere will to stop smoking.
I will share a real story of one of my close friends who at last succeeded to cease cigarette smoking. Often he used to argue, If everybody quits smoking, what will happen to the tobacco industry? Millions of employees will be retrenched!
What a perverted style of argument! I used to reply.
One day when he told me his newfound quest to quit smoking I asked him- What happened? Why do you want to quit smoking? Why are you now thinking about the reverse gear, all of sudden?".
After hearing him, I analyzed his situation. Perhaps numerous smokers all over the word who smoke have common reasons for smoking and quitting. When they start it, they do so perhaps due to the pleasant pressure put on them by their peer group. They never think that the matter could go that far! And finally after years of tobacco smoking, when the family doctor warns about the worsening condition of their heart, it shows the strains of crack. The pain faced might soon become a mild attack of stroke. So they decide to be very careful now!
After this encounter with the heart specialist, quitting smoking is more than a passing thought in the mind, but becomes a sincere goal to accomplish! All smokers have heard about nicotine, but only after spending their years in the company of cigarettes do they realize that it can cause this much damage to them!
Hearing all this, now you might be amazed and sorry to know that nicotine is not an ordinary addictive- it is as a hard and damage-causing enemy as heroin and cocaine.
Do not get frustrated and desperate should be the number one rule in your efforts to quit smoking because nicotine is a very powerful enemy and after years of smoking it gets deeply entrenched in your blood cells. Therefore, be ready for its counterattack! Be ready to face and tackle dizziness, depression, irritation, frustration, anger, headache, restlessness, trouble in reading and concentration. But your efforts to quit smoking, is worth its weight in gold. For apart from the attack you had, you have suffered enough on account of nasal irritation, running nose, watery eyes, sneezing, throat irritation, coughing and much more.
So you have a brilliant thought within you to quit smoking! Well, the entire society of millions of smokers is waiting for you to give them the lead.
Have a happy ending to your quit-smoking resolution which is going to become a reality this time, hopefully.
I will share a real story of one of my close friends who at last succeeded to cease cigarette smoking. Often he used to argue, If everybody quits smoking, what will happen to the tobacco industry? Millions of employees will be retrenched!
What a perverted style of argument! I used to reply.
One day when he told me his newfound quest to quit smoking I asked him- What happened? Why do you want to quit smoking? Why are you now thinking about the reverse gear, all of sudden?".
After hearing him, I analyzed his situation. Perhaps numerous smokers all over the word who smoke have common reasons for smoking and quitting. When they start it, they do so perhaps due to the pleasant pressure put on them by their peer group. They never think that the matter could go that far! And finally after years of tobacco smoking, when the family doctor warns about the worsening condition of their heart, it shows the strains of crack. The pain faced might soon become a mild attack of stroke. So they decide to be very careful now!
After this encounter with the heart specialist, quitting smoking is more than a passing thought in the mind, but becomes a sincere goal to accomplish! All smokers have heard about nicotine, but only after spending their years in the company of cigarettes do they realize that it can cause this much damage to them!
Hearing all this, now you might be amazed and sorry to know that nicotine is not an ordinary addictive- it is as a hard and damage-causing enemy as heroin and cocaine.
Do not get frustrated and desperate should be the number one rule in your efforts to quit smoking because nicotine is a very powerful enemy and after years of smoking it gets deeply entrenched in your blood cells. Therefore, be ready for its counterattack! Be ready to face and tackle dizziness, depression, irritation, frustration, anger, headache, restlessness, trouble in reading and concentration. But your efforts to quit smoking, is worth its weight in gold. For apart from the attack you had, you have suffered enough on account of nasal irritation, running nose, watery eyes, sneezing, throat irritation, coughing and much more.
So you have a brilliant thought within you to quit smoking! Well, the entire society of millions of smokers is waiting for you to give them the lead.
Have a happy ending to your quit-smoking resolution which is going to become a reality this time, hopefully.
You Won't Get Fat When Stop Smoking, If You Don't Overeat
Another frequently-repeated rationalization for the cigarette habit is: "I'd like to stop smoking, but every time I do I gain weight. And it's worse to be overweight than it is to smoke."
The good news is, not all smokers who stop smoking gain weight. Even if weight gain was inevitable, the average gain is only between 6 and 8 pounds. Not too much of a big deal now, isn't it?
It isn't the fact that a person has stopped smoking that may cause him to gain weight. It's the fact that he substitutes the habit of overeating for the habit of smoking.
In the belief that he needs something tangible to relax tension (which he previously achieved by the mechanical movements of lighting a cigarette) a "reformed addict" may take to eating candy bars or nibbling on sweets . . . something to do, anything to do, in other words, to take his mind away from the pressing problems, and to get back some of those old, familiar gestures that are part of the habitual pattern of smoking.
The gesture of reaching for something, and picking it up, and then placing it in the mouth. The gestures and muscle movements of the lips, mouth and jaws: as many of the gestures of smoking as can be achieved, in other words, without a cigarette. You'll soon see that this isn't necessary either.
Do moderate intensity exercises on a regular routine. Examples are to go swimming, jogging, playing a sport or aerobics.
Cut down on unhealthy snacking. If you feel like munching, grab something healthy like a diet bar or a fruit.
Avoid alcohol or limit yourself to 1 drink a week. Alcohol can make you fat too.
Instead of having 3 main meals a day, spread them out to 6 small meals throughout the day. This can help you maintain a high metabolism throughout the day and you burn more calories.
Avoid eating past 9pm. The body's metabolism slows down at night so food consumed past this hour will take longer to digest.
The good news is, not all smokers who stop smoking gain weight. Even if weight gain was inevitable, the average gain is only between 6 and 8 pounds. Not too much of a big deal now, isn't it?
It isn't the fact that a person has stopped smoking that may cause him to gain weight. It's the fact that he substitutes the habit of overeating for the habit of smoking.
In the belief that he needs something tangible to relax tension (which he previously achieved by the mechanical movements of lighting a cigarette) a "reformed addict" may take to eating candy bars or nibbling on sweets . . . something to do, anything to do, in other words, to take his mind away from the pressing problems, and to get back some of those old, familiar gestures that are part of the habitual pattern of smoking.
The gesture of reaching for something, and picking it up, and then placing it in the mouth. The gestures and muscle movements of the lips, mouth and jaws: as many of the gestures of smoking as can be achieved, in other words, without a cigarette. You'll soon see that this isn't necessary either.
Do moderate intensity exercises on a regular routine. Examples are to go swimming, jogging, playing a sport or aerobics.
Cut down on unhealthy snacking. If you feel like munching, grab something healthy like a diet bar or a fruit.
Avoid alcohol or limit yourself to 1 drink a week. Alcohol can make you fat too.
Instead of having 3 main meals a day, spread them out to 6 small meals throughout the day. This can help you maintain a high metabolism throughout the day and you burn more calories.
Avoid eating past 9pm. The body's metabolism slows down at night so food consumed past this hour will take longer to digest.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
With All These Aids To Stop Smoking Why Do People Still Smoke?
Smokers today have access to different types of stop smoking help: nicotine replacement therapies; drugs, such as Zyban; counseling; and self-help materials. Mark Twain is paraphrased as saying it best, "Stopping smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times." However, Mark Twain did not realize he was fighting a battle against nicotine, not stop smoking a cigarette. Today, we know to successfully stop smoking, this dependency on nicotine needs to be addressed first.
Psychological and emotional addictions are hard to break, especially while maintaining friendships with those who are still smoking. In cases like this, a useful help would be free telephone-counseling services, run by different states. Statistics show excellent results in this type of counseling, as smokers who counsel through the telephone services stop smoking twice as fast as those who do not.
Successful efforts to stop smoking are not about the smoker alone, but also about the encouragement and support shown to them by their family members, friends, co-workers, the stop smoking support team, and the counselors and medical teams. Many smokers say they would never have accomplished their goal to stop smoking, if not for this support. Smokers can get information about support groups from hospitals, local groups, health insurance companies, or even from their employers. However, the most useful help comes from skilled counselors, guiding the smokers in needed areas.
Individual or group counselors can help the smokers recognize nicotine withdrawal problems, or psychological and emotional issues that arise when they begin to stop smoking. It will not be easy, as nicotine is the strongest addiction there is. Once a smoker stops smoking, the nicotine is strong enough to stay present in the smoker's body for about three to four days. After that, the nicotine withdrawal symptoms will take over, and last for about two days to several weeks.
The counselors and group support teams assist the smoker once this level is reached, or the smoker may return to the habit of smoking to relieve the withdrawal. Studies show that smokers who attend a specialist clinic are four times more likely to succeed in giving up smoking than those who rely on self-control alone. The latest statistics show that trying to quit on your own was the most popular strategy to stop smoking, yet seemed to be the least successful.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a therapy to help a person quit smoking and relieving any withdrawal symptoms. Different types being used are skin patches, lozenges, nasal spray, inhaler, chewing gum, or tablets and pills – all providing small doses of nicotine to the system. These help smokers relieve withdrawal symptoms but work best if used with some form of behavior change program at the same time. If both forms of assistance are used, NRT can double a smoker's chances of quitting smoking, as compared to those who use no therapy.
A drug that is gaining popularity is the non-nicotine pill, Zyban, also known as "bupropion hycrochloride." It was the first non-nicotine prescription medication approved by the FDA in 1997, also sold as an antidepressant under the name of Wellbutrin. Smokers begin treatment one week before quitting smoking, then the treatment will continue for 7 to 12 weeks. All smokers can quit smoking if they want, because of health reasons or health reasons. How they quit will depend on the smoker, as there are many options available to help them to stop smoking.
Psychological and emotional addictions are hard to break, especially while maintaining friendships with those who are still smoking. In cases like this, a useful help would be free telephone-counseling services, run by different states. Statistics show excellent results in this type of counseling, as smokers who counsel through the telephone services stop smoking twice as fast as those who do not.
Successful efforts to stop smoking are not about the smoker alone, but also about the encouragement and support shown to them by their family members, friends, co-workers, the stop smoking support team, and the counselors and medical teams. Many smokers say they would never have accomplished their goal to stop smoking, if not for this support. Smokers can get information about support groups from hospitals, local groups, health insurance companies, or even from their employers. However, the most useful help comes from skilled counselors, guiding the smokers in needed areas.
Individual or group counselors can help the smokers recognize nicotine withdrawal problems, or psychological and emotional issues that arise when they begin to stop smoking. It will not be easy, as nicotine is the strongest addiction there is. Once a smoker stops smoking, the nicotine is strong enough to stay present in the smoker's body for about three to four days. After that, the nicotine withdrawal symptoms will take over, and last for about two days to several weeks.
The counselors and group support teams assist the smoker once this level is reached, or the smoker may return to the habit of smoking to relieve the withdrawal. Studies show that smokers who attend a specialist clinic are four times more likely to succeed in giving up smoking than those who rely on self-control alone. The latest statistics show that trying to quit on your own was the most popular strategy to stop smoking, yet seemed to be the least successful.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a therapy to help a person quit smoking and relieving any withdrawal symptoms. Different types being used are skin patches, lozenges, nasal spray, inhaler, chewing gum, or tablets and pills – all providing small doses of nicotine to the system. These help smokers relieve withdrawal symptoms but work best if used with some form of behavior change program at the same time. If both forms of assistance are used, NRT can double a smoker's chances of quitting smoking, as compared to those who use no therapy.
A drug that is gaining popularity is the non-nicotine pill, Zyban, also known as "bupropion hycrochloride." It was the first non-nicotine prescription medication approved by the FDA in 1997, also sold as an antidepressant under the name of Wellbutrin. Smokers begin treatment one week before quitting smoking, then the treatment will continue for 7 to 12 weeks. All smokers can quit smoking if they want, because of health reasons or health reasons. How they quit will depend on the smoker, as there are many options available to help them to stop smoking.
Hypnotherapy Stop Smoking Only for Future Non-smokers
Hypnotherapy stop smoking techniques are for those of you who've made the decision to quit smoking for life. You've chosen a quit smoking technique with a 97.2% success rate. Why so high? Keep reading...
Firstly, making up your mind to stop smoking is 90% of the battle. The last 10%, the hardest part - is actually making the decision final. Using the powerful and proven methods of Hypnotherapy, you can reprogram your mind and body to let go of your habit once and for all, permanently and painlessly! Furthermore, unlike other methods that you may have tried before, hypnotherapy stop smoking will help you stop instantly... and there are no withdrawal symptoms, no anxiety, and no weight gain either.
As a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist (C.hT) specializing in Neuro Linguistic Programming (THE NUMBER 1 CHANGE TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORLD), I help patients quit smoking everyday for life in my Toronto office.
I am going to reveal some SECRET information that the tobacco companies DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW. They want you to believe quitting smoking has to be a painful and a long drawn out process.
The truth is, the smoking habit has no power at all. It never was any benefit to you. It never had the power to give you the things you believed it did: the confidence, the focus, and the street smarts. It was a lie. The creators of the habit invented the lie. If you don't feed it, all that will happen is that it will die. The scratching and screeching was all fluff, the habit had you fooled. The danger to you was in feeding it and keeping it alive. On it's own it's a dead habit, it can't do any more harm than it's already done. You should be happy when it is scratching, because that's when you are in front. The harder it scratches and screeches, the nearer death it is, it will become quiet then, and die. There's nothing more harmless than a completely dead habit. The only way to kill it is to refuse to feed it.
How You're Feeding Your Smoking Habit
Habits come from thoughts. Below is a list of researched examples about how are thoughts are created from our brain frequencies.
People who meditate have been found to alter Alpha/Theta brain frequency according to their depth of meditation, reports Japan's leading Neuro-physiologist, Dr. Tomb Hirai.
He has correlated brain-wave patterns with certain stages of meditation. And according to Dr. Hirai, "Meditation is not merely a state between mental stability and sleep, but a condition in which the mind operates at the optimum. In this condition the person is relaxed but ready to accept and respond positively to any stimulus that may reach them."
Research now confirms that brainwave rhythms correspond to certain states of consciousness, and this suggests that individuals capable of altering their brainwave patterns can have significant control over other mental and physiological functioning.
As Elmer and Alice Green of the famous Menninger Institute first reported in the mid-70's, "...simply causing your brain to generate theta activity for a few minutes each day seems to have enormous benefits, including boosting the immune system, enhancing creativity, and triggering integrative experiences leading to feelings of psychological well-being."
Even more astonishing are the findings of a study conducted on a group of chronic alcoholics at a University in Colorado. After 13 weeks the group that learned to generate theta and alpha brainwaves, showed a far greater recovery rate, and a complete transformation of personality.
Hypnotherapy Alters Brainwaves
Hypnotherapy is a 25,000 year old Chinese art that clinically allows people to alter their own "alpha/theta" brain frequencies and assist individuals to quit smoking.
What exactly is stop smoking hypnosis?
Hypnotherapy is where the Hypnotherapist only uses words to talk directly with and to your nervous system to allow your own nervous system to re-program yourself at your nervous systems level of operation to assist you in becoming a non-smoker.
There are zero side effects. It is 100% safe and effective. It is all-natural. It is often done in 2 or 4 sessions. Depending on how good the Hypnotherapist is and/or the creator of the audio hypnotherapy stop smoking program.
Not only do hypnotherapy stop smoking techniques make changes to your physical dependencies towards smoking, it also erases all emotional issues relating to smoking. This frees up your body and mind to easily and effortlessly let go of smoking permanently.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is the science of how language affects our lives. Neuro-Linguistic Programming known as (NLP) has a 97% success rate in assisting individuals to permanently quit smoking.
This field is so far reaching and powerful that since the creation of NLP in 1973 any books written about Hypnotherapy have included some material about the field of NLP in them.
Basically most of the skills used in NLP are the same or similar to many hypnotherapy exercises and techniques.
Combining both hypnotherapy stop smoking techniques and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, have demonstrated to be the best way to quit smoking in my clinic and with my colleagues.
These two combined techniques, by far produce the most effective method ever invented to assist individuals to permanently quit smoking with over a 97.2% success rate in 1 to 2 sessions.
