Quit Smoking With Your Body And Your Mind

Deciding that youre going to quit smoking is a little like deciding that youre going to climb Mount Everest

. Rarely, if ever, does anyone plan to scale the peak in one day. Climbing a mountain takes preparation and an understanding that it is not a single step, but a series of movements, spaced out over a carefully planned journey, that will get you to the top. The same method applies to quitting smoking; you have to accept that it is a process with different stages that will be accomplished over time.

Smoking cessation is not only a physical process, but a mental one, too. Not only does your body crave nicotine, but you mentally crave the release of tension associated with smoking. Quitting smoking is about learning how to change your underlying psychological addiction. Addiction is never simply a matter of taking away the tangible substance; its about altering the behavior that made that substance a necessary part of your daily life.

Learning how to confront your own psychological attitudes toward smoking is a process that takes time, but will ultimately reward you with a much clearer sense of who you are, and how you want to live your life. How many smokers do you know who have quit smoking repeatedly, only to start again as soon as they face a major stressor in their life? To truly quit smoking, you have to work on both the physical and the mental level. If you only manage to stop your physical cravings, you leave yourself vulnerable to a relapse at any time.

This potential for relapse is why its vital to tackle the mental aspect of your addiction straight on. Having someone to talk to who has an innate understanding of how the psychology of addiction works can be extremely helpful in understanding how to truly rid yourself of the urges and corresponding behaviors that cause so many smokers to fail in their attempts to quit. As you move through the stages of smoking cessation, and gradually learn how to manage your stress without resorting to smoking, you will discover how deeply your addiction has impacted your life.

Its important that you give yourself time. Dont become impatient at your progressremember, youre dealing with a very powerful and difficult substance. Its okay to pace yourself and gradually reduce your smoking, as long as you understand that you need to work on modifying your underlying attitudes.

Dont throw away all your cigarettes and pretend that youve solved the problem. Freeing yourself from the demands of an addictive behavior involves understanding the root causes of the addiction. Unearthing emotional truths can be difficult, especially when youve taught yourself to deal with those emotions by lighting up a cigarette. By taking the time to deal with your emotions, and understand and modify your behavior, you will free yourself from the desire to smoke. Ultimately, smoking cessation is only successful when you truly have stopped smokingboth with your body, and your mind.

by: Lou Ryan

POST COMMENT

How To Shop For Used Car Parts Leadership That Creates Manufacturing Miracles Leadership Exposed: Things You Thought You Knew About Leadership Leadership, Life, And The Year 2012 Contribution Of Print In Imbibing Leadership Qualities In Youth The Qualities Of An Ideal Leader Of A Country The Ceo And The Yellow Notepad Leadership Training: Train Your Way To Career And Personal Growth Be The Next Big Thing In Your Company: 2 Ways To Acquire Leadership Training Leadership Is There For The Making Public Speaking Skills And Leadership Recognizing A Fraud Local Used Cars Dealer Or Private Seller For Car Buying