If you or someone you care about smokes cigarettes you/they already know you/they they “should” quit. (Please don’t “should” all over yourself now. You’ll feel better as you continue reading.)
Just for the conversational flow of this blog, I’m going to just say you instead of repeating you/they. You/they know who you are (feel my smile). You also know all too well, about the health risks. You know how much money you are actually lighting on fire to support the smoking habit. And chances are pretty high that you know you would feel so much better simply breathing air as opposed to breathing in toxic cigarette stuff.
Even though many of you are smart, and possibly even determined, you may still struggle to stop this annoying habit.
Of course, this is often where frustration begins. Some people start thinking something must really be wrong with them. Please hear me on this, there’s nothing wrong with you.
Smoking is not just a habit of the hands. Yes, some people think it’s because they always have to do something with their hands. You know you can do other things with your hands that don’t even cost a dime much less what you’re paying for a pack of cigarettes.
Back to the habit of smoking; over time it becomes a pattern connected to the mind and nervous system.
Smoking Often Becomes Connected to Stress
For many people, cigarettes are how they deal with stress.
Maybe you go for a cigarette after a stressful conversation. It’s an excuse to have to step away to go outside or wherever it’s ok to light up. Whoever said we have to have the excuse of a cigarette to step away?! Stepping away can be a good healthy choice for all parties involved BUT the truth is, you can step away and not have to light a cigarette as the excuse.
Some people smoke in their car. Some don’t. Some look forward to driving because that’s when they smoke. As a side note, I know many people who immediately got their cars professionally cleaned as soon as they quit smoking because they could no longer tolerate the stench. Back to stress smoking in the car – some say it helps them to prevent road rage or other unacceptable behaviors. Yikes! I can share some much better alternatives.
Some people go to great lengths to smoke a cigarette on a break at work; having to leave the premises because smoking is prohibited, hiding so none of the other employees see them, then having to go through a process of “cleansing” yourself from the smell on your breath, on your clothing, on your hair, etc.
True story here, years ago I had a client who worked in the gold shiny buildings in New Haven by the harbor. She had to go quite a distance on foot to step off of the premises to light up, then she had to smoke very fast, then she had to quickly trace her steps back, etc. Well, interestingly enough, as the story goes, she stopped smoking and just didn’t think about it.
Seriously, one day one of her co-workers walked up to her desk and very nicely said that he noticed she seemed much less stressed and he noticed that she was getting so much more work done. She politely acknowledged him even though she thought it was a little weird. Later that evening as she was relaxing at home it dawned on her; she stopped smoking, she was no longer going through the laborious task of leaving the premises, consequently she was much less stressed and was getting more work done. I love the way she told me the story!
Rather than dessert or after dessert or after a meal, your cigarette may be the cherry on the top. Although chances are one cherry would be much less harmful mentally, emotionally, and physically. I digress…
So I said all of that to say, over time the brain begins to associate smoking with relief. I know you knew that.
Even though you probably agree that smoking cigarettes has become “a habit” that you struggle with, the truth is the mind has learned to treat them as a way to temporarily “feel better” as opposed to feeling stressed (or whatever your word may be).
In my Milford, Connecticut hypnosis practice, I often work with people who are ready to stop smoking but feel frustrated that willpower alone hasn’t been enough.
Why Willpower Only Goes So Far
Many smokers try to quit through sheer determination.
You may make all kinds of promises and deals with yourself. You may even start chewing gum or using food instead. (Nooooo, in my office you do not trade one bad habit for another!)
For a few days, or even a few weeks, it may work. But eventually something stressful happens and the old pattern returns. It simply means the older pattern in the mind is still stronger than the new one.
Changing the Pattern
Smoking usually begins as a choice. But over time it becomes a learned program in the brain. A habit. A habit is just something we do over and over to the point where we don’t even have to consciously think about doing it. Sometimes like driving a car or the way home.
Hypnosis works by helping change these internal patterns, which is why many people seek hypnosis to quit smoking when other methods haven’t worked.
Instead of constantly fighting cravings through effort and pressure, the mind begins to see cigarettes differently. What once felt appealing can begin to feel unnecessary, no longer wanted, no longer needed.
What once felt automatic can begin to feel optional. (I advise everyone to put their cigarette pack somewhere else so they don’t habitually light up.)
Becoming a Nonsmoker (or simply one who practices not smoking)
Many people believe they are trying to quit smoking. But the real purpose is something much more powerful. It is becoming a nonsmoker for life – for your Life – literally.
That shift changes the conversation happening in the mind. Instead of constantly resisting cigarettes, the mind begins to accept a new reality. “I Am Choosing to stop smoking because I Want my health.” “I Am Choosing to stop smoking because I want to feel better physically, mentally and emotionally.” Have some fun with that sentence and fill in your own “want”.
That is a statement that is filled with e-motion. It moves you in the direction you want to go in. That statement becomes your new habit.
A Supportive Approach
Most smokers already want to quit. They’re not looking to be judged or pressured. They simply want help changing a habit that has been part of their life for a long time.
Hypnosis can support that decision by helping the mind and body move in the same direction. And often much more comfortable than people expect.
If You’re Ready
If you’ve been thinking about quitting smoking, which you probably have if you’re still here in this blog post, the most important question is simple.
Are you ready to practice not smoking for your life?
When that moment arrives, the change can happen much more easily than many people imagine. Sometimes things really do work out better than we can possibly imagine.
If you would like to learn more about how hypnosis can support quitting smoking, you can visit this page on my website:
https://joanndunsing.com/quit-
There you’ll find additional information along with a short video where I explain how I work with clients who are ready.
For Healthcare Providers
If you are a physician, therapist, or wellness provider working with patients who want to quit smoking, hypnosis can be a helpful complementary support.
My work focuses on helping clients change the internal patterns that drive the smoking habit so they can become a nonsmoker for life.
You are always welcome to share this article with patients who may benefit.
You don’t have to go it alone.
I offer a complimentary phone conversation so you can ask questions, learn what to expect, and see whether this feels like a good fit.
You can call me at 203-907-7710, or click the button below. I typically respond within 24 hours.
