I Will Quit Smoking - With determination anyone could do it! Quit Smoking today - It’s never too late!

In my job, I’ve helped a lot of people quit smoking. And I’ve heard a lot of reasons why smoking is a good thing.

I’ve been told smoking sharpens your mind, relaxes you, calms you, keeps you from yelling at the kids (or spouse), tastes good with coffee, tastes better after a meal. In short, makes you feel “better”. (I always ask “better than what”?)

I know you don’t really believe these reasons, or why would you be trying to stop smoking. Still, a part of you DOES believe these reasons.

The obvious and overlooked part is you must have a strong reason to continue smoking or you would have already stopped. By the way, there is no law that says your reason to keep smoking has to make any logical sense. It rarely does.

Almost all of the reasons you continue smoking can easily be proven wrong. Example: Maybe smoking helps you relax during work breaks because you get away and go outside to do it.

Most of the time you KNOW the reason doesn’t make sense. That doesn’t change the craving though, does it? Just one more one more reason in your list of reasons to quit. A list that doesn’t have much chance against the well-rooted cravings to smoke.

It all comes down to two things. The belief that smoking will make you feel better and what you’re trying to feel better than. That’s it.

If you’re hungry you feel like eating. If you’re tired, you feel like sleeping. If you feel bad (stressed, over-burdened, upset, alone, whatever…) you want to feel good. And, whatever your mind has learned feels good, you feel like doing.

This is an only slightly simplified explanation of a craving. Most smokers have more than one type of craving like, the ‘first thing in the morning’ craving feels different than the ‘after lunch’ craving. But the same model applies.

SO, how do you change these things? I can write on and on about this (and I have on my web site) It will come down to changing the feelings, motivations and beliefs involved.

First, the ‘bad feeling’ side of things needs to be addressed. If it’s too much stress, get it managed, if it’s a situation that makes you lonely, do what you can to fix it, or look for help.

Second, you belief that smoking helps you feel good (it’s probably the innocent mistake that smoking equals being an adult, in control, strong, capable, etc…) In truth, a cigarette is a plant leaf and chemicals wrapped in paper. The good feeling you’re anticipating from smoking is created by your mind. YOU make yourself feel better when you smoke. So it only makes sense that you can make yourself feel good by doing something that is healthy. If, your mind believes it makes you feel good.

And there’s the trick for most people. Successfully quitting smoking is much easier after changing these emotional connections. People don’t often think of this. That is why the success rate of medication and nicotine replacement alone is so poor. The only current exception is Chantix and even Pfizer, the makers of Chantix, recommend behavior modification along with their medication.

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Now is the only time that is important. Many people get caught up in their day to day lives and focus on the future which can bring about anxiety or stress. Stress can cause many problems such as concentration issues, lack of good judgment, negativity and lack of productivity. The best way to combat these feelings of stress is through relaxation. Relaxation plays in a key roll in leading a healthy happy life. Relaxation takes as little as ten minutes a day and can be as simple as breathing exercises, or as challenging as a kick boxing class, the choice is yours.

Relaxation can happen anywhere, at work, at home or on a little deserted island off the coast of Mexico. Unfortunately not everyone can take a nice vacation to that dream island or a seven year sabbatical. Many need to learn to relax in the comfort of their own homes and lives. The key is to find something you enjoy and teach your mind to relax when you do it.

There are many ways in which you can relax. Finding your method is really your biggest obstacle, but it is easy, just think about what you enjoy most. Maybe you like listening to music, reading, meditating or walking. Any of these activities can be a relaxation method and can be scaled down to as little as ten minutes.

Something simple like watching TV, listening to music, surfing the web and reading offer a break from regular day to day situations. Books can create a world completely different from your own as can a good movie or song. Each of these activities help your mind escape into a visually exciting place.

Learning to control your breathing and meditation can be a little more complicated since you must learn these techniques in order for them to work properly. Meditation can help you learn to reflect on situations and to control your breathing to calm your mind. These techniques need to be mastered and exercised in order to achieve the maximum result. Once you have achieved your goal, you can relax at the drop of a hat and find inner control in as little as ten minutes.

The gym or fitness classes have an appeal to many as well. Some like to run, walk or lift weights in order to relax. Others might prefer a cycling, kick boxing or tai chi class. Running and walking burn off built up energy and are a great stress reliever, however not everyone wants to run a marathon. For them there are other classes and their purpose is relaxation, such as yoga. Many people choose to skip the classes and gym all together and simply walk their dogs in the park which offers equally as much stress relief.