I hope this helps you in uncovering the mystery in evaluating stop smoking hypnosis. If you want to ease your smoking habit, seek out a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist (C.hT) and Master NLP Practitioner or a good audio stop smoking program created by one.
Firstly, making up your mind to stop smoking is 90% of the battle. The last 10%, the hardest part - is actually making the decision final. Using the powerful and proven methods of Hypnotherapy, you can reprogram your mind and body to let go of your habit once and for all, permanently and painlessly! Furthermore, unlike other methods that you may have tried before, hypnotherapy stop smoking will help you stop instantly... and there are no withdrawal symptoms, no anxiety, and no weight gain either.
As a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist (C.hT) specializing in Neuro Linguistic Programming (THE NUMBER 1 CHANGE TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORLD), I help patients quit smoking everyday for life in my Toronto office.
I am going to reveal some SECRET information that the tobacco companies DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW. They want you to believe quitting smoking has to be a painful and a long drawn out process.
The truth is, the smoking habit has no power at all. It never was any benefit to you. It never had the power to give you the things you believed it did: the confidence, the focus, and the street smarts. It was a lie. The creators of the habit invented the lie. If you don't feed it, all that will happen is that it will die. The scratching and screeching was all fluff, the habit had you fooled. The danger to you was in feeding it and keeping it alive. On it's own it's a dead habit, it can't do any more harm than it's already done. You should be happy when it is scratching, because that's when you are in front. The harder it scratches and screeches, the nearer death it is, it will become quiet then, and die. There's nothing more harmless than a completely dead habit. The only way to kill it is to refuse to feed it.
How You're Feeding Your Smoking Habit
Habits come from thoughts. Below is a list of researched examples about how are thoughts are created from our brain frequencies.
People who meditate have been found to alter Alpha/Theta brain frequency according to their depth of meditation, reports Japan's leading Neuro-physiologist, Dr. Tomb Hirai.
He has correlated brain-wave patterns with certain stages of meditation. And according to Dr. Hirai, "Meditation is not merely a state between mental stability and sleep, but a condition in which the mind operates at the optimum. In this condition the person is relaxed but ready to accept and respond positively to any stimulus that may reach them."
Research now confirms that brainwave rhythms correspond to certain states of consciousness, and this suggests that individuals capable of altering their brainwave patterns can have significant control over other mental and physiological functioning.
As Elmer and Alice Green of the famous Menninger Institute first reported in the mid-70's, "...simply causing your brain to generate theta activity for a few minutes each day seems to have enormous benefits, including boosting the immune system, enhancing creativity, and triggering integrative experiences leading to feelings of psychological well-being."
Even more astonishing are the findings of a study conducted on a group of chronic alcoholics at a University in Colorado. After 13 weeks the group that learned to generate theta and alpha brainwaves, showed a far greater recovery rate, and a complete transformation of personality.
Hypnotherapy Alters Brainwaves
Hypnotherapy is a 25,000 year old Chinese art that clinically allows people to alter their own "alpha/theta" brain frequencies and assist individuals to quit smoking.
What exactly is stop smoking hypnosis?
Hypnotherapy is where the Hypnotherapist only uses words to talk directly with and to your nervous system to allow your own nervous system to re-program yourself at your nervous systems level of operation to assist you in becoming a non-smoker.
There are zero side effects. It is 100% safe and effective. It is all-natural. It is often done in 2 or 4 sessions. Depending on how good the Hypnotherapist is and/or the creator of the audio hypnotherapy stop smoking program.
Not only do hypnotherapy stop smoking techniques make changes to your physical dependencies towards smoking, it also erases all emotional issues relating to smoking. This frees up your body and mind to easily and effortlessly let go of smoking permanently.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is the science of how language affects our lives. Neuro-Linguistic Programming known as (NLP) has a 97% success rate in assisting individuals to permanently quit smoking.
This field is so far reaching and powerful that since the creation of NLP in 1973 any books written about Hypnotherapy have included some material about the field of NLP in them.
Basically most of the skills used in NLP are the same or similar to many hypnotherapy exercises and techniques.
Combining both hypnotherapy stop smoking techniques and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, have demonstrated to be the best way to quit smoking in my clinic and with my colleagues.
These two combined techniques, by far produce the most effective method ever invented to assist individuals to permanently quit smoking with over a 97.2% success rate in 1 to 2 sessions.
I hope this helps you in uncovering the mystery in evaluating stop smoking hypnosis. If you want to ease your smoking habit, seek out a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist (C.hT) and Master NLP Practitioner or a good audio stop smoking program created by one.
Choosing a Hypnotherapist to Stop Smoking
There are a multitude of hypnotherapists out there, so how do you find one that works for you when you want to stop smoking?
When Should I See a Hypnotherapist?
If you are struggling with giving up smoking and feel you need a helping hand, then hypnosis may well help you. If you feel you just need that little bit extra to quit and become free from tobacco, then this could work for you. Will It Work?
No hypnotherapist can guarentee you that the session will work. Unfortunately, hypnosis is not a replacement for the desire to quit smoking. If you are going along looking for the hypnotherapist to make you stop smoking then save your money.
Hypnosis will only work to supplement your willpower and help you to give up. If you go for hypnosis because you feel you ought to or because your partner / family are pushing you to, then again, save your money and stay at home.
If you genuinely want to give up smoking and are willing to use some willpower then hypnosis will more than likely work for you.
Where Can I Find A Hypnotherapist?
There are a number of ways you can do this:
* Contact a professional hypnotherapist body to find some in your area * Look in the yellow pages * Look in the local papers * Ask friends / co workers for personal recommendations (this is the best method)
What Can I Expect?
A stop smoking hypnosis session will last anything from an hour to two hours, depending on the therapist. They will use a variety of different techniques and processes on you. Usually it will involve hypnotic trance. This is a simple process where you relax as if you were almost asleep. In hypnosis you are in control the whole of the time, which is why you have to want the result. No hypnotherapist can make you do anything you don't want to do.
What Will They Charge Me?
The price varies greatly from therapist to therapist. It is probably a good idea to contact a few in your area to determine pricing. In the UK it can be anywhere for £40 to £500 and beyond. However, the price is no indication of quality in this case. Anyone can charge any figure you want, which is why personal recommendation is always best.
How Will I Know They Are Good For Me?
Most hypnotherapists will offer you a free consultation before going for therapy. Use this to ask questions and to get to know the therapist. If you are not comfortable with them, then move on and find a different. Some questions you might want to ask are:
* What success rate have you had in the past? * What follow up's do you offer?
And anything else you feel you need to know in order to be comfortable proceeding with the therapy.
What Qualifies Them?
There are three types of hypnotherapists:
1. Those who have done a correspondence course 2. Those who have solely trained in stopping smoking (sometimes they will have trained in weight control and stress management too) 3. Those who have taken a full training course, including practical experience
If possible, find one that falls into the third category. No disrespect to the first two, but hypnosis requires interaction with people, so how can you learn it properly by post? As to the second category, sometimes the desire to smoke may be due to other issues in your life and as such, they will not be able to help you with anything else. Often this type of therapist will be inflexible in their approach due to their limited training.
You can always check the therapists qualifications with the appropriate professional bodies if you are in any doubt. Remember though that personal recommendation is the best possible way forwards with hypnosis.
When Should I See a Hypnotherapist?
If you are struggling with giving up smoking and feel you need a helping hand, then hypnosis may well help you. If you feel you just need that little bit extra to quit and become free from tobacco, then this could work for you. Will It Work?
No hypnotherapist can guarentee you that the session will work. Unfortunately, hypnosis is not a replacement for the desire to quit smoking. If you are going along looking for the hypnotherapist to make you stop smoking then save your money.
Hypnosis will only work to supplement your willpower and help you to give up. If you go for hypnosis because you feel you ought to or because your partner / family are pushing you to, then again, save your money and stay at home.
If you genuinely want to give up smoking and are willing to use some willpower then hypnosis will more than likely work for you.
Where Can I Find A Hypnotherapist?
There are a number of ways you can do this:
* Contact a professional hypnotherapist body to find some in your area * Look in the yellow pages * Look in the local papers * Ask friends / co workers for personal recommendations (this is the best method)
What Can I Expect?
A stop smoking hypnosis session will last anything from an hour to two hours, depending on the therapist. They will use a variety of different techniques and processes on you. Usually it will involve hypnotic trance. This is a simple process where you relax as if you were almost asleep. In hypnosis you are in control the whole of the time, which is why you have to want the result. No hypnotherapist can make you do anything you don't want to do.
What Will They Charge Me?
The price varies greatly from therapist to therapist. It is probably a good idea to contact a few in your area to determine pricing. In the UK it can be anywhere for £40 to £500 and beyond. However, the price is no indication of quality in this case. Anyone can charge any figure you want, which is why personal recommendation is always best.
How Will I Know They Are Good For Me?
Most hypnotherapists will offer you a free consultation before going for therapy. Use this to ask questions and to get to know the therapist. If you are not comfortable with them, then move on and find a different. Some questions you might want to ask are:
* What success rate have you had in the past? * What follow up's do you offer?
And anything else you feel you need to know in order to be comfortable proceeding with the therapy.
What Qualifies Them?
There are three types of hypnotherapists:
1. Those who have done a correspondence course 2. Those who have solely trained in stopping smoking (sometimes they will have trained in weight control and stress management too) 3. Those who have taken a full training course, including practical experience
If possible, find one that falls into the third category. No disrespect to the first two, but hypnosis requires interaction with people, so how can you learn it properly by post? As to the second category, sometimes the desire to smoke may be due to other issues in your life and as such, they will not be able to help you with anything else. Often this type of therapist will be inflexible in their approach due to their limited training.
You can always check the therapists qualifications with the appropriate professional bodies if you are in any doubt. Remember though that personal recommendation is the best possible way forwards with hypnosis.
A Short Guide to Stop Smoking
If you are a long-time smoker and wish to stop smoking, the following guidelines may be of use in quitting the habit. Smoking has long-term health hazards, as reported in news clips and reports. The habit however is a personal decision, and it all depends on how determined a person is, and what level of abstinence can be practiced in order to stop smoking.
People take to smoking for various reasons. It could be the sheer charm of smoking, joining a group, beating stress, soothing and calming nerves, and so on. The reasons for quitting are commonly health related.
There does not seem to be a trick in quitting a habit. It is easy to fall back and start all over again. Perhaps a slow and steady approach can do the trick when more severe methods have failed.
Here are a few words to guide and reaffirm your determination to quit smoking if you wish to do so:
1. If you keep failing, have faith in yourself. You can do it, if others have done it before.
2. It is important to remind yourself of the reasons you want to quit smoking. Write them down and read them regularly.
3. Seek help from others around, the ones you trust, in talking to you about quitting. When others persuade us, it may work better for some.
4. There are medical substitutes available that help people climb down on the amounts.
5. Setting a deadline by the end of which one must quit can help in some cases.
6. Find out which plan works best for you - an immediate stop, a gradual pulling out, or some combination.
7. Knowing and talking to people who have quit smoking can boost your morale.
8. Smoking could be related to poor health and regimen. Change your regimen and see if it can substitute for the need to smoke.
9. Visualize the lifestyle of a non-smoker, and find out why it is positive and good. This will increase the attraction toward the goal.
People take to smoking for various reasons. It could be the sheer charm of smoking, joining a group, beating stress, soothing and calming nerves, and so on. The reasons for quitting are commonly health related.
There does not seem to be a trick in quitting a habit. It is easy to fall back and start all over again. Perhaps a slow and steady approach can do the trick when more severe methods have failed.
Here are a few words to guide and reaffirm your determination to quit smoking if you wish to do so:
1. If you keep failing, have faith in yourself. You can do it, if others have done it before.
2. It is important to remind yourself of the reasons you want to quit smoking. Write them down and read them regularly.
3. Seek help from others around, the ones you trust, in talking to you about quitting. When others persuade us, it may work better for some.
4. There are medical substitutes available that help people climb down on the amounts.
5. Setting a deadline by the end of which one must quit can help in some cases.
6. Find out which plan works best for you - an immediate stop, a gradual pulling out, or some combination.
7. Knowing and talking to people who have quit smoking can boost your morale.
8. Smoking could be related to poor health and regimen. Change your regimen and see if it can substitute for the need to smoke.
9. Visualize the lifestyle of a non-smoker, and find out why it is positive and good. This will increase the attraction toward the goal.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Free Standing Smoking Shelters
Smoking is an addiction that is hard to die amongst the population of this world. No amount of laws can prevent the smokers to quit. Government in certain countries like Scotland bans the smoking in public places. Though these laws that govern smoking habit is in the process to be changed.
Ban on smoking in public places hit hard on the smokers and they need a place to safely carry out their luxurious habit. Smoking rooms replaced by the smoking shelters in various countries where there is a ban. A refuge for the smokers from the external environment is the smoking shelter. With the external structure away from the official buildings, these free standing smoking shelters like bus stops can be build anywhere.
When smokers smoke the cigarette there is the production of the cigarette butt dust as well as the cigarette smoke. The cigarette butt dust is usually combated with the various designs of ashtrays that are placed in the smoking shelters. While cigarette smoke is dealt with the vents. Vents in the roofs help in the easy exhaust of the cigarette smoke to the environment. The benches with backrest offer the best seating arrangement while relaxing with a puff of cigarette.
Advantage of having a free standing smoking shelter apart from providing room for the smokers to smoke is that the employer can have a check on the smoking that is happening outside the office building premises. These shelters withstand any kind of weather, come rain or shine. Free standing smoking shelters are known to be the traditional type with a room for five to seven people however nine to twelve people can be easily accommodated with the custom made smoking shelters. The side panels of the free standing smoking shelters are usually translucent. Polycarbonate or UV resistant Perspex is used for the construction of side and roof panels. Trends change as the day progresses; hence one can customize their free standing smoking shelters with the cost and requirements.
Ban on smoking in public places hit hard on the smokers and they need a place to safely carry out their luxurious habit. Smoking rooms replaced by the smoking shelters in various countries where there is a ban. A refuge for the smokers from the external environment is the smoking shelter. With the external structure away from the official buildings, these free standing smoking shelters like bus stops can be build anywhere.
When smokers smoke the cigarette there is the production of the cigarette butt dust as well as the cigarette smoke. The cigarette butt dust is usually combated with the various designs of ashtrays that are placed in the smoking shelters. While cigarette smoke is dealt with the vents. Vents in the roofs help in the easy exhaust of the cigarette smoke to the environment. The benches with backrest offer the best seating arrangement while relaxing with a puff of cigarette.
Advantage of having a free standing smoking shelter apart from providing room for the smokers to smoke is that the employer can have a check on the smoking that is happening outside the office building premises. These shelters withstand any kind of weather, come rain or shine. Free standing smoking shelters are known to be the traditional type with a room for five to seven people however nine to twelve people can be easily accommodated with the custom made smoking shelters. The side panels of the free standing smoking shelters are usually translucent. Polycarbonate or UV resistant Perspex is used for the construction of side and roof panels. Trends change as the day progresses; hence one can customize their free standing smoking shelters with the cost and requirements.
Quit Smoking - Develop a Brand New Atmosphere
Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about quit smoking? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about quit smoking.
After a long time, you have finally decided to quit smoking. Good-bye to smoking means, a complete change in your way of living. Now, your first job is to bring a change in your normal routine.
You need to develop a brand new atmosphere for you. Developing a new atmosphere is also a part of exercise in quitting smoking. Make everything around you such that it will give a fresh feeling to you. For Instance, if you often smoke near the telephone then change its place.
Set a new timetable for you. Include the visit to gym in your daily routine. If going to gym is not possible then go for a morning walk or jog. This is the healthiest way for the beginning of the day.
Take care that getting started is easy, but making it a routine is a little tough.
People often begin in a great way, such as buying tracksuits, gym wear or running shoes and enjoy a lot the earlier days in gym. But, as the time passes they take it as a burden and find it difficult to manage their time for gym.
Most of this information comes straight from the quit smoking pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you'll know what they know.
