| Take 4 Giant Steps ... & Stop Smoking |  |
To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did; I ought to
know because I've done it a thousand times," said Mark
Twain. If you and Mark Twain have walked down the same road,
it may be time for you to look at a new way to get ready to
stop, as well as to really stamp out this unhealthy habit
once and for all. For many smokers, getting ready to stop is
the biggest step of all.
There certainly is no shortage of non-smokers or reformed
smokers telling of the numerous reasons why someone should
not light up, and sometimes the telling can get out and out
nasty. The smoker often wonders why such a bad thing could
be so enjoyable, and just as often, how one can enjoy some-
thing that is so destructive. The other side of the coin is
why someone would do something so destructive when there is
no enjoyment whatsoever!
What does this really say about the inner self, the ability
to act intelligently, and to be in control of one's self.
How about self-respect, and self-value? What does this say
about the responsibility to oneself and family? Now, besides
the detrimental physical manifestations caused by smoking,
the smoker is left to deal with his inner essence and soul,
which appears on the surface, to be out to destroy as well.
It helps the smoker to understand that there are several
physical components to this addiction besides the nicotine,
and when these are managed holistically, the smoker can be
in charge of his health and well-being once again! A person
smokes to alter physical feelings in the body. These feel-
ings are actually body sensations caused by the thought pro-
cesses, emotions and stored stress. The act of smoking
hypnotizes the person, assisting in the release of the
stress chemicals. It becomes obvious, therefore, that new
ways of releasing the stress chemicals must be put in place
before the nicotine is removed, making the transition to
non-smoking smoother.
Step one is addressing the fear of non-smoking!
I have never met a smoker who wasn't experiencing some level
of fear when approaching the idea of quitting, and this is
very understandable. The cigarette, or other smoking vehicle
is actually perceived as a stress reducer, and for most
smokers this is their only stress reducer. Unfortunately,
while it does appear to reduce stress in the beginning, it
is a very dangerous choice, and because of the mind/ body
reaction to the over 4000 chemicals, there is a powerful re-
bound stress reaction from smoking.
As mentioned earlier, before the smoking devise can be re-
moved, the smoker needs some new and effective stress
management tools. It is important for the smoker to learn
how his body works in response to stress, and the part the
smoking plays in reducing stress. It is easy to recognize
when the person smokes, the mind/body goes into a hypnotic
trance. The person is often unaware of the actual smoking,
and before awareness hits, the cigarette is finished. Watch
the eyes of any smoker, and you can easily see the trance
state.
The mind is lost in the thought processes, and often very
vivid pictures are played while the smoke dances in and out
f the lungs. It is important for the smoker to learn how
to effect this state without smoking. This is done by
teaching the participant how to slow the brain waves
consciously, thereby slowing down the production of stress
chemicals, as the over-active mind slows as well. It takes
only 1/200th of a second to effect this biochemical change
in the mind/body. Actually, this is much quicker than
lighting up!
Step two is getting the nutrition in line for high-level
functioning!
I've met hundreds of smokers, but I have yet to
meet a smoker who has great nutritional habits. The common
pitfalls are no breakfast, or a one high in sugars, caffeine
and other high-glycemic foods. The lunch is often just as
sporadic, and grazing is a common habit. Favorite foods
usually fall into the category of being highly refined, and
beverages are often high in caffeine, artificial sweeteners,
or alcoholic.
It helps if we understand that there is an underlying link
to most addictions, and that is the addiction to sugar. It
becomes very important for the smoker to be educated about this
phenomena. If a person does not eat sufficiently for his
lean body mass, and/or if there is a family history of ad-
dictions, adult onset diabetes, heart disease, certain can-
cers, high blood pressure, and other circulatory diseases,
that person may be very sensitive to high-glycemic foods.
This over-sensitivity presents itself with uncomfortable
body sensations which feel stressful. The smoker answers
this biochemical feeling with lighting up a cigarette, in an
attempt to stop the stress reaction.
Step three is learning to quiet the mind and emotions!
Once the fear of non-smoking is understood, and the food is
in order, the smoker is already feeling better, and most
likely not smoking quite so often. This usually comes as a
surprise, because the smoker has never felt this level of
calmness before.
The emotional states we experience are actually chemical re-
actions in the mind/body brought forward by thoughts. They
end up in body sensations, but all originated in the thought
process in the form of images. When we learn to notice our
frequent "emotional visitors", especially on lower levels,
we can learn to release them, thereby causing a chemical
change in our biochemistry. The act of self-awareness, fol-
lowed by choice puts us in control of our mind/body pro-
cesses. For most people, this is a completely new beginning,
and breaks the hopeless-helpless cycle. We call these tools
mindfulness, awareness, and insight meditative practices.
They are extremely valuable in helping us learn to decrease
stress hormones, and produce healing hormones. This is the
basis of mind/body healing, not just for the smoker, but
for everyone, with or without an actual disease process.
Step four is learning the power of imagery, imaginology,
visualization and self-hypnotic technique!
We all have the power to access our subconscious mind. We do
it all the time. The aforementioned techniques allow us to
direct the images, instead of receiving them randomly, like
an out of control computer. Once the mind is quiet, we can
place images and suggestions directly into the subconscious.
For those looking to stop smoking, these images should be
based on the particular beliefs, and needs of the individual
smoker. For some, health is a big issue, but for others this
may not be so. It is important for the mind to really see
the problem, and the goal completely finished.
The mind words backwards, and when it is well focused on the
goal, and understands the problem very clearly, it will
assist in designing the action steps for achievement. There
are many tools and techniques for imaging, and deepening the
hypnotic trance. They are easy to learn, and very natural
for the mind/body. The body wants to be healthy. It is
looking for homeostasis, or balance. When we engage the en-
tire system in working towards health, expect the very best.
It will happen for you!
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN is a Clinical Medical Hypnotist,
President & Program Designer, Sarasota Medical & Sports
Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL & online at
http://www.hypnosis-audio.com & http://www.sugar-addiction.com.
She specializes in teaching self-hypnosis for health,
disease management, self-improvement & sports enhancement.
Her sites are interactive & educational, offering +350 CD
programs for adults, kids, executives & athletes. She is
the author of "Sugar...the Hidden Eating Disorder & How to Get
Free"
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