Sometimes you're bored or feel stressed. Your friendly tobacco buddy is there for you, as always. Ready to relax you with a cocktail, keep you company. He melts away that stress and makes you feel great!
Well, here's some news: that cocktail he mixed for you is poisoned. And he's stealing from you, slipping 8, 9 10 dollars at a time from your wallet, hoping you won't notice.
Maybe it's time for you to kick this so-called friend out of your home. Who wants a 'friend' who is stealing from you? Who needs a 'friend' who is trying to poison you?
Below you will find 10 simple steps to help you to become free of this habit and become a healthy non-smoker for life.
- Tip 1: Write down why exactly you want to become a healthy non-smoker for life.
Just considering the health risks would make anyone want to become a healthy non-smoker for life. Lung, throat or stomach cancer, emphysema. Cigarettes can kill you in many colorful ways, and when you stop smoking right now your body begins to recover and your health riks begin to go down.
Of course it is not just your health that is at risk. If you have loved ones, especially children, or friends, where you smoke you are also putting their lives at risk. Second hand smoke kills.
Maybe you realize that your breath smells of stale cigarette smoke. Maybe you realize the effect the tobacco is having on your complexion or skin.
Cigarette smoke makes your clothes smell. Maybe you can't smell it but everyone else can.
Maybe you simply can't breathe the way you used to, or the way you would like.
You have your own reason for wanting to quit. What are they? Write them down.
- Tip 2: What is different NOW that makes this the time to quit?
What has changed that makes you want to quit now? Has it just become too much? Has there been some other event in your life? The more reasons you have to quit the better.
- Tip 3: Now that you are on the brink of quitting, make a decision and stick to it.
So now you have decided to become a healthy non-smoker for life. Now is the time.
The decision is made. You are a healthy non-smoker for life!
- Tip 4: Tell everyone!
Tell your family and friends about your decision to quit. Tell everyone. Let them help you stick to your decision.
And the more people you tell, the greater the support will be for your decision.
- Tip 5: Learn about the effects of cigarettes
The more you know about your enemy the better. Ever fact you learn will make you more convinced of your decision. Do some on-line research.
Cigarettes don't only cause cancer. Of course they do, and there is a long list of a carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) in cigarettes. But cigarettes also contain more every-day poisons such as arsenic and cyanide. In fact, as you learn more about cigarettes you will be amazed and appalled by the long list of poisons that cigarettes contain. Did you know, for example that cigarettes contain formaldehyde? That's the stuff they keep dead bodies in, or the frogs that you may have dissected in biology class.
Just thinking about cigarettes may make you wonder how you ever brought yourself to ever put one of those things in your mouth, in fact you may become a little nauseous just thinking about them.
- Tip 6: Admit that smoking did bring you some benefits and as you recognize this find other ways of maintaining these benefits.
Smoking may have provided you with relaxation, or the companionship of other smokers. Maybe it made you feel "cool" like you may have felt as a kid sneaking a cigarette at school. But these things are not worth risking your life for.
There is no need to lose the benefits that cigarettes provided just because you are now a healthy non-smoker. Take a moment to identify what those benefits are. Now allow your creative mind to find some ways for you to keep those benefits. For example if smoking used to relax you, thenmaybe you can learn self-hypnosis instead.
NLP's six step reframe is a perfect tool for this step!
Go and get help if you need it. There are hypnotists, doctors and others who can help.
Every day that passes, you are healthier. Your body is repairing itself. Your risk factors are diminishing. Your lungs are stronger. Your breathing better. Enjoy your blossoming health!
Other things are different. You can go to the grocery store and not think about cigarettes. The cravings are fading. You are beginning to forget that you were ever a smoker.
Now just imagine a friend of yours is in the process of stopping smoking. They have come to you for advice and help. what advice are you giving to them? Hear yourself speaking to them and telling them about the benefits of quitting and how good you feel now that you are a healthy non-smoker for life.
Even the tobacco companies admit that cigarettes are addictive. In fact they are designed that way, it makes it easier for the cigarette companies to keep you under their control. But you can control the cravings if you know how.
You can use nicotine replacement products such as the patch or gum to wean your system off cigarettes. As a hypnotist I would also suggest using techniques such as NLP, self-hypnosis or EFT to control any cravings.
In a short time the nicotine will disappear from your system and you begin to return to normal functioning, the cravings begin to reduce and eventually disappear. Staying off coffee and other acidic drinks in this time may help, as may avoiding or reducing alcohol intake. Give your body the chance to heal in these first 72 hours.
Acknowledge what you have done for yourself in quitting. You owe yourself a big thank you.
And you are saving money, so treat yourself to a nice thank you. Work out how much you are saving, and what you would like to treat yourself to. Perhaps you want to save up for a year and get something really nice. The choice is yours now.