Your body will tell you what it likes and what it doesn’t like, you just need to learn to listen. Take note of what worked and what didn’t while you were practicing different relaxing techniques. If one doesn’t work don’t be afraid to try a different approach. Make sure to keep yourself motivated by reminding yourself you will be healthier and happier in the end and think how nice it is to do something enjoyable.

Teaching your body something new is always a challenge, however once you get the hang of it, it is like riding a bike, your body won’t forget how. It is important to find an activity which you enjoy and know you will stick with, but you must make a conscious effort to remind and train your body to relax while performing this task. It may take time, but in the end the rewards will be fantastic for your mind, body and lifestyle.

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Pretend you or someone you know has a bad habit. A big bad monkey on your back. How did it get there? How did it start? Probably a combination of three things; emotions, authority figures, and repetition.

Let’s use an example.

Let’s just use a younger you for the example, 10-14 years old. And for this example, let’s use the habit of smoking. If you don’t smoke…. replace the word “smoking” with any craving you get, or just pretend you smoke? It is an article about smoking after all.

When you were in that age range we can assume you were learning about your life and how you fit into it. You may not have felt as sure about yourself.

You may have felt self-conscious, dependent on others, powerless, not good enough, or just not as capable as you would have liked to feel. Let’s call this feeling “bad”. Now, this doesn’t mean you felt miserable, but, did you feel as “good” as you wanted to feel? Did you feel as “good” as you believed other people felt?

Possibly, (probably) not. Which would mean you wanted to feel better, or at least as good as you thought other people feel. What would make you feel better? That depends on the influences in your life to that point.

Maybe you had authority figures in your young life that smoked, like parents, relatives, friends, advertisements, role models. At this point in your life, smoking would have been seen as tough, strong, independent, self-assured, unique, “good”. Repetitively exposed to the thing you felt your life lacked.

This would create a desire (craving) in you to do this thing. A belief that smoking is what your life is missing. And not just in a “knowing” way, but a “feeling” way as well, which is much more powerful.

Then at some point you tried your first cigarette, and DID feel better. But you were not very good at smoking yet and since it made you feel better, you practiced it until you were good at it.

As life continues you come across situations that make you feel “bad” again and do what you’ve been taught makes you feel “good”. That is repeated emotions and practice and you have a strong habit.

If you’ve tried to stop smoking before, you may have already thought of these things. And you’ve spent time thinking and analyzing your habit. But, you didn’t learn this habit by thinking and analyzing, so why would trying to quit smoking that way?

It is a lot easier to quit smoking with the same methods you started smoking with. A “hypnotized” state of mind combined with emotions, authority figures and repetition. Often called modern hypnosis.

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Surgery is complicated enough without all the side effects. Typically there are pages of consent forms to sign listing everything that could go wrong. Surgery, whether elective or required is something many will face at some point in their lives. Patients should understand many complications can not be foreseen. However there is one complication that can be avoided and it is in the patient’s control and that is smoking.

Surgery is something many patients will face at some point in their lives, whether elective or required. There are certain protocols in place for patients to follow before surgery such as no food twelve hours before surgery and nothing to drink. However, many physicians and anesthesiologists require their patients to quit smoking for at least two weeks before and after surgery.

Anesthesiologyinfo.com explains some of the serious side effects smoking can have on the body during surgery. The heart will not function properly because smoking increases carbon monoxide causing the blood to not properly circulate. Carbon monoxide will also attach itself to hemoglobin in the blood which will decrease the amount of oxygen flowing through the blood and body. Nicotine makes the body need more oxygen which will put more stress on the heart, lungs and body which is already under distress from the anesthesia.

With surgery, the body is under stress and therefore prone to infections, especially lung infections. However if you are a smoker, the lungs are even more susceptible to collapse. The small airways do not function as they should because of smoke and nicotine which makes them collapse. Mucus production increases because of smoking and the lungs are not able to clear it as quickly as they should because of anesthesia, making the patient more prone to serious lung infections such as pneumonia and chronic coughing. Bronchospsams and other infections in the lungs can be fatal and should be taken seriously. Smoking has been linked to dozens of other side effects, ranging from heart attacks to poor wound healing by as many as six times more in smokers versus non smokers.

