Stop Smoking Today
March 14th, 2018 is National Stop Smoking Day. The theme this year is #tellusyourway.
Every year this campaign is run by the National Health Service to help the smoking population to give up.
People stop smoking every day, but they find the best way for themselves. Some are not addicted to the nicotine to any great degree, but to the habit of smoking.
If you can go for days without a cigarette, but when you’re in a social situation feel a deep craving for that draw, then it’s the habit talking not the nicotine.
We create habits because that’s what the brain does. It doesn’t want to consciously be aware of every operation you do, so it creates habits. The neural networks in the brain take over. The reason many people find it difficult to give up smoking is that it gives them pleasure. That pleasure is a dose of dopamine in the brain. This part of the brain is not consciously aware that it is doing the body harm, and so it promotes smoking. To stop smoking, you need to disrupt the habit process.
There are a number of ways of doing this, and hypnotherapy can be one of those avenues. We are more likely to revert back to bad habits when we are stressed. Our brains often promote smoking when we are stressed and we need a break. If you realise you smoke at different times of day, doing different activities, then you can consciously put in breaks, which do not involve smoking.
Case Study
Mr G
Mr G worked in a busy office. He was an engineer working on very complicated aeroplane engine design. He wanted to give up smoking but was finding it difficult. The problem as he saw it was that he became so engrossed in his work, the next thing he knew he was outside smoking with his colleagues. It was the only time he caught up with them and chatted with them.
Together we set out a plan. 1) note down the activities and how he was feeling
2) come up with alternatives which he felt happy with.
3) find other ways of de-stressing
4) Change his routine to help break the habits.
Before he would have a cigarette as he arrived for work, around 10.30am and again about 1 pm. The next was at 3 pm and the last as he finished work at 6 pm. He didn’t smoke at home or out socialising.
His new stop smoking regime included:
Cup of coffee and stand outside before work.
10.30am grab a coffee and go over to the social area to talk to colleagues that didn’t smoke.
1 pm go out and get lunch and eat it at the social hub of work.
3 pm have some gum and take a walk around the building. If the weather was nice to go for a walk outdoors if not, go and chat with colleagues. Instead of calling or emailing, to actually go and speak to them face to face. 6 pm go straight home or go for a walk.
It worked. All the stress management helped him gain control and the suggestions helped him keep the focus on the end result.
Most hypnotherapist tell you it only takes one session to quit, but experience has shown me that some need to find their own way. Some need to deal with stress before they are in the right place to quit.
Other incentives
Think of this – what incentive do you have for giving up? Health? Money? How much money will you save and what can you do with that money?
Here are some of the answers my clients have given over the years.
SAVE
£2K – buy a new car
£2.5K – take my daughter to Disneyland
£1.8K – take my mother on holiday to Pompeii – a life’s dream for her.
£1K – Money doesn’t matter, I want to be around to see my grandson grow up and to be able to play with him.
Call 07508 658934 to find out how you can quit your way.