The holidays are here and New Year’s resolutions are being made. Are you making a resolution to quit smoking? You CAN do it, but it will be hard and you need to be prepared before you start any program.
When I first talk to people about hypnosis, one of the things that comes up is smoking. Hypnosis is often thought of as a great way to quit smoking, and it is, BUT…. I am often reluctant to discuss hypnosis for smoking cessation because it is a lot more complex than just coming in, being hypnotized and getting “cured”. Hypnosis has helped many people quit smoking but overall the uses for hypnosis, smoking cessation is the least successful.
There are a ton of programs out there that advertise that they can help you quit smoking in a day! Well, I don’t really buy that. I am not saying that it CAN’T be done. For some people it can. However, for the majority of people, this is not the case. The reason is because they are not prepared to quit. Think about it. How long have you smoked? 5, 10, 20 years? Longer? Think about starting a new job after that amount of time. Would you be able to wake up one morning and go to a new job without quitting your old job? Probably not. You probably have to spend a few weeks transitioning. Giving your boss notice and clearing out your desk. You would probably have to say goodbye to your coworkers. Even after all that, you might still find yourself automatically heading towards your old office once in a while.
Before you can make any huge life change you need to get prepared. This is especially true for quitting smoking. I have some GREAT news for you! I can help you! With a little self exploration, you can increase your chances of quitting smoking immensely.
First things first: First, you need to be honest. Why do you want to quit? If your answer is because your doctor told you to, or your spouse wants you to, stop right here. You have very little chance of quitting unless and until YOU want to. If the reason you want to quit is you, think about what quitting smoking means. Consider writing a list or even making a vision board. Do you want to spend the money you are spending on cigarettes on something else? Are you wanting better health? Whatever your reasons are, make sure you remind yourself of all the benefits of quitting.
Next: Look at when and why you smoke. Perhaps you will need to learn some new ways to handle stress (hypnosis can help!), maybe you will need to find something new to do when you drive or something to do with your hands. Having a good understanding of your habit is essential to quitting.
The next step: Next you need to look at who smokes around you. Does someone smoke in your house? How about your job? Do you smoke on the job or even take breaks with co workers? Talk to those around you. Are they willing to change their habit to help you break yours? This is a very critical step in the process. If you are around non smokers all day and come home to a house full of smokers, your success is going to be harder. Co workers who stop at your desk and enjoy your company on a smoke break might try to tempt you. Having these obstacles does not make you journey impossible. Understanding what you will face allows you to come up with a plan to combat it. I can help you in this process. Together we can discuss the challenges and find a solution.
Now what? The last thing you need to think about before you start to quit is if you are ready to make some changes. The smoking cessation program I use requires some changes to be made each week. It is a gradual program which takes you off of cigarettes over a few weeks.
If you are ready to quit smoking, we can talk. I will gladly help you with the pre work. You CAN quit smoking!