Leading a healthier life and having a successful surgery is something all doctors wish for their patients. Doctors do not want their patient to have complications before, during or after surgery. This is why they ask for smokers to at least take a break before going under any anesthesia. Making smoking secession a top priority is something all patients should be doing, regardless if they are having surgery or not.

There are many ways for patients to quit smoking. Some of the more common treatments are over the counter, such as the nicotine patch and gum. There are other homeopathic treatments as well such as herbal remedies, acupuncture and hypnosis. While others choose to quit, by using prescriptions such as Zyban and Wellbutrin. Often treatments are combined so the patient is as successful as they can be.

The most important thing to do is talk with your physician and discuss your options and find out which plan will suit you best. Since there are many choices and options available to help you quit, there can be no more excuses. Do not wait until you need major surgery before trying to quit, quit before you get there.

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Where do you get your stress? Family? Work? Money? Yourself? All of the above?

How much of your feeling of stress is based off of your current situations, and how much is based off of your past situations? You probably know what I mean by that, but the answer is not always clear when you’re in the middle of it.

You are aware that managing and reducing stress can prevent lots of problems. Problems with health, sleep, poor diet potential addiction, and more. Stopping these problems before they start is just smart.

You know you would not choose to have trouble sleeping well or problems with your blood pressure. But, choosing to ignore your stress level is almost like that.

Many people with high stress look to avoid the discomfort by looking for things to make them feel “better”. If you’re hot, you want to be cool, if you’re cold, you want to be warm. When feeling stress, you might look for short term relief like watching TV, movies, prescription medications, cigarette smoking, eating, and other addictions.

Many people think medication is the only alternative, and try to avoid that. If there were a simple, clinically studied and proven method to relieve stress, would you use it?

Yes, you would, if it really worked.

You’ve probably watched a movie or television to relax. Does it really help? Probably most of the time you’re watching it you feel relatively more relaxed. Something else to focus on and think about? But there really isn’t much “thinking” going on… it just helps you make a more relaxed state of mind.

Many people go through great lengths and complicated processes to achieve this state of mind. Creative visualization, meditation, yoga, deep prayer, etc…

These things technically achieve a mental state of hypnosis. Since it is a natural state of mind, it takes very little practice to regularly get this hyper focused state.

You are in a different states of hypnosis many times during a normal day. To hypnotize yourself on purpose, with the purpose of reducing stress, is easy and shown to be very effective.

There are medical clinical studies in the National Library of Medicine you can research on www.pubmed.gov.

Physical and mental stress reduction is possible in just a few short minutes.

Getting help from an appropriately trained hypnotist or using a quality self-hypnosis audio to reduce general stress are perfect alternatives. They have a higher rate of long-term success than medication and hypnosis has no potential for side-effects.

Note: Even though hypnosis has been an approved by the American Medical Association since 1958, it does not replace conventional medicine.

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Comfort food is something we crave when we are tired, sad, lonely, stressed or even happy. We all have our own favorite comfort food, for me it is Jack in the Box tacos. If you had this food as an adult for the first time, you would never eat it again, but still you are drawn to it. It is just not logical!

Here is the logic, the addition and craving you are feeling is emotional. You, like myself, can justify eating it because you think you will feel happy, content or calm. Deep down you know it will not make you feel better, but think it will subconsciously. After a while you actually start to believe it will make you feel better and because our minds believe this, you do feel better, but only for a short time.

As the taco is disappearing, a bite at a time, the guilt kicks in. You might have guessed this does not stop me from eating one taco, or even my second! I am sure you know this feeling, and it is very frustrating. I know I should not be eating the greasy and oddly textured taco, but I really feel like eating it. I have the same cravings, longing and urge to devour that taco, the same as you.

Annihilating the taco, is a habit and this habit was learned through different ways. For me, I remember being very young, seven or eight years old maybe. I was on the way to the beach in Southern California with my family. I remember my mom and aunt, talking about Jack in the Box tacos. They talked about how good and greasy they are. They would especially be perfect to buy and take to the beach to eat. We were all happy and having a good time. It was a warm, sunny day at the beach, and we were going to play and enjoy ourselves. We got the tacos and they were the most delicious tacos in the world. I remember some gritty sand getting onto some of my taco but it didn’t matter, we were having a fantastic day. Important memories which are vivid typically are more influential than the everyday mundane memories.

Today, just the anticipation of getting the tacos triggers good feelings which are associated with this memory. Sometimes the memory comes with it and sometimes not. It is important to understand how we relate feelings to different things in our lives, things like food, music or a voice.