There is a common mistake done by most of us. We go to gym, in evening. In evening, we are completely tired and no more enthusiasm is left on us. So, it would be beneficial to go the gym in the morning. In the morning, we are fresh after a long rest. Secondly, exercise enhances the flow of blood in the body and gives us more energy. Moreover, our exercise program will not effect in the morning and we can make plan for the day.
Fresher should do exercise under the expert guidance. A professional trainer is must for a proper start. One can also go for a few simple exercises that do not need any trainer. Swimming and walking are also the best form of exercises. You only need to get up early in the morning and enjoy the fresh and pollution-less city.
Go for tea instead of coffee, clean your houses and try to divert from everything that reminds you of smoking.
Do something interesting in evening, but take care not to play on money. Create a list of those things that stresses you and try to avoid them completely. Never make excuses for smoking. For instance, stress is the most common excuse. But you can de-stress yourself by doing something more creative such as breathing exercises or meditating.
Thus, apply these steps in your routine and say good-bye to smoking.
Knowing enough about quit smoking to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you've just learned about quit smoking, you should have nothing to worry about.
After a long time, you have finally decided to quit smoking. Good-bye to smoking means, a complete change in your way of living. Now, your first job is to bring a change in your normal routine.
You need to develop a brand new atmosphere for you. Developing a new atmosphere is also a part of exercise in quitting smoking. Make everything around you such that it will give a fresh feeling to you. For Instance, if you often smoke near the telephone then change its place.
Set a new timetable for you. Include the visit to gym in your daily routine. If going to gym is not possible then go for a morning walk or jog. This is the healthiest way for the beginning of the day.
Take care that getting started is easy, but making it a routine is a little tough.
People often begin in a great way, such as buying tracksuits, gym wear or running shoes and enjoy a lot the earlier days in gym. But, as the time passes they take it as a burden and find it difficult to manage their time for gym.
Most of this information comes straight from the quit smoking pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you'll know what they know.
There is a common mistake done by most of us. We go to gym, in evening. In evening, we are completely tired and no more enthusiasm is left on us. So, it would be beneficial to go the gym in the morning. In the morning, we are fresh after a long rest. Secondly, exercise enhances the flow of blood in the body and gives us more energy. Moreover, our exercise program will not effect in the morning and we can make plan for the day.
Fresher should do exercise under the expert guidance. A professional trainer is must for a proper start. One can also go for a few simple exercises that do not need any trainer. Swimming and walking are also the best form of exercises. You only need to get up early in the morning and enjoy the fresh and pollution-less city.
Go for tea instead of coffee, clean your houses and try to divert from everything that reminds you of smoking.
Do something interesting in evening, but take care not to play on money. Create a list of those things that stresses you and try to avoid them completely. Never make excuses for smoking. For instance, stress is the most common excuse. But you can de-stress yourself by doing something more creative such as breathing exercises or meditating.
Thus, apply these steps in your routine and say good-bye to smoking.
Knowing enough about quit smoking to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you've just learned about quit smoking, you should have nothing to worry about.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Quit Smoking This Year
It is now a fact that smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causing many diseases and reducing the health of smokers in general. It is also a fact that quitting smoking has immediate as well as long term benefits. Smoking cigarettes with lower machine-measured yields of tar and nicotine provides no clear benefit to health.
Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. In fact, smoking tobacco is the major risk factor for lung cancer. People who smoke are 10 to 20 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. The longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day increases the risk for developing lung cancer.
People who quit smoking have a lower risk of lung cancer than if they had continued to smoke, but their risk is higher than people who never smoked.
You Can Quit Smoking! If you have tried to quit you know how hard it can be and the reason is that nicotine is a very addictive drug. Usually people make two or three tries before they successfully quit. Each time you try to quit and fail, you can learn what works for you and what situations are problematic. If you use proven cessation treatments it can double your chance of success.
Studies have shown that these five steps will help you quit and quit for good. You have the best chances of quitting if you use them together.
First, set a quit date and get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters. Don´t let people smoke around you. When you quit, don´t smoke at all! Not one single puff or cigarette.
Second, get support from telling your family and friends. Tell your co-workers that you are going to quit and want their support. Ask them not to smoke around you or offer you cigarettes. Talk to your health care provider and get individual, group, or telephone counseling. The more help you have, the better your chances are of quitting.
Third, learn new skills and behaviors so you distract yourself from urges to smoke. Talk to someone, go for a walk, or get busy with a task. When you first try to quit, change your routines. Use a different route to work and drink tea instead of coffee. Eat breakfast in a different place. Drink a lot of water and other fluids.
Fourth, Medications can help you stop smoking and lessen the urge to smoke. The FDA has approved six medications to help you quit smoking and a couple of them, like Nicotine gum, are available over-the-counter. Your health care provider can advice and you should also carefully read the information on the package. These medications will double your chances of quitting and quitting for good.
Fifth, You shall be prepared for relapse and difficult situations. Most relapses occur within the first three months after quitting. Don't be discouraged if you start smoking again. Remember, most people try several times before they finally quit.
The following are some difficult situations you may encounter: Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking lowers your chances of success. Being around smoking can make you want to smoke. Many smokers will gain some weight when they quit, usually less than 10 pounds. Eat a healthy diet and stay active.
Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. In fact, smoking tobacco is the major risk factor for lung cancer. People who smoke are 10 to 20 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. The longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day increases the risk for developing lung cancer.
People who quit smoking have a lower risk of lung cancer than if they had continued to smoke, but their risk is higher than people who never smoked.
You Can Quit Smoking! If you have tried to quit you know how hard it can be and the reason is that nicotine is a very addictive drug. Usually people make two or three tries before they successfully quit. Each time you try to quit and fail, you can learn what works for you and what situations are problematic. If you use proven cessation treatments it can double your chance of success.
Studies have shown that these five steps will help you quit and quit for good. You have the best chances of quitting if you use them together.
First, set a quit date and get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters. Don´t let people smoke around you. When you quit, don´t smoke at all! Not one single puff or cigarette.
Second, get support from telling your family and friends. Tell your co-workers that you are going to quit and want their support. Ask them not to smoke around you or offer you cigarettes. Talk to your health care provider and get individual, group, or telephone counseling. The more help you have, the better your chances are of quitting.
Third, learn new skills and behaviors so you distract yourself from urges to smoke. Talk to someone, go for a walk, or get busy with a task. When you first try to quit, change your routines. Use a different route to work and drink tea instead of coffee. Eat breakfast in a different place. Drink a lot of water and other fluids.
Fourth, Medications can help you stop smoking and lessen the urge to smoke. The FDA has approved six medications to help you quit smoking and a couple of them, like Nicotine gum, are available over-the-counter. Your health care provider can advice and you should also carefully read the information on the package. These medications will double your chances of quitting and quitting for good.
Fifth, You shall be prepared for relapse and difficult situations. Most relapses occur within the first three months after quitting. Don't be discouraged if you start smoking again. Remember, most people try several times before they finally quit.
The following are some difficult situations you may encounter: Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking lowers your chances of success. Being around smoking can make you want to smoke. Many smokers will gain some weight when they quit, usually less than 10 pounds. Eat a healthy diet and stay active.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Free Help to Stop Smoking
One of the most common reasons to deny quitting smoking is the cost of the stop smoking aids. Many smokers find silly excuses like what it is going to cost to use the stop smoking products, the cost of the laser or acupuncture therapies, let alone the cost of behavior treatment.
Well, we have news for you - you can find and receive free help to stop smoking.
The first free help to stop smoking resource is of course the internet. There are hundreds of articles dedicated to smoking cessation, all offering free advice, tips, and techniques. Online discussion groups dedicated to smoking cessation is another form of free help to stop smoking. These groups are attended by people just like you - all trying hard to stop smoking completely, sharing their problems and tricks for overcoming their nasty smoking habits. Believe it or not, you need this kind of support much more than expensive medications or behavior therapy programs with famous shrinks.
The second free help to stop smoking thing you can do, is just outside your apartment. You may not know but people who spice up their lives with more sports are less likely to start smoking at all. On the other hand, smokers who introduce sports to their lifestyle are more likely to stop smoking. Sport helps cope with the cessation symptoms and the cravings. Even smokers who are not attempting to quit smoking confess that after a session at the gym they simply do not desire a cigarette.
The beauty of sports is that you do not need to go to an expensive gym, nor attend a costly fitness program. The parks and walking sideways are free for everybody so you can start with long walks or daily jogging sessions. Try to spend the weekends outside, even if this outside is the nearby park.
Finally, the last free help to stop smoking idea; and it is simply this. You can get most free help to stop smoking by yourself. After all, the whole cessation process depends on your will, determination and motivation. If you feel uncertain that you want to quit or you are show weakness in the face of the first serious craving, than nothing can help you.
Since you do not have a magic wand, just work closely on your character, life routines and habits. You will soon discover that your smoking addiction has most to do with your lifestyle than with you personally. If necessary change your daily habits and stop visiting the places where you can (or which prompt you to) smoke. Instead of going to a nigh club with your smokers friends, enjoy a walk n the park with your mother; substitute your morning coffee with tea, etc.
There are certainly more and more interesting free-help-to-stop-smoking tips out there - just browse the web or ask your ex-smoker friends.
Source: http://www.quit-cigarettes-quit-smoking.com
Well, we have news for you - you can find and receive free help to stop smoking.
The first free help to stop smoking resource is of course the internet. There are hundreds of articles dedicated to smoking cessation, all offering free advice, tips, and techniques. Online discussion groups dedicated to smoking cessation is another form of free help to stop smoking. These groups are attended by people just like you - all trying hard to stop smoking completely, sharing their problems and tricks for overcoming their nasty smoking habits. Believe it or not, you need this kind of support much more than expensive medications or behavior therapy programs with famous shrinks.
The second free help to stop smoking thing you can do, is just outside your apartment. You may not know but people who spice up their lives with more sports are less likely to start smoking at all. On the other hand, smokers who introduce sports to their lifestyle are more likely to stop smoking. Sport helps cope with the cessation symptoms and the cravings. Even smokers who are not attempting to quit smoking confess that after a session at the gym they simply do not desire a cigarette.
The beauty of sports is that you do not need to go to an expensive gym, nor attend a costly fitness program. The parks and walking sideways are free for everybody so you can start with long walks or daily jogging sessions. Try to spend the weekends outside, even if this outside is the nearby park.
Finally, the last free help to stop smoking idea; and it is simply this. You can get most free help to stop smoking by yourself. After all, the whole cessation process depends on your will, determination and motivation. If you feel uncertain that you want to quit or you are show weakness in the face of the first serious craving, than nothing can help you.
Since you do not have a magic wand, just work closely on your character, life routines and habits. You will soon discover that your smoking addiction has most to do with your lifestyle than with you personally. If necessary change your daily habits and stop visiting the places where you can (or which prompt you to) smoke. Instead of going to a nigh club with your smokers friends, enjoy a walk n the park with your mother; substitute your morning coffee with tea, etc.
There are certainly more and more interesting free-help-to-stop-smoking tips out there - just browse the web or ask your ex-smoker friends.
Source: http://www.quit-cigarettes-quit-smoking.com
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Quit Smoking - Ready, Steady and Go
When most people think of quit smoking, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to quit smoking than just the basics.
If you don't have accurate details regarding quit smoking, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don't let that happen: keep reading.
Half of your battle is over, once you have decided to quit smoking. However, after the decision of quitting smoking comes the much difficult part. The resisting of temptations and it also needs your determination. Whenever you feel the desire to smoke, just remember certain things and you can easily put an end to your temptations.
Suppose, your friends are smoking and inviting you to smoke then it would be better to leave the place. After leaving that place, remember these things.
The Cause of Your Quitting
Simply start thinking about the various reasons that lead you to quitting smoking. It would be more beneficial, if you carry a paper and list all the causes. Now, if you feel a craving for smoking then read the list of causes. After reading them, you will overcome over the temptation.
Always Be Ready
After quitting smoking, still you can meet temptation any time. It could be your friends or any particular place. So, you must be ready for such instances. In a blank paper, make two columns in it. On the first column, write the possible chances that can lead you to smoke, such as watching TV or drinking tea. On the second column, write the action that you will perform to divert the craving of smoking. For Instance, you can read a newspaper if you feel the craving for smoking. Try this formula and see it really works.
Water
If you are feeling a strong urge to smoke then chew something. Chewing will definitely consumes a lot of your time. After chewing, start drinking a glass of water with the help of straw. While doing this you will forget the desire to smoke. It would be beneficial if you drink 8 glasses of water.
Praise yourself
Whenever you pass a non-smoking week, do not forget to praise yourself. Always decide something in advance to gift yourself, after a non-smoking week. Write name of the gift on the paper, along with the non-smoking period. This will increase your spirit.
Divert Your Mind
You can divert yourself by doing any other task. Make a cup of tea or read a newspaper.
A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed
Make a call to your close friend or anyone who can talk to you for a while. You will forget the craving for smoking while talking.
The Punch
Get a picture of smoker's lungs and always keep it with you. See the picture, when you feel the craving for smoking.
So now you know a little bit about quit smoking. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.
If you don't have accurate details regarding quit smoking, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don't let that happen: keep reading.
Half of your battle is over, once you have decided to quit smoking. However, after the decision of quitting smoking comes the much difficult part. The resisting of temptations and it also needs your determination. Whenever you feel the desire to smoke, just remember certain things and you can easily put an end to your temptations.
Suppose, your friends are smoking and inviting you to smoke then it would be better to leave the place. After leaving that place, remember these things.
The Cause of Your Quitting
Simply start thinking about the various reasons that lead you to quitting smoking. It would be more beneficial, if you carry a paper and list all the causes. Now, if you feel a craving for smoking then read the list of causes. After reading them, you will overcome over the temptation.
Always Be Ready
After quitting smoking, still you can meet temptation any time. It could be your friends or any particular place. So, you must be ready for such instances. In a blank paper, make two columns in it. On the first column, write the possible chances that can lead you to smoke, such as watching TV or drinking tea. On the second column, write the action that you will perform to divert the craving of smoking. For Instance, you can read a newspaper if you feel the craving for smoking. Try this formula and see it really works.
Water
If you are feeling a strong urge to smoke then chew something. Chewing will definitely consumes a lot of your time. After chewing, start drinking a glass of water with the help of straw. While doing this you will forget the desire to smoke. It would be beneficial if you drink 8 glasses of water.
Praise yourself
Whenever you pass a non-smoking week, do not forget to praise yourself. Always decide something in advance to gift yourself, after a non-smoking week. Write name of the gift on the paper, along with the non-smoking period. This will increase your spirit.
Divert Your Mind
You can divert yourself by doing any other task. Make a cup of tea or read a newspaper.
A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed
Make a call to your close friend or anyone who can talk to you for a while. You will forget the craving for smoking while talking.
The Punch
Get a picture of smoker's lungs and always keep it with you. See the picture, when you feel the craving for smoking.
So now you know a little bit about quit smoking. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
In How Many Ways Can You Stop Smoking?
Smoking is an addiction that is not easy to give up due to such a high dependency on the nicotine, with many correlations to nicotine being as bad or as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Will and determination, support and guidance, plus knowledge about the different stop smoking aids to stop smoking is what will make it successful.
Many smokers consider the most effective "painless" ways to quit is through nicotine replacement therapy, also known as NRT. This therapy provides low amounts of nicotine to the person through gums, inhalers, or patches. Whenever a person feels like having a cigarette or some form of nicotine, they will bite or chew the nicotine gum.
This releases a predetermined amount of nicotine into the body, producing an effect similar to a cigarette. The withdrawal symptoms gradually cease over the course of therapy. This therapy is highly recommended because there are very few side effects associated with it.
Zyban is another way to stop smoking. The smoker can use a pill like Zyban to stop smoking that prods the pituitary gland to release endorphins in the bloodstream, which, in turn, cause a positive upswing in the smoker's mood. The drug acts by releasing endorphins in the body and inducing a feeling of pleasure, similar to the smoking pleasure.
Generally, a Zyban course lasts 8 to 12 weeks and should be taken under medical supervision. However, the drug should only be taken under medical supervision and should be avoided by people who are suffering from cardiac disorders or those who are suffering from diabetes, anorexia, or liver disorders. Epileptics and pregnant women too should stay away from the drug. The success rate of using this, as a therapeutic aid is very high and the percentage of relapse is low.
