Waterford Hypnosis Blog

Tuesday, 7 January 2014

Stop Smoking for the New Year - Tip #4 - Mindfully Breaking Smoking Cues

Welcome to tip #4 in my series of Stop Smoking Tips for 2014. Since I wrote my last tip you might have heard of the sad death of a Rock & Roll legend - Phil Everly (of 'The Everly Brothers) on January 3, 2014, just two weeks prior to his 75th birthday. The cause of his death was complications attributed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (a combination of emphysema and bronchitis), brought on by a lifetime of smoking.

Now depending how long you have been smoking, you may have found that you had developed specific times and activities that you now associate with smoking? These can be anything from having a cup of coffee to a night out and a drink with friends.

The good news is that these cues can easily be broken and that you can create new non smoking cues. My tip to change this to be aware of your 'thought process'. As part of my hypnosis program, one of the techniques that I teach my clients is called 'Mindfulness' which helps achieve this goal. It helps you to become aware of your thought process - and it empowers you to see your thoughts for what they really are - just 'thoughts'; - and that you do not need to engage with them, just take a long slow deep breath and watch them come and watch them go, without attaching any meaning to them. The average thought lasts just a few moments! So, just because you have a thought to smoke, does not mean you need to go down to the shop and buy a packet of cigarettes! Just say to yourself: "I might have a thought to smoke - but I don't have to". Mindfulness helps us to happily live in the present moment and you will find it very beneficial if you mindfully remember that no craving lasts more than three minutes!

Just like a fish swims in water, us human beings swim in our thoughts. How we use these thoughts very much equals how we feel. So getting your 'thought process' right when it comes to stopping smoking is very important. Aim to develop a little ritual whenever you have a thought to smoke. For example buy a bag of sweets and if you have a thought to smoke unwrap and rewrap one of the sweets, and you'll find that a moment later that thought will be already gone. Just distract yourself for that moment and take a slow deep breath and exhale.

Now that you have made the decision to stop smoking, you know that it really did serve no purpose in your life. However it is now important to replace the smoking activity with something more productive. You could eat an apple, drink a glass of water or even go for a walk or a run. Mindfully take up a new activity, hobby and/or past time. I am sure you will find doing this will really help create new healthy habits and cues for being healthy and free from a bad habit.

Before long you will even be able to enjoy your cup of coffee and night out smoke free. Just make sure that you prepare yourself (see previous tip#2). Once you have one cup of coffee or night out smoke free, you will find it will no longer be a cue to smoke, but a cue to remain a non smoker.

I hope you have found this tip beneficial. Please tune in again soon for the next in the series of my Stop Smoking tips for 2104.

My name if Trevor Eivers and I am based in Waterford, Ireland. I am a Certified Consulting Hypnotist (since 2010) with the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), which is the largest hypnosis body in the world with over 14,000 members in 83 different countries worldwide. I am also a Certified NLP practitioner. I love my job in which I help everyday people with everyday issues. Contact me at 086-8211677 or check me out online at waterford-hypnosis.com or Facebook at : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trevor-Eivers-Hypnosis/177881245578285

Thursday, 2 January 2014

Stop Smoking for the New Year - Tip #3 - Give Your Body A Chance

Well it's the New Year and if you have already made the decision to stop smoking, firstly WELL DONE & CONGRATULATIONS - great choice!

Now, no matter how long you have been smoking, whether one year or thirty years, your body will require some time to adjust to the non smoking life. Over the coming days your body will be doing its best to get rid of the build up of nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and other chemicals. In fact you might find that you will be able to taste the flavors of your food a lot more over the coming weeks, as the layer of tar on your tongue breaks down and dissolves. Also, people are usually surprised when I tell them that it only takes 3-4 days for the nicotine to leave the body. Allen Carr made millions passing on this simple tit-bit of information, which is one of the main concepts of his book 'The Easy Way To Stop Smoking'. Immediately after you put out that last cigarette, the nicotine levels in your body drop, which brings on that feeling people experience as a 'craving'. But really what it is, is the Nicotine monster (metaphorically speaking) inside you that is just hungry for more nicotine. But isn't it empowering to know after only 3-4 days that nicotine monster is dead? and after that you are well on the road to freedom; from then on it's just establishing the non smoking behaviour permanently. By the way hypnosis can not only help with reducing-eliminating cravings but also establishing that new behaviour.

So with the above in mind, it is essential to drink lots of water (6-8 glasses a day) and eat well (organic fruit and vegetables, etc.) to help your body do it's job. You will find by doing this, in a short space of time you will have more energy and vitality. Also, endeavor to get active, whether it be walking every day or joining a gym. Finally, get plenty of 'fresh air' into those smoke free lungs. Yes it is not natural to smoke but it is natural to breathe fresh air!

Like with most things in life, starting is usually the hardest part and when it comes to the goal of stopping smoking, it is no different. Building up some momentum over the first couple of days is vital; to help build up some confidence in your ability to be free from a bad habit. Look at it from this point of view - that if you can stop smoking for one day, you can do it for two, if you can do it for two you can do it for three, etc. The longer you are smoke free the better you will feel about yourself. Just make sure to give your body that breathing space. Sometimes it's like a car that has broken down, it might take a few strong men to push it but before long the wheels start turning and then you are on your way!

I want to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year and all the best for 2014. I hope you have found this tip helpful and remember to tune in again soon for the next one.