For example, I used to love Aerosmith. I would listen to their songs over and over again, but never get sick of them. All this changed in the early 90’s when I took my then girlfriend to an Aerosmith concert. Things did not get well and since then I don’t care for Aerosmith much, each song reminds me of her.

I have been able to conquer my embarrassing fear of spiders, thank goodness. I managed to trace it back to a time when I was six or seven and had a run in with a black widow spider. The spider was inside of a rear window in our van. I remember the van had pin striping and the interior was tangerine orange with matching carpet. Try not to laugh too hard, it was SoCal in the 70’s. My parents were freaking out and they made my brothers and I quickly evacuate the van. Now I am able to kill spiders but if I see a big one, still gets my heart racing.

Other memories we associate with feelings or emotions might be something as simple as a voice. I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear a stern voice, like my wife saying, Patrick Michael Glancy, I know I have either done something wrong or need to find something to do and fast! Most people feel like a child when they hear this tone of voice. Especially when someone uses your first, middle and last name!

Enough about me. The point of all this is to show you common sense examples of learned behaviors. Emotions associated with memories trigger very powerful, behind the scenes reactions and decisions in our minds.

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Quit Smoking - Is it too hard?

If you are a smoker and have ever attempted to quit smoking, you may be aware of the difficulties that are faced once you have quit. It is truth that quitting can be tough; however the task will be easier by the use of effective medications such as Chantix.

As you know the cigarette is made with nicotine. It can create a short term feelings of elation and pleasure in the brain. As the body begins to crave nicotine, the smoker becomes addicted to the nicotine. The more you smoke the more your body craves this chemical which produces these feelings of pleasure and elation.

This addiction as evidenced above is generally the main reason why smokers are unable to quit or find it more difficult to kick the habit. It is however possible to make use of anti-smoking medication coupled with strong discipline, dedication and behavioral support to overcome your addiction and ultimately quit smoking.

What steps can be taken to overcome smoking?

If you really want to quit smoking, you have to make a few personal changes, be dedicated and committed to your efforts to beat your habit. You should devise a positive regime that is suitable for you and attainable goals which are within you’re the scope of achievement. Anti-smoking drugs is very effective and alleviate the stresses and strains of quitting, however smokers need to understand that the quitting process also requires a certain degree of ‘mind over matter’.

What needs to be remembered is that quitting smoking is a lengthy process and often involves undoing years of abuse and addiction. Giving up is not something that is going to happen overnight. As a smoker, you need to find a means of quitting that is comfortable and suitable to your individual needs. If you have made the decision to quit then you have already taken the first major step towards kicking your box of smokes to the curb. If the urges and cravings become too intense, you can try to chat with a friend, having a glass of water or chewing some gum.

These tactics are by no means going to make you quit but are definitely going to make the experience far more bearable and possibly help you resist the temptations and urges to light up. Try to avoid overly stressful situations by take up yoga, jogging, go for a relaxing walk or take up meditation.

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Stop smoking herb rather than cigarettes is a fairly healthy natural way to quit smoking cigarettes.

Nowadays there are lots of different quit smoking aids in the market and it is quite difficult to choose one to help you get through your struggle. Many people have trying all sorts of methods from laser smoking cessation treatments to acupuncture cessation smoking methods. They might also try purchasing quit smoking antidepressant prescriptions or a kit smoking stop product.

Nicotine replacement methods are also available like the patch or nicotine gum. However most of these people still find that they miss the actual physical act of smoking. Because of this, stop smoking herbs are an excellent way to wean yourself off of nicotine by replacing your cigarettes with a healthy alternative.

It has been a long time that herbs are used to treat all sorts of discomforts such as anxiety, insomnia, fatigue and headaches. Even some reputable botanical authorities have classified herbs as they having certain known properties.

Herbal alternatives for instance are herbs that generally alter an existing condition in the body. It does this by strengthening or stimulating various systems and eliminating waste from the bloodstream.

Herbal carminatives help relieve intestinal gas and indigestion. They are often antispasmodic and can help in bouts of anxiety and mood swings. Carminatives are often used in combination with nerviness and sedatives which are herbs that help suppress or moderate nervous tension and anxiety.

Another herbal classification is the cardiovascular tonics. These are the herbs that strengthen the physical integrity of the heart and blood vessels, moderate blood pressure and increase circulation.

