Articles and self-help
- Some stop smoking tips and hints.

Stop smoking tip 1

Take a good hard look at the realities of smoking. Look at your habit as it really is. It's expensive, inconvenient, it controls you and is socially unaccceptable. It wastes not only large sums of money but it costs you your health and may one day even cost you your life. Recognise cigarettes for what they really are.

Stop smoking tip 2

Decide that from now on you'll only smoke outside (regardless of the weather!)

Stop smoking tip 3

When you feel a desire or craving to smoke, be conscious of what you are doing at the time and try to change it.

• For example you might be about to take a tea or coffee break. Try drinking water, herbal tea or fruit juice instead. Alternatively you can skip your tea/coffee break and go out for a walk.

• If you are making a phone call, then stand up whilst talking and keep the call as short as possible.

• If you usually have a cigarette after your meal, then get into the habit of cleaning your teeth instead.

• Keep your hands occupied by writing, typing, drawing, sewing or whatever.

• Use your imagination to come up with healthy substitutes for smoking. Change any routines that are linked to having a cigarette. This helps break any links in your mind between smoking and various activities.
  
  

Stop smoking tip 4

Make sure that you are getting an adequate supply of minerals/vitamins from your diet. Smoking reduces your body’s ability to absorb and use essential minerals and vitamins. If you smoke or are planning to quit it may be a good idea to take minerals/vitamins, herbal remedies or a natural food supplement. Your local health food shop should be able to offer you advice.

Stop smoking tip 5

Keep your cigarettes and lighter or matches apart, preferably in different rooms.

Stop smoking tip 6

Ask yourself why you feel the need to smoke. Is it because you're lonely, anxious or bored?

• If you're lonely then phone a friend.

• If you're stressed or anxious take a few minutes to breathe deeply and ask yourself if smoking is really going to resolve your problems.

• If you feel the need to smoke because you're bored, then find something to occupy your mind.

• Remember that there's a big difference between a need to smoke and a desire or want to smoke. With a want, you can make the choice as to whether or not you go ahead and smoke.

Stop smoking tip 7

For the next 2 days smoke as many cigarettes as you have a need to but hold the cigarette between the thumb and first (index) finger of the usual hand. (Sounds silly, but it can help!)

Stop smoking tip 8

Every following 2 days change the position that you would normally hold your cigarette.

• For example, if you generally hold your cigarette between the first and middle finger this is the position you will change. Instead you might try holding it between the ring finger and the little finger for days 3-4.

• If you're right handed then try holding the cigarette between the thumb and index finger of the left hand for days 5-6.

• Follow this by holding it between the ring finger and the little finger of your left hand.

• Use your imagination to come up with unfamiliar ways of holding your cigarette!

Stop smoking tip 9

Drink around 2 litres of bottled or filtered water each day. Always drink a large glass of water if you feel the need to smoke. By the time you've finished drinking your glass of water, you might be surprised to find that you no longer have the craving for a cigarette.

According to some experts smoking is an oral compulsive disorder and so drinking water can satisfy the smokers need to have a cigarette in their mouth.

As an added bonus, drinking lots of water is much healthier than smoking and can assist in flushing the nicotine and other toxins out of your body. This in turn will help break any hold that cigarettes and nicotine may have on you.

Stop smoking tip 10

Stimulate your lymphatic drainage system to help your body rid itself of nicotine and other toxins found in cigarettes. You can stimulate this system by firstly locating an area on the upper left hand side of your body by doing the following:

• Firstly place your forefinger on the U-shaped notch at the top of the breastbone (about where a man would knot his tie).

• From the bottom of the U, move your finger approximately 5 inches to the left. If you massage this area you may find that it is more tender than the surrounding areas.

Rubbing this area in a gentle circular motion will help stimulate your lymph nodes and so help flush toxins caused by smoking out of your body.

The lymph nodes on the left side of your body are more effective than on the right and so we usually recommend that you locate the 'sore spot' on the left side. In general, the more uncomfortable it is when you rub this area, then the more your body is struggling to rid itself of an accumulation of toxins.

Stop smoking tip 11

Accept that whether you smoke or not there will be situations in your life that are stressful. Realise that smoking won't make these situations go away. Smoking has the potential for causing even more problems (financial and health related) that you'll just have to deal with sometime in the future.

Stop smoking tip 12

Learn how to relax. Listen to some relaxing music or a relaxation CD. Nowadays there's a huge choice available so you have no excuse. If you take part in my smoking cessation program, you will receive a free relaxation CD as part of your treatment.

Most people find that an added bonus of using hypnotherapy to help them stop smoking is that they naturally seem to become more relaxed anyhow!