An alternative method is the combination therapy. This therapy makes use of both NRT and Zyban as a means to help quit smoking. The patient can use NRT for the first few months and then switch to Zyban for the rest of the course. The dose varies for each individual; with a lot dependent on the type of addiction and how strong it is for each individual.
A success rate of 50% is commonly achieved by using the combination therapy. Counseling sessions are held regularly with the smokers who are trying to quit, and form an important component of the therapy. Many believe that emotional counseling is the most important way that can help an individual stay off cigarettes permanently.
The international Smokers group carries out seven sessions to help a person grow emotionally stronger, advising that when a person feels the need to smoke he must consult a counselor immediately. A person can also stop smoking all by himself although this is the toughest way and requires a lot of self discipline.
Many smokers consider the most effective "painless" ways to quit is through nicotine replacement therapy, also known as NRT. This therapy provides low amounts of nicotine to the person through gums, inhalers, or patches. Whenever a person feels like having a cigarette or some form of nicotine, they will bite or chew the nicotine gum.
This releases a predetermined amount of nicotine into the body, producing an effect similar to a cigarette. The withdrawal symptoms gradually cease over the course of therapy. This therapy is highly recommended because there are very few side effects associated with it.
Zyban is another way to stop smoking. The smoker can use a pill like Zyban to stop smoking that prods the pituitary gland to release endorphins in the bloodstream, which, in turn, cause a positive upswing in the smoker's mood. The drug acts by releasing endorphins in the body and inducing a feeling of pleasure, similar to the smoking pleasure.
Generally, a Zyban course lasts 8 to 12 weeks and should be taken under medical supervision. However, the drug should only be taken under medical supervision and should be avoided by people who are suffering from cardiac disorders or those who are suffering from diabetes, anorexia, or liver disorders. Epileptics and pregnant women too should stay away from the drug. The success rate of using this, as a therapeutic aid is very high and the percentage of relapse is low.
An alternative method is the combination therapy. This therapy makes use of both NRT and Zyban as a means to help quit smoking. The patient can use NRT for the first few months and then switch to Zyban for the rest of the course. The dose varies for each individual; with a lot dependent on the type of addiction and how strong it is for each individual.
A success rate of 50% is commonly achieved by using the combination therapy. Counseling sessions are held regularly with the smokers who are trying to quit, and form an important component of the therapy. Many believe that emotional counseling is the most important way that can help an individual stay off cigarettes permanently.
The international Smokers group carries out seven sessions to help a person grow emotionally stronger, advising that when a person feels the need to smoke he must consult a counselor immediately. A person can also stop smoking all by himself although this is the toughest way and requires a lot of self discipline.
Using Nicotine Gum To Quit Smoking
An addiction to nicotine is a serious one indeed. Many studies have shown that it is one of the most addictive substances known, and most people will gain a dependency to it soon after they start smoking regularly. When you smoke a cigarette, you body receives an instant rush of nicotine - there is a spike in your nicotine levels which slowly dissipates, and when your nicotine levels drop below a certain point you will crave another spike, in the form of another cigarette.
As a smoker, part of your body's physical addition to nicotine has to do with relieving it in these "hits," and it is for this reason that an attempt to quit smoking can be so difficult. The most important thing in any attempt to quit smoking is willpower, and the chances that you will succeed in staying smoke free without the use of willpower are extremely slim. In same cases, however, you can benefit from using a medical aid in addition to your willpower. The most common and well known aids to quitting smoking are those that supply and regulate nicotine in the bloodstream.
A popular choice is nicotine gum. This is gum that resembles ordinary chewing gum, but of course it contains nicotine. The reason nicotine gum can be effective is because is can replicate nicotine spikes in your bloodstream without the need for cigarettes. The problem that some people run into with the nicotine patch - the other popular nicotine supplier - is that a nicotine patch supplies a steady amount of nicotine into your bloodstream. There is no spike, or "hit", with a patch, and for this reason some people still find themselves craving cigarettes when they use the patch: even though the body is receiving nicotine, it desires the hit that the cigarette provides.
With nicotine gum, you can attempt to replicate this hit without a cigarette. The gum is not chewed like normal gum -- rather you hold in your mouth without chewing it for long periods of time, and then give it a few chews when you want a release of nicotine, much as you would take a drag on a cigarette for a quick nicotine hit. A typical guideline for nicotine gum would be to chew it 3-4 times, until you feel a tingling sensation, at which point you should flatten it and place it between your cheek and gum. Repeat the brief chewing process at occasional intervals as necessary. Under no circumstances should nicotine gum be chewed like ordinary gum, as too much nicotine will be released into your bloodstream.
Nicotine Gum comes in 2mg and 4mg strengths (the 4mg is recommended if you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day.) It is recommended that you use the gum every 1-2 hours throughout the day, for a period of up to 3 months. The only drawback of nicotine gum is that you cannot drink anything except water for 15 minutes before and during chewing. For this reason nicotine gum isn't helpful at a bar, which is where many ex-smokers need the most help. Despite this, nicotine gum can be an effective tool -- when combined with your willpower -- in an attempt to quit smoking.
As a smoker, part of your body's physical addition to nicotine has to do with relieving it in these "hits," and it is for this reason that an attempt to quit smoking can be so difficult. The most important thing in any attempt to quit smoking is willpower, and the chances that you will succeed in staying smoke free without the use of willpower are extremely slim. In same cases, however, you can benefit from using a medical aid in addition to your willpower. The most common and well known aids to quitting smoking are those that supply and regulate nicotine in the bloodstream.
A popular choice is nicotine gum. This is gum that resembles ordinary chewing gum, but of course it contains nicotine. The reason nicotine gum can be effective is because is can replicate nicotine spikes in your bloodstream without the need for cigarettes. The problem that some people run into with the nicotine patch - the other popular nicotine supplier - is that a nicotine patch supplies a steady amount of nicotine into your bloodstream. There is no spike, or "hit", with a patch, and for this reason some people still find themselves craving cigarettes when they use the patch: even though the body is receiving nicotine, it desires the hit that the cigarette provides.
With nicotine gum, you can attempt to replicate this hit without a cigarette. The gum is not chewed like normal gum -- rather you hold in your mouth without chewing it for long periods of time, and then give it a few chews when you want a release of nicotine, much as you would take a drag on a cigarette for a quick nicotine hit. A typical guideline for nicotine gum would be to chew it 3-4 times, until you feel a tingling sensation, at which point you should flatten it and place it between your cheek and gum. Repeat the brief chewing process at occasional intervals as necessary. Under no circumstances should nicotine gum be chewed like ordinary gum, as too much nicotine will be released into your bloodstream.
Nicotine Gum comes in 2mg and 4mg strengths (the 4mg is recommended if you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day.) It is recommended that you use the gum every 1-2 hours throughout the day, for a period of up to 3 months. The only drawback of nicotine gum is that you cannot drink anything except water for 15 minutes before and during chewing. For this reason nicotine gum isn't helpful at a bar, which is where many ex-smokers need the most help. Despite this, nicotine gum can be an effective tool -- when combined with your willpower -- in an attempt to quit smoking.
Smoking - An Addiction or Phobia
Smoking a much better talked about issue presently, is fast becoming an addiction with smokers. Perhaps you never have thought on those lines simply because you felt that smoking is an important part of your life style.
You may not remember when started smoking; may be when you were very young or you were thrilled when you saw your friends smoking. After a short period you may have had the felling that you could not do with smoking, which must have had created tension with you.
Later on, you may have felt whatever your parents try to make you understand about the ill effects of smoking on your health was right. You must have tried to get rid of smoking but then you may have been unable to take a decision as to what may happen to your smoking breaks.
The facts findings show differences about smoking as an addition with every smoker. A smoker would term smoking as a ‘stimulant' or smoking which may provide him extra energy or so. The smoker is totally unaware that the stimulant is simply an addiction which is constantly completing him to remain hooked and not allowing him to come out of it.
Adopt a positive attitude, uncovering your self about smoking, its negative and positive effects on you as you feel. Now if really care to take a close look at what happens to you when you don't smoke or don't get cigarettes. You may fell lonely, bored; you may feel irregularly; you feel you need to touched up with glow when you light up a cigarette, so on and so forth. The non smokers on the other hand relax on there own naturally, they don't require a light up cigarette to relax. You may go through some simple steps below to know about what you are addicted to and how to combat it.
* For a day or two whenever you smoke you write down the feelings you had before smoking every cigarette. Not whether felt bored, tired, and hungry, exhausted, or stress out.
* Write down some ‘plus' points you experienced after smoking that cigarette, you may have felt sleepy, it may have helped you to make up early or reduced your boredom.
* If you review your list, you may find a pattern to your addiction.
* A total diversion of your thoughts, surely help you distract your feeling of smoking.
* It's not that difficult to give up smoking if you are sincere about it.
You may not remember when started smoking; may be when you were very young or you were thrilled when you saw your friends smoking. After a short period you may have had the felling that you could not do with smoking, which must have had created tension with you.
Later on, you may have felt whatever your parents try to make you understand about the ill effects of smoking on your health was right. You must have tried to get rid of smoking but then you may have been unable to take a decision as to what may happen to your smoking breaks.
The facts findings show differences about smoking as an addition with every smoker. A smoker would term smoking as a ‘stimulant' or smoking which may provide him extra energy or so. The smoker is totally unaware that the stimulant is simply an addiction which is constantly completing him to remain hooked and not allowing him to come out of it.
Adopt a positive attitude, uncovering your self about smoking, its negative and positive effects on you as you feel. Now if really care to take a close look at what happens to you when you don't smoke or don't get cigarettes. You may fell lonely, bored; you may feel irregularly; you feel you need to touched up with glow when you light up a cigarette, so on and so forth. The non smokers on the other hand relax on there own naturally, they don't require a light up cigarette to relax. You may go through some simple steps below to know about what you are addicted to and how to combat it.
* For a day or two whenever you smoke you write down the feelings you had before smoking every cigarette. Not whether felt bored, tired, and hungry, exhausted, or stress out.
* Write down some ‘plus' points you experienced after smoking that cigarette, you may have felt sleepy, it may have helped you to make up early or reduced your boredom.
* If you review your list, you may find a pattern to your addiction.
* A total diversion of your thoughts, surely help you distract your feeling of smoking.
* It's not that difficult to give up smoking if you are sincere about it.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Quit Smoking, Don't Cut Back
If you're a heavy smoker, cutting back on cigarettes may not be drastic enough to boost your health.
Instead, you may be better off quitting smoking completely.
That's the key finding of a study in the December edition of Tobacco Control.
Cutting back on cigarettes "does not seem to bring about harm reduction" in heavy smokers, write the researchers.
The study comes from Norway's Aage Tverdal, PhD, and Kjell Bjartveit, MD, PhD, MPH.
Tverdal works at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Bjartveit works at Norway's National Health Screening Service.
About the Study
The study included more than 51,000 adults in Norway.
When the study started in the mid-1970s, participants were 20-49 years old (average age: mid-40s) and reported no history of heart disease.
The group included 6,570 people who were heavy smokers; they said they smoked 15 or more cigarettes daily.
All participants got a checkup at the study's start and another checkup three to 13 years later. The participants were followed until 2003.
A total of 475 heavy smokers said they had cut back on their cigarette consumption by more than half.
Those participants showed no drop in death, heart disease, or smoking-related cancer, compared with heavy smokers who didn't cut back on cigarettes or those who cut back to a lesser extent.
Researchers' Views
The researchers say cutting back on smoking "may have a place" as a temporary health measure for heavy smokers.
But they urge heavy smokers to go for a completely smoke-free life.
It may give people "false expectations" to suggest that cutting back -- but not quitting -- cigarettes has long-term health advantages, the researchers note.
They add that their study might have been stronger if they had had information on participants' smoking habits toward the end of the study.
Ready to Quit?
Here are 14 tips from the CDC for people who want to quit smoking.
Set a date to quit smoking.
Get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays at home, work, and in your car.
Don't let people smoke around you.
Review your past attempts to quit. Think about what worked and what didn't.Onit, don't smoke - not even a puff.
Get support and encouragement from friends and family.
Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking.
Consider getting individual or group counseling to help quit smoking.
Consider getting counseling by telephone at (800) QUIT-NOW ((800) 238-1413).
Try to distract yourself from urges to smoke.
Do something to reduce your stress - try exercise or reading.
Plan something enjoyable to do every day.
Drink a lot of water and other fluids.
Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations.
If you start smoking again, don't give up. It often takes several attempts to quit smoking for good.
Source: http://www.webmd.com
Instead, you may be better off quitting smoking completely.
That's the key finding of a study in the December edition of Tobacco Control.
Cutting back on cigarettes "does not seem to bring about harm reduction" in heavy smokers, write the researchers.
The study comes from Norway's Aage Tverdal, PhD, and Kjell Bjartveit, MD, PhD, MPH.
Tverdal works at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Bjartveit works at Norway's National Health Screening Service.
About the Study
The study included more than 51,000 adults in Norway.
When the study started in the mid-1970s, participants were 20-49 years old (average age: mid-40s) and reported no history of heart disease.
The group included 6,570 people who were heavy smokers; they said they smoked 15 or more cigarettes daily.
All participants got a checkup at the study's start and another checkup three to 13 years later. The participants were followed until 2003.
A total of 475 heavy smokers said they had cut back on their cigarette consumption by more than half.
Those participants showed no drop in death, heart disease, or smoking-related cancer, compared with heavy smokers who didn't cut back on cigarettes or those who cut back to a lesser extent.
Researchers' Views
The researchers say cutting back on smoking "may have a place" as a temporary health measure for heavy smokers.
But they urge heavy smokers to go for a completely smoke-free life.
It may give people "false expectations" to suggest that cutting back -- but not quitting -- cigarettes has long-term health advantages, the researchers note.
They add that their study might have been stronger if they had had information on participants' smoking habits toward the end of the study.
Ready to Quit?
Here are 14 tips from the CDC for people who want to quit smoking.
Set a date to quit smoking.
Get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays at home, work, and in your car.
Don't let people smoke around you.
Review your past attempts to quit. Think about what worked and what didn't.Onit, don't smoke - not even a puff.
Get support and encouragement from friends and family.
Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking.
Consider getting individual or group counseling to help quit smoking.
Consider getting counseling by telephone at (800) QUIT-NOW ((800) 238-1413).
Try to distract yourself from urges to smoke.
Do something to reduce your stress - try exercise or reading.
Plan something enjoyable to do every day.
Drink a lot of water and other fluids.
Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations.
If you start smoking again, don't give up. It often takes several attempts to quit smoking for good.
Source: http://www.webmd.com
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Quit Smoking Cold Turkey
One of the most popular and well-known ways smokers choose to quit smoking is what is known as "cold turkey." The phrase cold turkey is universally understood to mean to quit smoking abruptly, often without forethought or preparation, nor a gradual reduction in amount smoked. Most people also assume cold turkey means to quit smoking without using any smoking cessation aids such as nicotine gum or patches.
The origins of the phrase cold turkey are not completely clear but some quick searches online reveal several explanations.
One site states, "The state addicts are in when withdrawing from drug addition, especially heroin. Origin: In the state of drug withdrawal the addicts blood is directed to the internal organs leaving the skin white and with goose bumps and thus resembling a turkey." (http://www.idiomsite.com/coldturkey.htm)
Another site explains, "This phrase meaning "without preparation" dates to 1910. The use in relation to withdrawal from an addictive substance (originally heroin) dates to around 1922. The derivation is from the idea that cold turkey is a food that requires little preparation in the kitchen. So to quit like cold turkey is to do so suddenly and without preparation. It is also boosted by the image of the pallid flesh of a cold, dead, plucked turkey. In the state of drug withdrawal the addicts blood is directed to the internal organs leaving the skin white and with goose bumps and thus resembling a turkey." (http://www.allexperts.com/previousqv.asp?QuestionID=2633904)
Yet another site says, "'Cold turkey' is actually based on another colloquial phrase, "to talk turkey" (sometimes "to talk cold turkey"), meaning to face unpleasant truths squarely. It's not entirely clear how turkeys came to be associated with honesty and straightforward confrontation of difficulties, but it may simply be that turkey farmers were renowned at one time for their lack of pretense and blunt speech." (http://www.word-detective.com/back-p.html)
Whatever the actual origin, quitting smoking cold turkey is probably the most popular, while not necessarily the most successful, method for quitting. It may also be the most challenging due to the severity of withdrawal symptoms the new ex-smoker faces.