Though there is no magic cure for nicotine cravings, stop smoking herbs is one of the best quit smoking ways available. The hardest part of beating the smoking habit is breaking your associations between nicotine and your daily activities. Herbal cigarettes help you accomplish this by replacing the nicotine with non-addictive herbs. That way, you can still smoke when you normally smoke, but you will slowly break the nicotine habit.

If you are trying the smoking herbs quit smoking methods, you might still have trouble with the normal nicotine withdrawal symptoms. These often include headaches, fatigue, irritability and moodiness. If you find yourself struggling with these symptoms, you should consult your doctor immediately.

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Since long time ago, herbs had been used for helping people quit smoking. Report has showed that these herbs are exerting varying effects which will ease the process of smoking cessation. Most of them can be found in capsule, dried bulk or liquid extract form. For use as one to the ways quit smoking, you need to follow the directions on the label carefully.

The following herbs are the most common herbs that use as stop smoking aids:

Lobelia - which is a very powerful herb that helps to calm the mind and relax the body. It has helped many people to control their cravings for nicotine. Lobelia is also reputed to have the effect of making cigarettes taste very bad.

St. John’s wort - one of the best known herbs for promoting a positive mental attitude-something people often need help with during the early phases of becoming a non-smoker.

Black Cohosh - which is usually used by women to stay hormones balanced during their monthly cycle. However it can be used as a safe sedative which relieves nervousness and anxiety that make it useful for the restlessness, irritability and nervousness associated with quitting smoking.

Blue Vervain - which can be used to calm the nerves and has been referred to as a natural tranquilizer. Normally, it is used for insomnia.

Catnip - another herb that has a soothing and relaxing effect on the digestive system and helps to relieve flatulence, diarrhea, upset stomach, indigestion and headache. As it has antispasmodic properties, it can be useful for abdominal cramps as well as chronic coughing. Moreover it is very good for alleviating sleeplessness. The antibiotic and astringent properties that contain inside Catnip are also beneficial for treating colds and bronchial infections.

Hyssop - which has the ability to help with clearing mucus congestion in the lungs associated with COPD. It also has been known to alleviate the anxiety and even hysteria that is sometimes associated with smoking withdrawal.

Korean Ginseng - which is famous in stimulating energy and helping the body to deal with stress. It helps alleviate the fatigue and anxiety related to quitting smoking by using the property in the ginseng. It is helpful to smokers as their bodies adjust to the absence of nicotine as it can help to reestablish balance in the body’s systems.

Each of the stop smoking herbs that mention above plays an important role during your quit smoking process. Although they can be purchased separately, some stop smoking herbs have been produced in the market to complement each other and together so that they can provide the maximum benefit during nicotine withdrawal.

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A quality quit smoking hypnosis session can look a little complicated, if done correctly. A behavior modification process addressing a variety of aspects in your life. The nice part is you don’t have to worry about putting it together. It’s all done for you. You’re left with the job of using it to help yourself.

You know what your smoking habit is like. You know what makes your craving to smoke the strongest. You know what daily problem areas make you struggle for control the most.

A well formed hypnosis program can address your unique cravings directly. It can de-fuse the emotional triggers so they no longer happen. If you’ve fought with smoking long enough, it might be difficult to even imagine what it would feel like to NOT have a craving.

That’s good, and it can be even better. Why not use the same learning principles behind the smoking habit creation and use hypnosis to begin cravings or desires for water, exercise and fresh air? Then prepare some distractions to occupy your time and mind. The time you used to use smoking. At 5 to 10 minutes per cigarette, that time adds up. Some people would be satisfied with this much help. But, more is possible.

How about that daily stress that wants to be relieved? If you can’t smoke to relieve it, what to do? Let’s use hypnosis to relieve your stress too? Sounds good.

It would be nice to get a shot of confidence too, wouldn’t it? Some general, over-all, inner confidence using hypnosis? And, especially additional confidence that you CAN quit smoking this time, and feel good doing it. (One of the ways we learn behaviors is repetition. I’m pretty sure this isn’t your first quit smoking attempt. Did previous failed attempts create expectations for this attempt? Better fix that too.)

And just in case, you might as well use hypnosis to address your eating habits. Make sure they stay in control during your quit smoking process. Just knowing that this is one more part of the process should ease your mind.

If you have this kind of help, combined with your own desire and motivation to quit smoking, what’s stopping you? There is all kinds of help out there. Make sure you get all the pieces of the quit smoking puzzle that you need.

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