Now your a healthy non-smoker. You understand your enemy. You now he was poisoning you and stealing your money. Your free of the chemical cravings.
Your so-called friend may well come back telling you how much you need him.
The voice may sound superior, talking down to you:
"Quit? You can't quit! You're not strong enough. You're weak! You'll be back!"
Of course, he could plead:
"Go on, smoke one. What harm is there?"
Sure, it's a pack of lies, but maybe just one...
You didn't invite this voice into your head so it is time to throw the unwelcome guest out. Notice where the voice is coming from, in front or behind, right or left. And notice the sound of the voice. Now begin to move the source of the voice downward until it is coming from the ground somewhere near your eft foot. As it moves down, notice the voice becoming higher, like the buzz of an insect.
As you listen to that whiney voice, you may begin to laugh thinking that you were ever fooled. Of course, with that whiney insect voice down by your left foot, it would be so easy to lift your left foot up and simply squash the bug...
Finally, imagine someone you respect talking to you about your decision. Imagine them praising you. Hear their voice. Hear the pride as they tell you how pleased they are that you are now a healthy non-smoker for life.
Shawn Carson is a Hypnotist and Neuro Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner and Trainer offering NLP training in New York. He is also a certified coach and offers NLP Practitioner Training for Coaches in New York. www.nlptrainingnewyork.com Tel:212-714-3574 email:iphnewyork@aol.com
- Tip 7: Seek help if necessary
Go and get help if you need it. There are hypnotists, doctors and others who can help.
- Tip 8: Imagine your life now that you are a healthy non-smoker for life
Every day that passes, you are healthier. Your body is repairing itself. Your risk factors are diminishing. Your lungs are stronger. Your breathing better. Enjoy your blossoming health!
Other things are different. You can go to the grocery store and not think about cigarettes. The cravings are fading. You are beginning to forget that you were ever a smoker.
Now just imagine a friend of yours is in the process of stopping smoking. They have come to you for advice and help. what advice are you giving to them? Hear yourself speaking to them and telling them about the benefits of quitting and how good you feel now that you are a healthy non-smoker for life.
- Tip 9: Teach yourself to handle cravings
Even the tobacco companies admit that cigarettes are addictive. In fact they are designed that way, it makes it easier for the cigarette companies to keep you under their control. But you can control the cravings if you know how.
You can use nicotine replacement products such as the patch or gum to wean your system off cigarettes. As a hypnotist I would also suggest using techniques such as NLP, self-hypnosis or EFT to control any cravings.
In a short time the nicotine will disappear from your system and you begin to return to normal functioning, the cravings begin to reduce and eventually disappear. Staying off coffee and other acidic drinks in this time may help, as may avoiding or reducing alcohol intake. Give your body the chance to heal in these first 72 hours.
- Tip 10: So now you've quit. Thank yourself. You're saving money. What are you going to do with that money you've saved?
Acknowledge what you have done for yourself in quitting. You owe yourself a big thank you.
And you are saving money, so treat yourself to a nice thank you. Work out how much you are saving, and what you would like to treat yourself to. Perhaps you want to save up for a year and get something really nice. The choice is yours now.
- Final Bonus Tip: How do you deal with Mr Tobacco when he comes crawling back whispering inside your head?
Now your a healthy non-smoker. You understand your enemy. You now he was poisoning you and stealing your money. Your free of the chemical cravings.
Your so-called friend may well come back telling you how much you need him.
The voice may sound superior, talking down to you:
"Quit? You can't quit! You're not strong enough. You're weak! You'll be back!"
Of course, he could plead:
"Go on, smoke one. What harm is there?"
Sure, it's a pack of lies, but maybe just one...
You didn't invite this voice into your head so it is time to throw the unwelcome guest out. Notice where the voice is coming from, in front or behind, right or left. And notice the sound of the voice. Now begin to move the source of the voice downward until it is coming from the ground somewhere near your eft foot. As it moves down, notice the voice becoming higher, like the buzz of an insect.
As you listen to that whiney voice, you may begin to laugh thinking that you were ever fooled. Of course, with that whiney insect voice down by your left foot, it would be so easy to lift your left foot up and simply squash the bug...
Finally, imagine someone you respect talking to you about your decision. Imagine them praising you. Hear their voice. Hear the pride as they tell you how pleased they are that you are now a healthy non-smoker for life.
Shawn Carson is a Hypnotist and Neuro Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner and Trainer offering NLP training in New York. He is also a certified coach and offers NLP Practitioner Training for Coaches in New York. www.nlptrainingnewyork.com Tel:212-714-3574 email:iphnewyork@aol.com