You can improve your chances for permanently quitting with the cold turkey method if you follow a few guidelines:
Understand that withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, tiredness and more, may be fairly intense, but they will lessen after just a few days.
Drink lots of water to help your body flush itself out quickly.
Keep a straw or other cigarette substitute handy to keep your hands and mouth busy.
When cravings hit, close your eyes and count down from 10 to 0, very slowly. Breathe deeply with each count.
Call a friend when you feel like reaching for a smoke. Divert your attention.
Take a quick walk, even if it is just to the bathroom or mailbox.
Superhuman willpower is often associated with using cold turkey to quit smoking. While having strong willpower is important, ultimately your success depends on how badly you want to quit and whether or not you believe you can do it. If you want to quit more than you want to smoke, and you believe that you can quit, you'll likely be successful.
The cold turkey method is free, and you can do it at any time. Why not today?
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
The origins of the phrase cold turkey are not completely clear but some quick searches online reveal several explanations.
One site states, "The state addicts are in when withdrawing from drug addition, especially heroin. Origin: In the state of drug withdrawal the addicts blood is directed to the internal organs leaving the skin white and with goose bumps and thus resembling a turkey." (http://www.idiomsite.com/coldturkey.htm)
Another site explains, "This phrase meaning "without preparation" dates to 1910. The use in relation to withdrawal from an addictive substance (originally heroin) dates to around 1922. The derivation is from the idea that cold turkey is a food that requires little preparation in the kitchen. So to quit like cold turkey is to do so suddenly and without preparation. It is also boosted by the image of the pallid flesh of a cold, dead, plucked turkey. In the state of drug withdrawal the addicts blood is directed to the internal organs leaving the skin white and with goose bumps and thus resembling a turkey." (http://www.allexperts.com/previousqv.asp?QuestionID=2633904)
Yet another site says, "'Cold turkey' is actually based on another colloquial phrase, "to talk turkey" (sometimes "to talk cold turkey"), meaning to face unpleasant truths squarely. It's not entirely clear how turkeys came to be associated with honesty and straightforward confrontation of difficulties, but it may simply be that turkey farmers were renowned at one time for their lack of pretense and blunt speech." (http://www.word-detective.com/back-p.html)
Whatever the actual origin, quitting smoking cold turkey is probably the most popular, while not necessarily the most successful, method for quitting. It may also be the most challenging due to the severity of withdrawal symptoms the new ex-smoker faces.
You can improve your chances for permanently quitting with the cold turkey method if you follow a few guidelines:
Understand that withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, tiredness and more, may be fairly intense, but they will lessen after just a few days.
Drink lots of water to help your body flush itself out quickly.
Keep a straw or other cigarette substitute handy to keep your hands and mouth busy.
When cravings hit, close your eyes and count down from 10 to 0, very slowly. Breathe deeply with each count.
Call a friend when you feel like reaching for a smoke. Divert your attention.
Take a quick walk, even if it is just to the bathroom or mailbox.
Superhuman willpower is often associated with using cold turkey to quit smoking. While having strong willpower is important, ultimately your success depends on how badly you want to quit and whether or not you believe you can do it. If you want to quit more than you want to smoke, and you believe that you can quit, you'll likely be successful.
The cold turkey method is free, and you can do it at any time. Why not today?
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Saturday, January 27, 2007
The Great American Smokeout
Could This Be the First Day of a Life Without Tobacco?
Are you thinking about quitting smoking but not sure you're ready to take the plunge? Maybe the Great American Smokeout is for you. It's an opportunity to join with literally millions of other smokers in saying "no thanks" to cigarettes for 24 hours.
A Day to "Butt Out"
The Great American Smokeout traditionally takes place on the third Thursday in November. The concept dates from the early '70s when Lynn Smith, publisher of the Monticello Times of Minnesota, announced the first observance and called it "D Day." The idea caught on in state after state until in 1977, it went nationwide under the sponsorship of the American Cancer Society. If past Smokeouts are any indication, as many as one-third of the nation's 46 million smokers could be taking the day off from smoking.
Joining the Fun
Each year during the Great American Smokeout, the American Cancer Society promotes local and nationwide activities that focus in a light-hearted way on the benefits of not smoking. Here are some previous years' activities:
- A national sandwich shop company gave out free "cold turkey" sandwiches and cookies to smokers who turned in at least a half pack of cigarettes.
- Newborn babies at Washington's Columbia Hospital received T-shirts that said "I'm a Born Nonsmoker."
- "Don't Let Smoking Be an Obstacle" was the slogan for a Houston activity in which smokers ran an obstacle course consisting of oversized cigarette packs, matches and ashtrays.
- Preschoolers in Texas played "Gonesmoke, a Tale of the New West," wearing red bandannas and Smokeout deputy badges.
- Other events include public appearances by celebrities who have quit, parades, rallies, athletic events and ceremonial cigarette burials and bonfires.
Making It Work
Behind the festivities of the Great American Smokeout are the serious efforts of thousands of hard-working American Cancer Society volunteers who visit schools, malls and workplaces to publicize the events and distribute information about quitting. They also enlist nonsmokers to "adopt" smokers for the day, supporting them with advice and snacks. The support continues for those who decide not to return to smoking after the Great American Smokeout is over.
The Rules of the Game
The rules are simple: You just quit smoking for the 24 hours of the Smokeout. The wonderful thing is that you won't be alone; you can swap advice, jokes and groans with the other "quitters," nonsmokers and the American Cancer Society volunteers who will be cheering you on. Even if you don't go on to quit permanently, you will have learned that you can quit for a day and that many others around you are taking the step, too. Contact the American Cancer Society for information on how you can participate, either as a "quitter" or as a volunteer.
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Facts About Cigar Smoking
Since 1993, the use of cigars in the United States has increased by 34 percent. Previous Surgeon General's Reports on the health consequences of smoking presented clear evidence that cigar smoking represents a significant health risk and is not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. The following are estimates of cigar smoking reported in the United States and the health risks attributed to cigar use.
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
- Nearly 4.6 billion cigars were used in 1996; the second consecutive year in which the cigar industry exceeded a billion dollars in sales.
- Production of cigars is at its highest level since the mid-1980s. An estimated 1.5 billion small cigars were manufactured in 1996, an increase of 4 percent from 1995.
- An estimated 6 million U.S. teenagers (26.7 percent) 1419 years of age -- 4.3 million males (37 percent) and 1.7 million females (16 percent) -- smoked at least one cigar within the past year. Rates of cigar use did not vary by region within the United States.
- U.S. students in grades 912 who smoked cigarettes or used smokeless tobacco products also were more likely to report smoking cigars. Nearly three-fourths of male and one-third of female cigarette and smokeless tobacco users reported smoking at least one cigar in the past year.
- The 1982 Surgeon General's Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking: Cancer concluded that cigar smoking causes laryngeal cancer, oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and lung cancer. Cigar smokers have a 410 times risk of dying from laryngeal, oral, and esophageal cancers as compared with nonsmokers.
- Smoking five or more cigars per day elevates the risk of dying from lung cancer 23 times when compared with a nonsmoker. An increased risk for developing lung cancer also has been correlated with increased use of cigars and pipes as measured by both amount smoked and depth of inhalation.
- The 1984 Surgeon General's Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) concluded that cigar smokers experience higher mortality from COPD compared with nonsmokers.
- Several prospective epidemiological studies examined the relationship between cigar smoking and mortality from COPD and found that cigar smokers are 1.33.6 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers.
Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Friday, January 26, 2007
Can You Stop Smoking in 30 Days using Hypnosis?
When you read the title of this article you may have thought, 30 days is a lot; with hypnosis I should be able to stop smoking by the end of next week; shouldn't hypnosis work a little faster?
Unfortunately, old habits are not that easy to change. You have programmed your conscious mind to want a cigarette at certain times. Maybe you always have a cigarette when you are on the phone, or at break time, or when you are in the car, etc. Then, when you decide to stop smoking, you feel like you are giving something up. At a weak moment, maybe in a time of stress or if something bad just happened, you decide that it is not worth giving up this thing that you used to like so much. You had the willpower to quit, but the moment you decide to question your decision, your conscious mind gets out of sync with your subconscious mind, and in all that confusion, you are likely to decide to have a smoke.
There is a simple process you can use to get the two minds back together. You have to make your subconscious stronger by changing the way it feels about smoking. That way, in weak moments your subconscious will immediately take over with the correct suggestions; and because hypnosis uses positive imagery and not just words, there are no longer thoughts of having given something up; your thoughts instead concentrate on how healthy you feel, or how good a glass of water would be right now, or in general, how good things taste these days.
You will naturally have more energy without the chemical addiction and this will help you exercise more, and reinforce the subconscious even more that what you are doing is a good thing and not just something you are being deprived of.
It works, but it does take time. A one-time hypnotic suggestion is usually not powerful enough to change your mind instantly. That is why hypnosis tapes come in handy. You pay one small price and you can listen to them as many times as you need to make the urge go away. You will probably want to listen to the tapes three times a week at first, and then when you feel like the suggestions are getting stronger, you can listen once a week, then once a month, etc. Using a trained hypnotist is also an option, and may get the job done sooner, but it's usually beneficial to have the security of a hypnosis tape -- just in case.
Source: http://www.ezilon.com
Unfortunately, old habits are not that easy to change. You have programmed your conscious mind to want a cigarette at certain times. Maybe you always have a cigarette when you are on the phone, or at break time, or when you are in the car, etc. Then, when you decide to stop smoking, you feel like you are giving something up. At a weak moment, maybe in a time of stress or if something bad just happened, you decide that it is not worth giving up this thing that you used to like so much. You had the willpower to quit, but the moment you decide to question your decision, your conscious mind gets out of sync with your subconscious mind, and in all that confusion, you are likely to decide to have a smoke.
There is a simple process you can use to get the two minds back together. You have to make your subconscious stronger by changing the way it feels about smoking. That way, in weak moments your subconscious will immediately take over with the correct suggestions; and because hypnosis uses positive imagery and not just words, there are no longer thoughts of having given something up; your thoughts instead concentrate on how healthy you feel, or how good a glass of water would be right now, or in general, how good things taste these days.
You will naturally have more energy without the chemical addiction and this will help you exercise more, and reinforce the subconscious even more that what you are doing is a good thing and not just something you are being deprived of.
It works, but it does take time. A one-time hypnotic suggestion is usually not powerful enough to change your mind instantly. That is why hypnosis tapes come in handy. You pay one small price and you can listen to them as many times as you need to make the urge go away. You will probably want to listen to the tapes three times a week at first, and then when you feel like the suggestions are getting stronger, you can listen once a week, then once a month, etc. Using a trained hypnotist is also an option, and may get the job done sooner, but it's usually beneficial to have the security of a hypnosis tape -- just in case.
Source: http://www.ezilon.com
Thursday, January 25, 2007
What are You Afraid of?
Fear is a part of everyone's life. Fear is both good and bad
depending on the situation. Fear can help keep you alive if you
must flee from a dangerous situation. Fear can keep you from
doing things that would endanger your safety or wellbeing, such
as driving too fast or robbing a bank.
But fear is mostly a limiting factor in most people's lives. Are
you afraid of trying out for the school play or baseball team?
Are you afraid of going to the job interview? Are you afraid of
meeting new people? I could go on forever listing common fears
that keep people from achieving their dreams and goals. Fear is
so common, so limiting and so devastating that it's important to
determine what your own fears are when it comes to quitting
smoking.
At first glance you may be thinking, "I'm not afraid of anything
related to quitting." Let's examine the many fears smokers have
and what you can do about them.
"Quitting is like losing a friend," many smokers will say. Who's
not afraid to lose a friend? If you've smoked for any period of
time, you probably have an emotional attachment to your
cigarettes. They're a comfort--a constant--that you can always
count on to be there when you need them. As strange as it may
sound, it's true: Cigarettes are your friend (but this friend is
the kind that will stab you in the back!).
Next, you may be afraid of losing the friendship of the "smoking
buddies" you have at the designated smoking areas where you
work. Many smokers spend an extraordinary amount of time (more
than most realize) each day smoking with other smokers in
designated smoking areas. Naturally, friendships develop. The
socializing becomes part of the attraction for smokers. Here are
people with a common bond--people who won't judge or make
negative comments about your smoking. If you're going to quit
smoking you can't expect to "hang out" in smoking areas and not
be tempted. Quitting often means making a clean break from your
smoking buddies and their friendship.
Even more frightening than losing friendships is losing a spouse
or losing the love of family members. If you are married to a
smoker and you are trying to quit, you may be afraid that your
relationship with your spouse may change drastically or even
end. Depending on your situation, you may be afraid that other
members of your family may "abandon" you or ostracize you for
quitting.
Another common fear about quitting is that you will gain weight.
This fear is not without merit. Most smokers do gain some
weight at first, but with proper diet and exercise you can
control your weight (and get healthier in the process).
Perhaps the biggest fear among smokers when it comes to quitting
is the fear of failure. No one likes to fail. If you try to quit
and don't, you may feel like a failure and that you can't quit.
If you have tried several times to quit and haven't been able
to, you may find your self-esteem suffering. You may think
thoughts like "I can't do anything" or "I'm a failure" or "I'll
never be able to quit."
Strangely enough, some smokers may even fear successfully
quitting. If you quit, you quit for life. Does that lifetime
commitment scare you? The hidden fear is "what if I start
smoking again? I'm not sure I can handle it."
So what do you do about all your fears? How do you overcome
them?
First, recognize that everyone has fears and that it's ok to be
afraid. Then recognize that you CAN HANDLE IT! That's perhaps
the overall fear: "I'm just afraid I can't handle it." You CAN
handle it!
Next, begin to examine each fear for what it really is. Is it an
excuse or delay tactic by your own mind? Does it really have
merit? Will your feared outcome really come to pass? What if it
does come to pass? Ask yourself what's the worst thing that can
happen? So what? You'll survive!
Next, take some action on behalf of your fear. In other words,
investigate what will happen if you quit. Talk to family and
friends and smoking buddies about your desire to quit. Let them
know you have concerns about what THEY will do if YOU quit. Get
commitment from the people in question to support YOUR decision
to quit.
If you are afraid of gaining weight, get busy on your exercise
and healthy diet campaign! Take action!
If you are afraid of failure, you must understand that you HAVE
NOT FAILED until you quit quitting! If you resume smoking after
quitting, you still have the opportunity to quit again! No one
said life was perfect. You don't have to be perfect. Just work
toward that goal on a daily basis, and don't beat yourself up
when you discover that you aren't perfect (pssst! here's a
secret: NO ONE IS PERFECT!)
If you are afraid of success, just refer to the previous
paragraph. If you quit, you quit for life. If you falter, and
begin smoking again--well, just quit again! You did it before.
Besides, you quit smoking everyday, every time you put out your
cigarette. The only question is "how long is it before you light
up again?"
Finally, let fear be a motivator. Fear is good if you use it
properly. Never forget the downside of smoking:
* your health suffers
* you may experience pain associated with diseases caused by
smoking
* you waste lots of money on "death sticks"
* your life will be shortened
* second-hand smoke will harm those around you
* your risk of having a house fire is much higher
* your breath, clothes, car, hair and house stink
Yes, these are the brutally honest truths, but they can help
motivate you in the right direction to quit.
Acknowledge your fears, examine your fears, then go about your
business, and get busy quitting! Don't be afraid anymore!
Article Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
depending on the situation. Fear can help keep you alive if you
must flee from a dangerous situation. Fear can keep you from
doing things that would endanger your safety or wellbeing, such
as driving too fast or robbing a bank.
But fear is mostly a limiting factor in most people's lives. Are
you afraid of trying out for the school play or baseball team?
