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Prepare
Yourself Mentally to Quit Smoking
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Prepare Yourself Mentally to
Quit Smoking
- Mike Durand
What many people may not realize is just how much
of the effort to quit smoking relies on changing your thought
processes and self-perceptions. While the actual smoking behavior
is all that others see, like the tip of the iceberg, a smoking
habit is supported by many underlying, unseen factors including
your reasons for smoking. These may vary widely, including:
- stress relief
- weight loss
- boredom
- fitting in with a group of people
- image
- nicotine addiction
Understanding your own reasons for smoking is the first step in
creating a customized plan for quitting. By finding healthier
replacements to address your underlying needs, you will be less
likely to succumb to temptation when obstacles arise. Because
every individual is different, it is essential that you tailor
your stop smoking plan to suit your own unique situation.
Another element of mental preparation is in trying to retrain
yourself to see cigarettes not as something pleasurable, but as
something you no longer want in your life. This can be a major
adjustment, however all the evidence about the dangers of smoking
as well as your personal reasons for quitting, can be utilized as
reminders. Make a list of all the negative things about smoking
that you are looking forward to freeing yourself from, as well as
the positive changes you are striving towards, and review these
often.
Part of your transition will involve learning to identify yourself
as a non-smoker, and changing your behaviors accordingly. Take
some time to think about what this will mean for you. Do you need
to make changes regarding where you spend your time, and who you
spend it with? At what times during your day might you feel the
most lost without a cigarette? What temptations are you likely to
encounter during your normal routine? Thinking about these things
before they occur will help you be prepared with solutions all
ready to meet the challenges as they arise.
Another component of mentally preparing yourself to quit smoking
is the power of positive thinking and visualization in helping
pave the way to success. If you can easily imagine yourself
overcoming your smoking habit, and start to really feel how great
it is going to be to quit, this will provide additional motivation
and momentum towards reaching your goals. Along with specific
visualizations, you can also learn relaxation techniques that will
help overcome your cravings, and reduce any underlying stress that
is contributing to your habit.
Doing some reading and research ahead of time using the many
available resources will help give you an idea of what to expect
during the quitting process, and learn about what types of
strategies have been used successfully by other former smokers.
You can then choose a combination of different approaches as seems
appropriate, and keep other strategies in mind as a back up plan.
If you look, you will find there is plenty of help along the way;
take advantage of as many stop smoking methods as necessary to
help you stay quit, and look forward to celebrating your
milestones.
http://www.stopsmokingpad.com Striving to Create a
Happier Healthier Life by helping people make the decision to stop
smoking
Author's Email Address: tmsalesinc@att.net
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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