Smoking is a habit that permeates every aspect of life; from nights out to breaks at work, it is easy to become reliant on cigarettes as a crutch. Now you want to break that habit and improve your health and wellbeing but it seems like a mountain to climb. With both the physiological and psychological addiction to tackle it may even seem insurmountable, it isn’t and with some simple techniques you can quit smoking today.
Natural methods are best when quitting smoking
The first step, as with any addiction, is to plan how you will quit. Choose a day to quit whether that be today, tomorrow or next week and stick to it! Try making a wall chart or calendar to map your progress. It is very encouraging to tick off smoke free dates such as a day, a week, a month and eventually a year. Choose some of the below techniques that you feel are right for you and above all else, have faith in yourself to stick to quitting.
Create A Mantra
A great way to encourage yourself to quit smoking is to create a personal mantra or phrase that will remind you why you’re quitting. For example, ‘Each clear breath renews my health’, would remind you of the health benefits of quitting. This mantra will also be very useful in combination with other techniques you can utilise.
Meditation
Most smokers will tell themselves cigarettes help stress but this is actually a myth, the feeling of relief is only a physiological response to a nicotine craving. There are far better ways to reduce stress. Meditation is a great way to relax and can be fitted into any routine. To get started simply sit and focus on your breathing, try to clear your mind and focus on the sensation of breath going in and out. Once your body relaxes, you can focus on your personal mantra. In this state of relaxation, getting in contact with your subconscious will be easier and you will finish meditation feeling cleansed and pure and definitely not wanting a cigarette! There is a great deal of more detailed advice about meditation available online.
Hypnosis and Self Hypnosis
With hypnosis, one can convince the mind to not smoke again. You can get in contact with clinics that provide hypnosis sessions from professionals who will help you to quit smoking cigarettes, but there are also ways you can utilise self hypnosis. Self hypnosis takes time and effort, it’s something you will have to do every day. Start by repeating your mantra at every opportunity, when cleaning the house for example. This will begin to implant the idea of quitting in your subconscious. Utilise meditation and once you are completely focused, communicate with your subconscious. This will be difficult at first but over time, the idea to quit will flower in your mind and your desire to smoke will evaporate. Again, there is a wealth of knowledge about hypnosis available online, so research and find the technique right for you.
These are just some of the techniques you can use to quit smoking cigarettes but remember, most of all trust in your own will power. If you are struggling, find a likeminded friend to talk to, or better yet to quit with. A partner in quitting can be just what you need to really motivate each other.
