STOP SMOKING SUCCESS FACTORS

What are the success factors when you stop smoking?
On the face of it, it should be quite easy to quit smoking - you simply stop doing a certain behaviour. We all recognise, however, that for most people it is much more complex than that. There are different aspects of the process that can make quitting hard.

PHYSICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL FACTORS
Niicotine is an addictive substance and as such has a direct biochemical effect on human physiology. For this reason, the initial stages of giving up smoking can be particularly hard. This is also why nicotine patches etc. can be very helpful in managing the transition.

Useful links - for the physical and biochemical dimension of quitting

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL FACTORS
The more subtle dimension of how you think and feel can be equally powerful in sabotaging attempts to become a non-smoker. Because these factors are less susceptible to identification and measurement, however, they can remain a potent force in various unseen ways:

Secondary Gain
Even when you consciously really want something, there can be hidden benefits of keeping things as they currently are - this is often what is happening when you seem to 'sabotage' yourself. In the case of smoking, such positive side effects may be as practical as:

• A default behaviour when you are feeling nervous
• A way of taking time out - 'just popping out for a moment'
• Belonging to an in-group - having a gossip over a cigarette
• A way of breaking the ice in social situations
• Breaking up the day into manageable chunks - fag breaks
• Etc.

Emotional Success Factors
Sometimes these hidden by-products of smoking can have huge personal meaning and significance, such as:

• It's the only time I really breathe deeply
• It's a way of offering tokens of friendship / love
• It's the only time I feel I can take time out for myself
• It's the only tine I feel warm inside
• It's part of my identity - part of who I am
• It's a way of defining myself as different from my parents
• It's a way of asserting my independence - going against authority and 'big brother' mentality

Whatever the secondary gain may be, it's important to recognise what's going on.  Only then can you look at ways of achieving the same pay-off so that you can more easily stop smoking.  Without making this connection, the deeper significance can continue to influence you outside your awareness, making it seem 'impossible' to stop smoking. 

In fact, once you have identified the secondary gain you get from being a smoker, it is relatively easy to find other ways of achieving whatever it is that is important to you.  Once that is satisfied, you are free to experience smoking as a simple behaviour that you can easily stop.

Where is your attention when you think of stopping smoking?

On smoking, of course! Which is one reason why focusing on quitting smoking makes it hard to achieve the result you want. Here's why:

The human brain cannot process a negative thought:  if you are asked on no account to think of a blue elephant, you cannot help but think of a blue elephant! Just as when you concentrate on not smoking, you cannot avoid the idea of having a cigarette....

So, how can your thinking become a success factor?

What do you want if you want to be smoke-free? Different people may have a various answers, focusing on any or all of the following:

• To breathe easily
• To have a clean mouth and lungs
• To have fresh breath
• To feel full of energy and health
• To be the person you want to be
• To feel good about yourself
• To remain young-looking
• To feel free and vital
• Etc.

By focusing on what you want (health, energy, etc.) rather than what you don't want (cigarettes, smoking), you are training your mind to stay attuned to the result you desire. Which makes success much easier.

FeelGood text messages will support you in this, giving you a regular and positive focus on achieving the outcome you want.

If you would like more information or links regarding how feel good texts influence success in becoming smoke free, please email us

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