Are you afraid of going to the job interview? Are you afraid of
meeting new people? I could go on forever listing common fears
that keep people from achieving their dreams and goals. Fear is
so common, so limiting and so devastating that it's important to
determine what your own fears are when it comes to quitting
smoking.
At first glance you may be thinking, "I'm not afraid of anything
related to quitting." Let's examine the many fears smokers have
and what you can do about them.
"Quitting is like losing a friend," many smokers will say. Who's
not afraid to lose a friend? If you've smoked for any period of
time, you probably have an emotional attachment to your
cigarettes. They're a comfort--a constant--that you can always
count on to be there when you need them. As strange as it may
sound, it's true: Cigarettes are your friend (but this friend is
the kind that will stab you in the back!).
Next, you may be afraid of losing the friendship of the "smoking
buddies" you have at the designated smoking areas where you
work. Many smokers spend an extraordinary amount of time (more
than most realize) each day smoking with other smokers in
designated smoking areas. Naturally, friendships develop. The
socializing becomes part of the attraction for smokers. Here are
people with a common bond--people who won't judge or make
negative comments about your smoking. If you're going to quit
smoking you can't expect to "hang out" in smoking areas and not
be tempted. Quitting often means making a clean break from your
smoking buddies and their friendship.
Even more frightening than losing friendships is losing a spouse
or losing the love of family members. If you are married to a
smoker and you are trying to quit, you may be afraid that your
relationship with your spouse may change drastically or even
end. Depending on your situation, you may be afraid that other
members of your family may "abandon" you or ostracize you for
quitting.
Another common fear about quitting is that you will gain weight.
This fear is not without merit. Most smokers do gain some
weight at first, but with proper diet and exercise you can
control your weight (and get healthier in the process).
Perhaps the biggest fear among smokers when it comes to quitting
is the fear of failure. No one likes to fail. If you try to quit
and don't, you may feel like a failure and that you can't quit.
If you have tried several times to quit and haven't been able
to, you may find your self-esteem suffering. You may think
thoughts like "I can't do anything" or "I'm a failure" or "I'll
never be able to quit."
Strangely enough, some smokers may even fear successfully
quitting. If you quit, you quit for life. Does that lifetime
commitment scare you? The hidden fear is "what if I start
smoking again? I'm not sure I can handle it."
So what do you do about all your fears? How do you overcome
them?
First, recognize that everyone has fears and that it's ok to be
afraid. Then recognize that you CAN HANDLE IT! That's perhaps
the overall fear: "I'm just afraid I can't handle it." You CAN
handle it!
Next, begin to examine each fear for what it really is. Is it an
excuse or delay tactic by your own mind? Does it really have
merit? Will your feared outcome really come to pass? What if it
does come to pass? Ask yourself what's the worst thing that can
happen? So what? You'll survive!
Next, take some action on behalf of your fear. In other words,
investigate what will happen if you quit. Talk to family and
friends and smoking buddies about your desire to quit. Let them
know you have concerns about what THEY will do if YOU quit. Get
commitment from the people in question to support YOUR decision
to quit.
If you are afraid of gaining weight, get busy on your exercise
and healthy diet campaign! Take action!
If you are afraid of failure, you must understand that you HAVE
NOT FAILED until you quit quitting! If you resume smoking after
quitting, you still have the opportunity to quit again! No one
said life was perfect. You don't have to be perfect. Just work
toward that goal on a daily basis, and don't beat yourself up
when you discover that you aren't perfect (pssst! here's a
secret: NO ONE IS PERFECT!)
If you are afraid of success, just refer to the previous
paragraph. If you quit, you quit for life. If you falter, and
begin smoking again--well, just quit again! You did it before.
Besides, you quit smoking everyday, every time you put out your
cigarette. The only question is "how long is it before you light
up again?"
Finally, let fear be a motivator. Fear is good if you use it
properly. Never forget the downside of smoking:
* your health suffers
* you may experience pain associated with diseases caused by
smoking
* you waste lots of money on "death sticks"
* your life will be shortened
* second-hand smoke will harm those around you
* your risk of having a house fire is much higher
* your breath, clothes, car, hair and house stink
Yes, these are the brutally honest truths, but they can help
motivate you in the right direction to quit.
Acknowledge your fears, examine your fears, then go about your
business, and get busy quitting! Don't be afraid anymore!
Article Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
11 Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolution to Quit Smoking
Every year about this time, people begin thinking about the new year and the changes it will bring. Some people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, get a better job, get married, or simply to get a life. Millions of Americans will also make the resolution to quit smoking.
Nearly 48 million Americans aged 18 years and older smoke. Of these, fully 70%--nearly 34 million smokers--want to quit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. This year 1.3 million of these smokers will quit successfully. Why do tens of millions want to quit but only a fraction actually succeeds? The answer is that most people just don’t know how to go about quitting.
Follow the 11 simple steps outlined below to assure your quit-smoking success.
1. Decide Right Now to Believe that You CAN Quit Smoking
Studies of smokers who successfully quit smoking show that one of the most important traits of a successful quitter is their belief that they have the ability to quit smoking.
Do you believe that you can quit? If you don’t, you will have a much harder time trying to quit. The best action you can take right now to start the quitting process is to fix in your mind the belief that you have the ability to quit smoking. You might say that you can’t change your belief, but you can.
Believing you can quit is so important because your belief will guide everything you do in your attempt to quit. The way you think, the research you do, the steps you take, the people you talk to, the help you seek--all these will be influenced by the belief you have in your ability to give up cigarettes.
If you don’t truly believe you can quit, you’ll probably find yourself saying, "What’s one little cigarette? I’ve got a headache. I just can’t quit like other people." If you believe you can quit, instead you’ll be saying "My head is hurting from withdrawal, but I can make it through this. I know the headache and other withdrawal symptoms will go away in a few days. My life is more important than a stupid cigarette."
Believing shapes everything you do. So does not believing. If you believe something strongly enough your mind will give you the correct thoughts to help your body take you in the direction of your belief.
Can you imagine what life would be like if Thomas Edison hadn’t believed that he could invent the incandescent light bulb? If Edison had begun his search for the solution without really believing he could create a light bulb that worked, he would have quit long before finding the answer. Edison tested more than 10,000 combinations of materials before finding the right one to create a light bulb! You must believe that you can quit smoking, even if it takes 10,000 attempts.
Fixing in your mind a belief that you can quit smoking may sound impossible if you now believe that you don’t have the ability. Here are some tips to help you change your beliefs:
Realize that your old belief was founded on old ideas and circumstances and that your new belief is based on new information and your newfound desire to quit smoking now.
On 3X5 cards, write out several positive statements about your ability to quit. Read your cards three times a day: morning, noon and bedtime. Some statements to use: "I believe that I have the ability to quit smoking," "I am a non-smoker," "I no longer need cigarettes in my life," "I happily quit smoking," "It’s easy to quit smoking," "I am a powerful, self-directed person," "I control my own life." Make up some of your own statements. Make them positive, as if you have already completed the task.
Post a sign on your bathroom mirror with one of the above statements on it.
Repeat the above statements to yourself, whenever you have a free moment.
Use visualization techniques (see Step 7 below) to visualize yourself mastering your smoking habit and winning the fight.
Ask your family and friends to encourage you with positive statements about your ability to quit smoking (See Step 5 below).
2. Create a "Quit Plan"
Successful people in all walks of life become successful through planning. The same is true for smokers who successfully quit smoking. You must create a plan that you will follow daily, so that you quit smoking purposefully, not haphazardly.
Put your plan on paper. Write each of these steps in your plan:
Study this report and write down how you will mentally prepare yourself to quit smoking. Don’t try to quit until you feel you are ready.
Decide on a specific date that you will quit. Write down your "quit date." Make sure your quit date comes after you have completed step "a" above. Also, choose a quit date that occurs during a relatively low stress time. Don’t try to quit during a stressful time at work or during the break-up of a relationship, for example.
Quitting on a specific date is preferable to slowly reducing the number of cigarettes that you smoke. By going "cold turkey" you won’t have to keep track of how many cigarettes you smoked yesterday and how many you will smoke today. You will also remove the temptation to cheat and smoke too many. By using this report to prepare yourself for your quit date you will be ready to quit, and going cold turkey won’t be so difficult.
Write down all the things you will enjoy doing after you quit smoking (long walks, eating out without being restricted to the smoking section, taking a vacation with the money you will save, etc.). This step is very important, so spend extra time dreaming up your "smoke-free future."
Write down the times and occasions when you are most likely to smoke. Write down what "triggers" your desire to smoke (See Step 8 below). You may be surprised to find that you have organized your day around smoking.
Write down five to ten things you will do instead of smoking, whenever you feel a cigarette craving coming on. For example, you might drink a glass of water, go for a short walk, type a letter, do some filing, call a friend, read a book, or mow the grass. Plan how you will distract yourself. Try to distract yourself with something healthy and/or beneficial. Match the distractions you’ve created in this step with the times and occasions your wrote down in step "d" above.
Write down the names of three people whom you trust to support your efforts to quit smoking. Contact them and ask for their support. Make sure you tell them that you want only positive support. Ask them to call you each day and give you positive encouragement. Also, ask them if you can call them if you need help.
Write down a list of all the items that you use when smoking: cigarettes, lighters, matches, ashtrays, etc. Make notes about where every single item is. Then on your "quit date" track down each item and throw them away. Don’t forget to clean out your car and your office at work.
Write down a list of rewards that you will give yourself. Be sure to reward yourself as you go longer and longer without smoking. For example: End of Day One -- long, hot bubble bath. End of Week One -- see a Movie. End of Week Three -- dinner at an exclusive restaurant. End of Month Two -- take a day off from work. End of Six Months -- take a weekend getaway. End of Year One -- take a 7-day vacation. Whenever possible, write down the specific date that you will reward yourself. By the way, these rewards won’t cost you much, if anything, because you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars by not smoking!
Make an appointment to see your doctor (See Step 6 below).
3. Take Action
You can’t win the battle if you don't start the battle. The problem with too many unmet goals and plans is that no action was ever taken to start down the road to achieving the goal or plan. If you created your "Quit Plan" in Step 2 above (you did create a "Quit Plan", didn't you?) you now have a plan for quitting. What is step "a" of your Quit Plan? Have you done it yet? Do it now! You must put your plan into action.
If you ever studied physics in high school you’ve probably heard of inertia. Inertia is the characteristic of an object (you) wanting to maintain its current state. In other words, objects at rest (doing nothing, not moving) tend to want to stay at rest. An object in motion tends to want to stay in motion.
Anytime you have to slam on your car’s brakes you experience inertia. When your car slows down rapidly, what happens to you and your passengers? Your bodies lunge forward before they are (hopefully) restrained by a seatbelt. If not restrained you could go right through the windshield. The point is this: if you begin taking action--even the smallest action--to quit smoking, you'll start a chain reaction, carrying you forward to the next step in your quit smoking action plan. Getting started on your plan is difficult, but once you get started it’s hard to stop. So get started today!
4. Prepare Yourself Mentally
While most of the media attention surrounding the smoking addiction focuses on chemical addictions to nicotine, you are in reality "multi-addicted." You are addicted to the feel of the cigarette in your hand and mouth. You are addicted to the actions of lighting your cigarette, moving your cigarette up to your mouth, flicking ashes from the cigarette and holding your cigarette between your fingers. You've also become addicted to the visual appeal of cigarettes: the flame, the smoke, even a dirty ashtray. You’re also addicted to the deep inhalations and exhalations you take as you puff on your cigarettes. You may have become addicted to smoking buddies at your workplace. All these stimuli serve to meet some physical, psychological or emotional need within you.
Part of preparing yourself mentally is understanding, studying and attacking your addictions. Think about the pleasures you derive from smoking. Does it make you feel "cool"? Do you get a lift or relax? Do you need to have something in your mouth or hands? Do you enjoy breathing deeply when you smoke? Do you feel a compulsion to head out to socialize with your smoking buddies every morning at 10:30?
Think through how you feel when you smoke. Are you happy, sad, soothed, or more alert? The next time you smoke a cigarette, notice all these things. Jot down your observations, then re-read them regularly. Study your own addiction so you understand what you must overcome. As Socrates said, "Know thyself."
5. Get Help and Support from Family and Friends
Sometimes our family and friends can be our worst enemies when we are attempting something very difficult or "different." If your family or friends don’t smoke, they may not understand your desire to quit. Nor will they understand the extreme difficulty of overcoming your addiction.
If your family and friends do smoke, they may have attempted to quit themselves, but failed. Or they may not want to quit at all, thereby placing pressure on you not to quit also. Human nature causes people to try to "hold others back" when someone close to them begins to move in a direction different from the norm. If you quit, you will place pressure and the spotlight on family and friends who are still smoking.
Your challenge will be to let others around you know that you are doing this for YOU. Let them know that if they will not encourage you, then they should "keep quiet while you quit." But by all means encourage others to encourage you.
Ask your family and friends to give you positive encouragement. Make sure they know that you do not want them to point out your faults, mistakes and slips. Ask them to praise your victories, large or small. Ask them to be understanding during the times that you may be less than friendly or patient. Ask them to be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.
6. Get Help From Your Doctor
Research shows that smokers who quit with assistance and support from a physician have higher rates of success. Even patients who received only minimal instruction and encouragement from their doctor showed improved "quitting" results.
Your doctor can give you the medical facts regarding the effect of cigarettes, plus tell you the benefits of quitting cigarettes. Also, he or she may prescribe some of the latest prescription-only quit-smoking medications.
Your doctor can also help you determine steps you can take to give up cigarettes and improve your health. Part of improving your health involves changing your diet and exercising. A doctor can test your current physical fitness and give you a plan for getting more fit (See Step 9 below).
Contact your doctor today. If he or she can't or won't help you, ask for a referral to a doctor who can and will help you.
7. Visualize Your Way to Quit Smoking Success
Your mind is a powerful "device." This device can be used for positive or negative purposes. You win or lose in life based on the way you "run" your mind. Much of running your mind involves visualizing--visualizing what has already happened in your life, as well as what may happen, good or bad.
Visualization is very similar to what our teachers and parents may have called "day dreaming." Children excel at day dreaming and playing "make believe." As we grow older, we tend to suppress our daydreams because of pressures to conform to society’s practical approach. Day dreaming or visualization allows us to create bright, fun, fantastic futures for ourselves. Unfortunately, visualization for adults becomes scenarios of unfounded fears, drudgery, regretful memories or just plain darkness.
You never lose your ability to visualize. Instead, you change your visualization to "practical" and logical thoughts. And often, adults do have vivid visualizations but of the negative doom and gloom, "the worst thing that can happen" variety. How often have you let your mind race with pictures of disaster and destruction? You see yourself lashed to a whipping post, being beaten by an IRS auditor, or you see your doctor telling you the pain in your head is a malignant brain tumor.
Your mind can just as easily show you a refund check from the IRS or a "clean bill of health" from the routine physical.
The problem and the opportunity with visualization is that your mind doesn’t know truth from fiction when it evaluates the visions in your mind. Your mind simply accepts the visualization as reality.
An example of this is the effect a scary movie may have on you. When the movie Jaws came out in 1975 many people were so frightened by it that they would go nowhere near a beach or lake. Some people were even afraid to take a bath or shower. The mental images of this monster shark took over the mind’s rational ability to think and allowed people to imagine sharks coming out of the showerhead. For these people the experience was so real that they changed their actions in the physical world. This is an extreme example, yet it is typical of the way that imagination and visualization can affect your physical existence.
In your mind you can create many different scenarios for yourself. You can visualize good or bad events. Your mind tends to act on these visualizations. Whatever you imagine, your mind will accept as real. In time your mind will work to "fulfill" your thoughts, creating them in reality. Think negative thoughts, create negative results. Think positive thoughts, create positive results.
Much has been written on visualization, and you should seek some more in-depth information on visualization techniques.
Here are some quick tips for using visualization to help you quit smoking:
Visualization often begins with affirmations--positive statements you make to yourself. State your affirmations positively and as if you already have what you are affirming. If possible, state your affirmations aloud, five to ten times.
