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How to Stop Smoking
1st July 2007: 'Stop Smoking'; UK introduces Smoking Ban. Like it or not, England has followed the rest of the UK with a smoking ban, prohibiting smoking from all public indoor spaces, including business premises, bars and restaurants.
This 'How to Stop Smoking' guide below is a general guide for those wishing to quit smoking. It is not necessarily NLP; please contact us for further information on NLP techniques and assistance in stopping smoking.
For an Adobe PDF printable version of this Stop Smoking guide, click here
How to Stop Smoking
1. Separate the effects of smoking from any beliefs or emotions (illusions) you may have about what smoking means to you, ‘does for you’- they are not true. Smoking is only breathing in smoke that is bad for the body.
2. Identify any positive intentions (see ‘A’ below) you associate with reasons for you to smoke. Disconnect these positive intentions from being a reason to smoke – it’s not true, it’s ‘brain-washing’.
3. Any addiction from nicotine is a negative ‘addictive’ effect – not having nicotine causes feelings of ‘stress’, lack of ‘relaxation’ and sometimes ‘lack of confidence’. As nicotine levels fall in the body, it produces these negative effects! Stop Smoking = Stop producing these negative effects!
4. In other words, the negative after effects of nicotine (as nicotine levels fall in the body) create the illusion that the cigarette is creating positive feelings – it doesn’t. Having another cigarette is only trying to getting you back (to the normal balanced emotional state) to where you would be if you didn’t smoke at all!
Example: a non-smoker feels satisfied after a good meal, whereas a smoker does not feel satisfied until after the meal and a cigarette!
Non-smokers don’t have these negative emotion effects brought on by nicotine, therefore have no ‘urge’ (stress) to smoke to feel more ‘relaxed’ or ‘confident’.
Once you have stopped smoking and the nicotine has cleared, you will get back your normal feelings of relaxation and confidence that you have before you started to smoke.
5. Once you have stopped smoking, Instigate new things to do in place of having a cigarette.
6. Ensure that these new things you do/implement fulfill any positive intentions you previously had associated with smoking, and empower your relaxation, congruence and self confidence.
7. These new things to do once you have stopped smoking can be wide-ranging (see ‘B’ below) alternative thoughts, actions, behaviours, strategies, etc..
A. Some Positive Intentions often associated with Smoking:
Coping with stress.Doing something with your hands.
Reminding you to breathe.
Being affiliated or a part of a group, (acceptance)
Something to do with your mouth.
Shutting out criticism or other stimuli from the outside world.
Putting you in to a state that allows you to think.
A particular kind of taste in your mouth.
Looking glamorous or grown up.
A way to rebel against authority.
A way to reward yourself.
Doing something just for you and nobody else.
A trigger for a particular state or thought process.
A way to shift gears or change states.
An anchor for feeling confident.
A way to shut off negative feelings.
A way to keep contact with a past or younger self.
A way to get/give attention.
Marking the beginning or end of something.
B. Some examples of things to do instead of smoking:
1. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and relax.2. Do something physically healthy and enjoyable like stretching, taking a quick walk or jog, etc.
3. Take 3 minutes and fantasize about something you would really enjoy.
4. Visualize yourself being strong, healthy and active. Make the picture bigger, brighter, closer, etc.
5. Ask the part of you that wants to smoke what other more acceptable choice you could make that would satisfy its need right now.
6. Think of how pleased someone you love or care about who wants you to stop smoking will be when you tell them you didn't have a cigarette.
7. Think of a habit similar to smoking that you were able to change easily and effectively. Think of what you did then and imagine how good you will feel about yourself when you change this habit.
8. Imagine how surprised all the people who have criticized you or doubted you will be when they see and hear that you have quit.
9. Create something. Draw a picture, fold some paper.
10. Go talk to someone near that you are really interested in.
11. Reward yourself by playing some music that you really like, or take a few minutes and look through an intriguing picture book or magazine
12. Find a flower, cologne or something that smells really good. Go smell it and really enjoy the dear full feeling you get from it.
13. Fantasize about something you will be able to buy or do with the money you are saving by not buying cigarettes.
14. Think of how many other things you will be confident that you can do once you know you have control over your own habits.
15. Congratulate yourself for taking care of yourself and allow yourself to feel proud and relieved that your chances of illness are becoming less and less.
16. Imagine yourself doing something that you have wanted to do but were limited from doing by smoking.
17. Talk to a friend or acquaintance about all the things you have learned about yourself in the process of changing this habit.
18. Have something that is really healthy for you to eat or drink but that you really savor and enjoy.
19. Picture someone that you really admire who has bean able to stop smoking themselves. Imagine being/feeling like that person.
20. Visualize yourself doing something that is really chic/cool/attractive/etc., that you can easily see yourself doing without a cigarette.
21. Go ask someone who has quit smoking about some of the choices he or she used when that person was at the same stage you are.
22. If you are having an internal struggle with yourself, visualize the parts of you that are in conflict. Ask each of them what positive thing they are trying to accomplish. What could you do that would satisfy the intentions of both parts?
23. Pretend that you have already stop smoking. Go out and find some strangers and tell them about how easy it was.
24. Think of a good joke and go tell it to someone who really needs it.
25. Think of at least three things you could do instead of smoking right now that would not interrupt what you are doing.
26. Do something a little out of character for you.