Some examples of positive affirmations include: "I enjoy breathing easily and deeply," "I am free from any desire to smoke," "My hands and teeth are clean and smoke free," "I enjoy being around non-smokers," and "I am relaxed and calm."
Write down some goals for yourself, relating to smoking. For example, "I will quit smoking by the last day of March," or "My body no longer desires nicotine," or "I will take a vacation to Mexico next year with the money I save by not smoking."
To create deep visualizations that can profoundly affect you, relaxation is very important. To relax you should sit in a comfortable chair and close your eyes. Begin breathing long, deep breaths. Imagine yourself at the top of a staircase. Count down from ten to one, breathing once per number. As you count down, imagine yourself walking or even floating down the stairs. In between breaths repeat statements like "I’m getting very relaxed," and "going deeper."
Once you reach the count of "one" (and the bottom of the steps), let your mind wander for a minute or two. Then begin focusing on the affirmations and goals you have created for yourself. Don’t be concerned if you don’t immediately see anything. You may only see cloudy or fleeting images. That’s okay. With practice your visualizations will become more vivid.
Focus on controlling the images, however faint they may be. If you have set a goal to quit smoking by the end of March, see yourself throwing all your cigarettes and ashtrays away on March 31. Try visualizing a package of cigarettes, then make it "explode." Visualize your lungs as very clean and healthy. Visualize socializing with non-smokers. Visualize yourself effortlessly running a marathon. Visualize your friends and loved ones honoring you at a quit-smoking banquet. Create your visualizations from the goals and affirmations you have written down.
Don’t "push" your visualization. Lee Pulos, author of The Power of Visualization suggests that your "visualizations should be no more than 30 seconds at one time."
Pulos suggests doing your visualizations in an enthusiastic, excited state as if you have already achieved your goal.
8. Know Your Triggers
Your next step toward self-knowledge and quitting is learning what triggers your smoking. A trigger is anything that instantly engenders within you a desire to smoke. For example, the end of a meal may be a signal (trigger) to your mind and body that it's time for a cigarette. In part "d" of Step 2 above you wrote down what triggers your desire to smoke. After reading the following, go back to your written plan and add to it if necessary.
Common triggers include people, places, events and stress.
People: when you are with other smokers you are more likely to light up. Also, certain people may put you under stress, encouraging you to reach for a cigarette.
Places: certain places are synonymous with smoking, such as bars or restaurants. Your smoking may also be triggered when you are in a place where you have smoked before or a place where you smoke regularly, such as a designated smoking area at your office.
Events: stressful or extraordinary events such as a family member’s illness or death can trigger stress, which consequently triggers your smoking. You may also tend to light up at sporting events, parties, or as mentioned earlier, the end of a meal.
Stress: As mentioned above, stress can be a trigger, causing you to reach for a cigarette. Cigarettes do have a legitimate calming effect on many smokers, encouraging the use of cigarettes as tranquilizers.
Stress is caused by numerous things in our lives and is most likely a daily influence in your life. Part of your job when giving up cigarettes is learning how to deal with your stress in some way other than smoking. Step 9 below discusses exercise as a stress reliever and quit-smoking method. Meditation and visualization (Step 7 above) are also good stress relievers. Plan how you will reduce stress in your life.
9. Exercise
As previously mentioned, exercise is an excellent method for reducing stress. Exercise also can play an important role in helping you to quit smoking.
Research shows that smokers who take up a regular exercise program have a much higher quit-smoking success rate. The higher the level of activity, the higher the success rate. Smoking and exercise simply aren’t compatible. A Gallup Poll found that smokers who exercised were twice as likely to quit smoking versus smokers who did not exercise.
Cigarettes do alleviate stress for many smokers. When you give up cigarettes, your stress level likely will rise. Exercise is an excellent stress reliever and can replace your dependence on cigarettes for stress relief.
The many positive effects of exercise are too numerous to mention or explain here. However, here is a list of some of the most common benefits of exercise:
Reduced stress
Increased stamina
Increased feelings of well being and improved health
Weight loss
Improved muscle tone and physical appearance
Increased self-esteem and sense of accomplishment
Improved sleep
Improved performance at work
Improved attitudes and disposition
To get started exercising you need to choose one or two activities that you enjoy. Common exercises include walking, jogging, biking, swimming, tennis, basketball, etc. You may even decide to undertake regular, strenuous yard work for your neighbors.
Try to exercise 20-30 minutes at a time, three to four times per week. If you are out of shape, give yourself time to work up to this regular exercise schedule. Consult your doctor before beginning your exercise program.
For many people, exercise is drudgery. Be sure you pick an exercise that you enjoy, and consider exercising with a buddy. Your buddy can encourage you to "keep moving" when you want to stop. You’ll also be more likely to exercise when another person is depending upon you to be there. The next Step discusses quitting smoking with a "Quit Buddy." Your exercise buddy also may be your "Quit Buddy."
10. Find a Quit Buddy
Chances are you know another smoker who wants to quit. Suggest to that smoker that you help each other "douse the flames" forever. Studies show that smokers who partner with a Quit Buddy to provide mutual support are more successful when giving up cigarettes than are smokers who try to quit on their own.
If you can’t readily find a Quit Buddy, try contacting some of the resources listed at the end of this report. Also, many local hospitals and churches have quit-smoking programs and you may be able to find a Quit Buddy or even a Quit Group there.
Quit Buddies can provide support by way of daily or even hourly phone calls. Make yourself available to your Buddy whenever he or she needs help making it through the tougher moments. Provide positive encouragement when your Buddy succeeds. Do your best to ignore any relapse your Buddy may have. Don’t try to "shame" or coerce your Buddy into quitting. Studies show that negative feedback does not improve quit-smoking success rates.
Plan outings and activities together. As previously mentioned, you might exercise with your Quit Buddy. Sign contracts with each other stating that you will quit smoking and provide your Buddy with support while they quit.
11. Don't Give Up
Many smokers who have successfully given up cigarettes have made several attempts to quit before they finally kicked the habit. You should know going in that quitting may be a lengthy, or even life-long, process. There is no failure as long as you follow Step 1 above (Believe). If you believe you will quit, you will! It may take three or four attempts before your quitting "sticks." If you quit for a short time then resume smoking, you are one step closer to quitting for good. Just quit again. Keep doing it Until. Until you win, until you quit for life.
You may find that after a first or second attempt to quit you have reduced the number of cigarettes that you smoke each day. That's great! You are no longer as dependent! Now, go for the gold!
Article Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
Nearly 48 million Americans aged 18 years and older smoke. Of these, fully 70%--nearly 34 million smokers--want to quit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. This year 1.3 million of these smokers will quit successfully. Why do tens of millions want to quit but only a fraction actually succeeds? The answer is that most people just don’t know how to go about quitting.
Follow the 11 simple steps outlined below to assure your quit-smoking success.
1. Decide Right Now to Believe that You CAN Quit Smoking
Studies of smokers who successfully quit smoking show that one of the most important traits of a successful quitter is their belief that they have the ability to quit smoking.
Do you believe that you can quit? If you don’t, you will have a much harder time trying to quit. The best action you can take right now to start the quitting process is to fix in your mind the belief that you have the ability to quit smoking. You might say that you can’t change your belief, but you can.
Believing you can quit is so important because your belief will guide everything you do in your attempt to quit. The way you think, the research you do, the steps you take, the people you talk to, the help you seek--all these will be influenced by the belief you have in your ability to give up cigarettes.
If you don’t truly believe you can quit, you’ll probably find yourself saying, "What’s one little cigarette? I’ve got a headache. I just can’t quit like other people." If you believe you can quit, instead you’ll be saying "My head is hurting from withdrawal, but I can make it through this. I know the headache and other withdrawal symptoms will go away in a few days. My life is more important than a stupid cigarette."
Believing shapes everything you do. So does not believing. If you believe something strongly enough your mind will give you the correct thoughts to help your body take you in the direction of your belief.
Can you imagine what life would be like if Thomas Edison hadn’t believed that he could invent the incandescent light bulb? If Edison had begun his search for the solution without really believing he could create a light bulb that worked, he would have quit long before finding the answer. Edison tested more than 10,000 combinations of materials before finding the right one to create a light bulb! You must believe that you can quit smoking, even if it takes 10,000 attempts.
Fixing in your mind a belief that you can quit smoking may sound impossible if you now believe that you don’t have the ability. Here are some tips to help you change your beliefs:
Realize that your old belief was founded on old ideas and circumstances and that your new belief is based on new information and your newfound desire to quit smoking now.
On 3X5 cards, write out several positive statements about your ability to quit. Read your cards three times a day: morning, noon and bedtime. Some statements to use: "I believe that I have the ability to quit smoking," "I am a non-smoker," "I no longer need cigarettes in my life," "I happily quit smoking," "It’s easy to quit smoking," "I am a powerful, self-directed person," "I control my own life." Make up some of your own statements. Make them positive, as if you have already completed the task.
Post a sign on your bathroom mirror with one of the above statements on it.
Repeat the above statements to yourself, whenever you have a free moment.
Use visualization techniques (see Step 7 below) to visualize yourself mastering your smoking habit and winning the fight.
Ask your family and friends to encourage you with positive statements about your ability to quit smoking (See Step 5 below).
2. Create a "Quit Plan"
Successful people in all walks of life become successful through planning. The same is true for smokers who successfully quit smoking. You must create a plan that you will follow daily, so that you quit smoking purposefully, not haphazardly.
Put your plan on paper. Write each of these steps in your plan:
Study this report and write down how you will mentally prepare yourself to quit smoking. Don’t try to quit until you feel you are ready.
Decide on a specific date that you will quit. Write down your "quit date." Make sure your quit date comes after you have completed step "a" above. Also, choose a quit date that occurs during a relatively low stress time. Don’t try to quit during a stressful time at work or during the break-up of a relationship, for example.
Quitting on a specific date is preferable to slowly reducing the number of cigarettes that you smoke. By going "cold turkey" you won’t have to keep track of how many cigarettes you smoked yesterday and how many you will smoke today. You will also remove the temptation to cheat and smoke too many. By using this report to prepare yourself for your quit date you will be ready to quit, and going cold turkey won’t be so difficult.
Write down all the things you will enjoy doing after you quit smoking (long walks, eating out without being restricted to the smoking section, taking a vacation with the money you will save, etc.). This step is very important, so spend extra time dreaming up your "smoke-free future."
Write down the times and occasions when you are most likely to smoke. Write down what "triggers" your desire to smoke (See Step 8 below). You may be surprised to find that you have organized your day around smoking.
Write down five to ten things you will do instead of smoking, whenever you feel a cigarette craving coming on. For example, you might drink a glass of water, go for a short walk, type a letter, do some filing, call a friend, read a book, or mow the grass. Plan how you will distract yourself. Try to distract yourself with something healthy and/or beneficial. Match the distractions you’ve created in this step with the times and occasions your wrote down in step "d" above.
Write down the names of three people whom you trust to support your efforts to quit smoking. Contact them and ask for their support. Make sure you tell them that you want only positive support. Ask them to call you each day and give you positive encouragement. Also, ask them if you can call them if you need help.
Write down a list of all the items that you use when smoking: cigarettes, lighters, matches, ashtrays, etc. Make notes about where every single item is. Then on your "quit date" track down each item and throw them away. Don’t forget to clean out your car and your office at work.
Write down a list of rewards that you will give yourself. Be sure to reward yourself as you go longer and longer without smoking. For example: End of Day One -- long, hot bubble bath. End of Week One -- see a Movie. End of Week Three -- dinner at an exclusive restaurant. End of Month Two -- take a day off from work. End of Six Months -- take a weekend getaway. End of Year One -- take a 7-day vacation. Whenever possible, write down the specific date that you will reward yourself. By the way, these rewards won’t cost you much, if anything, because you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars by not smoking!
Make an appointment to see your doctor (See Step 6 below).
3. Take Action
You can’t win the battle if you don't start the battle. The problem with too many unmet goals and plans is that no action was ever taken to start down the road to achieving the goal or plan. If you created your "Quit Plan" in Step 2 above (you did create a "Quit Plan", didn't you?) you now have a plan for quitting. What is step "a" of your Quit Plan? Have you done it yet? Do it now! You must put your plan into action.
If you ever studied physics in high school you’ve probably heard of inertia. Inertia is the characteristic of an object (you) wanting to maintain its current state. In other words, objects at rest (doing nothing, not moving) tend to want to stay at rest. An object in motion tends to want to stay in motion.
Anytime you have to slam on your car’s brakes you experience inertia. When your car slows down rapidly, what happens to you and your passengers? Your bodies lunge forward before they are (hopefully) restrained by a seatbelt. If not restrained you could go right through the windshield. The point is this: if you begin taking action--even the smallest action--to quit smoking, you'll start a chain reaction, carrying you forward to the next step in your quit smoking action plan. Getting started on your plan is difficult, but once you get started it’s hard to stop. So get started today!
4. Prepare Yourself Mentally
While most of the media attention surrounding the smoking addiction focuses on chemical addictions to nicotine, you are in reality "multi-addicted." You are addicted to the feel of the cigarette in your hand and mouth. You are addicted to the actions of lighting your cigarette, moving your cigarette up to your mouth, flicking ashes from the cigarette and holding your cigarette between your fingers. You've also become addicted to the visual appeal of cigarettes: the flame, the smoke, even a dirty ashtray. You’re also addicted to the deep inhalations and exhalations you take as you puff on your cigarettes. You may have become addicted to smoking buddies at your workplace. All these stimuli serve to meet some physical, psychological or emotional need within you.
Part of preparing yourself mentally is understanding, studying and attacking your addictions. Think about the pleasures you derive from smoking. Does it make you feel "cool"? Do you get a lift or relax? Do you need to have something in your mouth or hands? Do you enjoy breathing deeply when you smoke? Do you feel a compulsion to head out to socialize with your smoking buddies every morning at 10:30?
Think through how you feel when you smoke. Are you happy, sad, soothed, or more alert? The next time you smoke a cigarette, notice all these things. Jot down your observations, then re-read them regularly. Study your own addiction so you understand what you must overcome. As Socrates said, "Know thyself."
5. Get Help and Support from Family and Friends
Sometimes our family and friends can be our worst enemies when we are attempting something very difficult or "different." If your family or friends don’t smoke, they may not understand your desire to quit. Nor will they understand the extreme difficulty of overcoming your addiction.
If your family and friends do smoke, they may have attempted to quit themselves, but failed. Or they may not want to quit at all, thereby placing pressure on you not to quit also. Human nature causes people to try to "hold others back" when someone close to them begins to move in a direction different from the norm. If you quit, you will place pressure and the spotlight on family and friends who are still smoking.
Your challenge will be to let others around you know that you are doing this for YOU. Let them know that if they will not encourage you, then they should "keep quiet while you quit." But by all means encourage others to encourage you.
Ask your family and friends to give you positive encouragement. Make sure they know that you do not want them to point out your faults, mistakes and slips. Ask them to praise your victories, large or small. Ask them to be understanding during the times that you may be less than friendly or patient. Ask them to be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.
6. Get Help From Your Doctor
Research shows that smokers who quit with assistance and support from a physician have higher rates of success. Even patients who received only minimal instruction and encouragement from their doctor showed improved "quitting" results.
Your doctor can give you the medical facts regarding the effect of cigarettes, plus tell you the benefits of quitting cigarettes. Also, he or she may prescribe some of the latest prescription-only quit-smoking medications.
Your doctor can also help you determine steps you can take to give up cigarettes and improve your health. Part of improving your health involves changing your diet and exercising. A doctor can test your current physical fitness and give you a plan for getting more fit (See Step 9 below).
Contact your doctor today. If he or she can't or won't help you, ask for a referral to a doctor who can and will help you.
7. Visualize Your Way to Quit Smoking Success
Your mind is a powerful "device." This device can be used for positive or negative purposes. You win or lose in life based on the way you "run" your mind. Much of running your mind involves visualizing--visualizing what has already happened in your life, as well as what may happen, good or bad.
Visualization is very similar to what our teachers and parents may have called "day dreaming." Children excel at day dreaming and playing "make believe." As we grow older, we tend to suppress our daydreams because of pressures to conform to society’s practical approach. Day dreaming or visualization allows us to create bright, fun, fantastic futures for ourselves. Unfortunately, visualization for adults becomes scenarios of unfounded fears, drudgery, regretful memories or just plain darkness.
You never lose your ability to visualize. Instead, you change your visualization to "practical" and logical thoughts. And often, adults do have vivid visualizations but of the negative doom and gloom, "the worst thing that can happen" variety. How often have you let your mind race with pictures of disaster and destruction? You see yourself lashed to a whipping post, being beaten by an IRS auditor, or you see your doctor telling you the pain in your head is a malignant brain tumor.
Your mind can just as easily show you a refund check from the IRS or a "clean bill of health" from the routine physical.
The problem and the opportunity with visualization is that your mind doesn’t know truth from fiction when it evaluates the visions in your mind. Your mind simply accepts the visualization as reality.
An example of this is the effect a scary movie may have on you. When the movie Jaws came out in 1975 many people were so frightened by it that they would go nowhere near a beach or lake. Some people were even afraid to take a bath or shower. The mental images of this monster shark took over the mind’s rational ability to think and allowed people to imagine sharks coming out of the showerhead. For these people the experience was so real that they changed their actions in the physical world. This is an extreme example, yet it is typical of the way that imagination and visualization can affect your physical existence.
In your mind you can create many different scenarios for yourself. You can visualize good or bad events. Your mind tends to act on these visualizations. Whatever you imagine, your mind will accept as real. In time your mind will work to "fulfill" your thoughts, creating them in reality. Think negative thoughts, create negative results. Think positive thoughts, create positive results.
Much has been written on visualization, and you should seek some more in-depth information on visualization techniques.
Here are some quick tips for using visualization to help you quit smoking:
Visualization often begins with affirmations--positive statements you make to yourself. State your affirmations positively and as if you already have what you are affirming. If possible, state your affirmations aloud, five to ten times.
Some examples of positive affirmations include: "I enjoy breathing easily and deeply," "I am free from any desire to smoke," "My hands and teeth are clean and smoke free," "I enjoy being around non-smokers," and "I am relaxed and calm."
Write down some goals for yourself, relating to smoking. For example, "I will quit smoking by the last day of March," or "My body no longer desires nicotine," or "I will take a vacation to Mexico next year with the money I save by not smoking."
To create deep visualizations that can profoundly affect you, relaxation is very important. To relax you should sit in a comfortable chair and close your eyes. Begin breathing long, deep breaths. Imagine yourself at the top of a staircase. Count down from ten to one, breathing once per number. As you count down, imagine yourself walking or even floating down the stairs. In between breaths repeat statements like "I’m getting very relaxed," and "going deeper."
Once you reach the count of "one" (and the bottom of the steps), let your mind wander for a minute or two. Then begin focusing on the affirmations and goals you have created for yourself. Don’t be concerned if you don’t immediately see anything. You may only see cloudy or fleeting images. That’s okay. With practice your visualizations will become more vivid.
Focus on controlling the images, however faint they may be. If you have set a goal to quit smoking by the end of March, see yourself throwing all your cigarettes and ashtrays away on March 31. Try visualizing a package of cigarettes, then make it "explode." Visualize your lungs as very clean and healthy. Visualize socializing with non-smokers. Visualize yourself effortlessly running a marathon. Visualize your friends and loved ones honoring you at a quit-smoking banquet. Create your visualizations from the goals and affirmations you have written down.
Don’t "push" your visualization. Lee Pulos, author of The Power of Visualization suggests that your "visualizations should be no more than 30 seconds at one time."
Pulos suggests doing your visualizations in an enthusiastic, excited state as if you have already achieved your goal.
8. Know Your Triggers
Your next step toward self-knowledge and quitting is learning what triggers your smoking. A trigger is anything that instantly engenders within you a desire to smoke. For example, the end of a meal may be a signal (trigger) to your mind and body that it's time for a cigarette. In part "d" of Step 2 above you wrote down what triggers your desire to smoke. After reading the following, go back to your written plan and add to it if necessary.
Common triggers include people, places, events and stress.
People: when you are with other smokers you are more likely to light up. Also, certain people may put you under stress, encouraging you to reach for a cigarette.
Places: certain places are synonymous with smoking, such as bars or restaurants. Your smoking may also be triggered when you are in a place where you have smoked before or a place where you smoke regularly, such as a designated smoking area at your office.
Events: stressful or extraordinary events such as a family member’s illness or death can trigger stress, which consequently triggers your smoking. You may also tend to light up at sporting events, parties, or as mentioned earlier, the end of a meal.
Stress: As mentioned above, stress can be a trigger, causing you to reach for a cigarette. Cigarettes do have a legitimate calming effect on many smokers, encouraging the use of cigarettes as tranquilizers.
Stress is caused by numerous things in our lives and is most likely a daily influence in your life. Part of your job when giving up cigarettes is learning how to deal with your stress in some way other than smoking. Step 9 below discusses exercise as a stress reliever and quit-smoking method. Meditation and visualization (Step 7 above) are also good stress relievers. Plan how you will reduce stress in your life.
9. Exercise
As previously mentioned, exercise is an excellent method for reducing stress. Exercise also can play an important role in helping you to quit smoking.
Research shows that smokers who take up a regular exercise program have a much higher quit-smoking success rate. The higher the level of activity, the higher the success rate. Smoking and exercise simply aren’t compatible. A Gallup Poll found that smokers who exercised were twice as likely to quit smoking versus smokers who did not exercise.
Cigarettes do alleviate stress for many smokers. When you give up cigarettes, your stress level likely will rise. Exercise is an excellent stress reliever and can replace your dependence on cigarettes for stress relief.
The many positive effects of exercise are too numerous to mention or explain here. However, here is a list of some of the most common benefits of exercise:
Reduced stress
Increased stamina
Increased feelings of well being and improved health
Weight loss
Improved muscle tone and physical appearance
Increased self-esteem and sense of accomplishment
Improved sleep
Improved performance at work
Improved attitudes and disposition
To get started exercising you need to choose one or two activities that you enjoy. Common exercises include walking, jogging, biking, swimming, tennis, basketball, etc. You may even decide to undertake regular, strenuous yard work for your neighbors.
Try to exercise 20-30 minutes at a time, three to four times per week. If you are out of shape, give yourself time to work up to this regular exercise schedule. Consult your doctor before beginning your exercise program.
For many people, exercise is drudgery. Be sure you pick an exercise that you enjoy, and consider exercising with a buddy. Your buddy can encourage you to "keep moving" when you want to stop. You’ll also be more likely to exercise when another person is depending upon you to be there. The next Step discusses quitting smoking with a "Quit Buddy." Your exercise buddy also may be your "Quit Buddy."
10. Find a Quit Buddy
Chances are you know another smoker who wants to quit. Suggest to that smoker that you help each other "douse the flames" forever. Studies show that smokers who partner with a Quit Buddy to provide mutual support are more successful when giving up cigarettes than are smokers who try to quit on their own.
If you can’t readily find a Quit Buddy, try contacting some of the resources listed at the end of this report. Also, many local hospitals and churches have quit-smoking programs and you may be able to find a Quit Buddy or even a Quit Group there.
Quit Buddies can provide support by way of daily or even hourly phone calls. Make yourself available to your Buddy whenever he or she needs help making it through the tougher moments. Provide positive encouragement when your Buddy succeeds. Do your best to ignore any relapse your Buddy may have. Don’t try to "shame" or coerce your Buddy into quitting. Studies show that negative feedback does not improve quit-smoking success rates.
Plan outings and activities together. As previously mentioned, you might exercise with your Quit Buddy. Sign contracts with each other stating that you will quit smoking and provide your Buddy with support while they quit.
11. Don't Give Up
Many smokers who have successfully given up cigarettes have made several attempts to quit before they finally kicked the habit. You should know going in that quitting may be a lengthy, or even life-long, process. There is no failure as long as you follow Step 1 above (Believe). If you believe you will quit, you will! It may take three or four attempts before your quitting "sticks." If you quit for a short time then resume smoking, you are one step closer to quitting for good. Just quit again. Keep doing it Until. Until you win, until you quit for life.
You may find that after a first or second attempt to quit you have reduced the number of cigarettes that you smoke each day. That's great! You are no longer as dependent! Now, go for the gold!
Article Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com
The Health Benefits of Giving Up Smoking
It is never too late to give up smoking. The sooner you can free your body from the constant punishment of smoking then the sooner it can recover from years of abuse. The body has amazing recuperative powers. Once you stop smoking, your body will show some immediate improvement as it adjusts to no longer having to accommodate smoking and its effects. The longer you have smoked, the more the body will have to overcome to return to a more natural, healthier state.
To give you a better idea of how your system gradually recovers from smoking, the American Cancer Society has outlined these changes in a timeline. While the timeline may be different for different people, just as some people are naturally healthier to begin with, the fact remains that your body will be better off once you quit smoking.
Only 20 minutes after your very last cigarette your body will begin to return to normal. Both your blood pressure and your pulse rate will have stabilised at a more natural level. As your circulation improves, the temperature in your hands and feet increases to a normal level as the arteries recover.
About 8 hours after you have stopped smoking, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops as the amount of oxygen carried throughout the body increases. Smoking hinders both brain and muscle functions by reducing the amount of oxygen available to inadequate levels. The levels of carbon monoxide will now be reduced to a level about 50% of what they used to be when you smoked. Another benefit, probably more noticeable to people other than the ex-smoker themselves, is that "smoker's breath" becomes less pronounced.
After 24 hours you begin to see some of the long-term benefits. Not only is your body now functioning more efficiently, the chances of enjoying your improved health are also increased. Not smoking for a day is all it takes to reduce your statistical chances of suffering a heart attack and improve your chances of surviving one. It also takes about 24 hours for the last of the extra carbon monoxide from smoking to be eliminated from your body.
About 48 hours after you have stopped smoking you will probably notice that your senses of taste and smell have become much keener compared to their previously dulled state. Excess mucus and toxic debris that has collected over time will begin to be cleared from the lungs. Although there will initially be an increase in the amount of mucus dislodged from the lungs, breathing will gradually become easier. Amazingly, those nerve endings that were damaged by the smoking habit will begin to regenerate once you quit.
After 72 hours of not smoking, your bronchial tubes become more relaxed and less constricted, making it easier to breathe. The risk of thrombosis is reduced as the blood's clotting agents return to normal.
Some 2 weeks to 3 months into the non-smoking recovery your lung capacity will have increased by up to 30%. In combination with improved circulation, this means that you will find it easier to engage in physical exercise.
In a period from 1 month to 9 months after you have ceased smoking many of the noticeable adverse symptoms of smoking will have improved. You will experience less coughing, wheezing, sinus congestion and shortness of breath. The fatigue associated with these symptoms will decrease as your overall energy levels continue to rise. As the microscopic, hairlike cilia regrow, they increase the lung's ability to purify the air by once again filtering out impurities and clearing mucus. This also reduces the chances of developing an infection, especially in the sinuses.
One year without smoking will mean that the excess risk of coronary heart disease is now approximately half that of a smoker. After 2 years the risk of a heart attack drops to a more normal level.
After 5 years of staying smoke-free the average smoker who smoked one pack of cigarettes a day will have decreased their lung cancer death rate by almost a half. The risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat or oesophagus will now be half that of a smoker. Abstaining from smoking for between 5 to 15 years will mean that you have reduced your risk of having a stroke to the equivalent of a non-smoker.
Approximately 10 years after you stopped smoking, your lung cancer death rate will now be equivalent to that of a non-smoker. The risk of developing other cancers, such as cancer of the kidneys, pancreas or bladder, is decreased. Healthy cells gradually replace pre-cancerous cells in the body.
After you have refrained from smoking for 15 years, your risk of developing coronary heart disease will be the same as that of a life-long non-smoker.
These are only some of the physical improvements that you will experience when you quit smoking. Obviously, the longer and heavier your smoking habit was, the longer it will take for your body to recover. This does not even touch on the social, psychological, and emotional positives that come for giving up smoking. Quitting smoking at any time in one's life is beneficial. Some people wait until they are ordered to do so by their doctor or surgeon but even the recuperative capacity of the body has its limits. You are much better advised to quit smoking before you develop any serious health problems. Generally speaking, giving up smoking makes your body healthier and increases the chances that you will stay that way.
Article Source: http://www.stopsmokingtoday.com
To give you a better idea of how your system gradually recovers from smoking, the American Cancer Society has outlined these changes in a timeline. While the timeline may be different for different people, just as some people are naturally healthier to begin with, the fact remains that your body will be better off once you quit smoking.
Only 20 minutes after your very last cigarette your body will begin to return to normal. Both your blood pressure and your pulse rate will have stabilised at a more natural level. As your circulation improves, the temperature in your hands and feet increases to a normal level as the arteries recover.
About 8 hours after you have stopped smoking, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops as the amount of oxygen carried throughout the body increases. Smoking hinders both brain and muscle functions by reducing the amount of oxygen available to inadequate levels. The levels of carbon monoxide will now be reduced to a level about 50% of what they used to be when you smoked. Another benefit, probably more noticeable to people other than the ex-smoker themselves, is that "smoker's breath" becomes less pronounced.
After 24 hours you begin to see some of the long-term benefits. Not only is your body now functioning more efficiently, the chances of enjoying your improved health are also increased. Not smoking for a day is all it takes to reduce your statistical chances of suffering a heart attack and improve your chances of surviving one. It also takes about 24 hours for the last of the extra carbon monoxide from smoking to be eliminated from your body.
About 48 hours after you have stopped smoking you will probably notice that your senses of taste and smell have become much keener compared to their previously dulled state. Excess mucus and toxic debris that has collected over time will begin to be cleared from the lungs. Although there will initially be an increase in the amount of mucus dislodged from the lungs, breathing will gradually become easier. Amazingly, those nerve endings that were damaged by the smoking habit will begin to regenerate once you quit.
After 72 hours of not smoking, your bronchial tubes become more relaxed and less constricted, making it easier to breathe. The risk of thrombosis is reduced as the blood's clotting agents return to normal.
Some 2 weeks to 3 months into the non-smoking recovery your lung capacity will have increased by up to 30%. In combination with improved circulation, this means that you will find it easier to engage in physical exercise.
In a period from 1 month to 9 months after you have ceased smoking many of the noticeable adverse symptoms of smoking will have improved. You will experience less coughing, wheezing, sinus congestion and shortness of breath. The fatigue associated with these symptoms will decrease as your overall energy levels continue to rise. As the microscopic, hairlike cilia regrow, they increase the lung's ability to purify the air by once again filtering out impurities and clearing mucus. This also reduces the chances of developing an infection, especially in the sinuses.
One year without smoking will mean that the excess risk of coronary heart disease is now approximately half that of a smoker. After 2 years the risk of a heart attack drops to a more normal level.
After 5 years of staying smoke-free the average smoker who smoked one pack of cigarettes a day will have decreased their lung cancer death rate by almost a half. The risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat or oesophagus will now be half that of a smoker. Abstaining from smoking for between 5 to 15 years will mean that you have reduced your risk of having a stroke to the equivalent of a non-smoker.
Approximately 10 years after you stopped smoking, your lung cancer death rate will now be equivalent to that of a non-smoker. The risk of developing other cancers, such as cancer of the kidneys, pancreas or bladder, is decreased. Healthy cells gradually replace pre-cancerous cells in the body.
After you have refrained from smoking for 15 years, your risk of developing coronary heart disease will be the same as that of a life-long non-smoker.
These are only some of the physical improvements that you will experience when you quit smoking. Obviously, the longer and heavier your smoking habit was, the longer it will take for your body to recover. This does not even touch on the social, psychological, and emotional positives that come for giving up smoking. Quitting smoking at any time in one's life is beneficial. Some people wait until they are ordered to do so by their doctor or surgeon but even the recuperative capacity of the body has its limits. You are much better advised to quit smoking before you develop any serious health problems. Generally speaking, giving up smoking makes your body healthier and increases the chances that you will stay that way.
Article Source: http://www.stopsmokingtoday.com
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