The real reasons you can’t stop smoking
As a hypnotherapist I see loads of clients who have battled for years to stop smoking. Often they’ve managed to give up cigarettes for a month or two, but then they’re back into it at full force. They tell me they’ve often tried everything – they’ve read Allen Carr’s Easy Way, they’ve taken Zyban, they’ve submitted to acupuncture, but within a short while they’re back at their old habit again. Most of these same clients tell me, with some resignation, that they clearly don’t have enough willpower or discipline. If this describes your own situation it might come as a relief when I tell you that it’s not your fault – the situation has been rigged so that you’re almost bound to fail. Here’s why.
It’s a set-up
Hypnotherapists have something they call the Law of Reverse Effect. Quite simply, the law states that the more you think about not doing something, the more you end up doing it. It’s like if someone tells you not to think of purple-spotted giraffes, then guess what image pops into your mind. It’s the same with smoking – the more you tell yourself not to smoke, the more you press that Smoke! button in your mind.
There’s another principle of hypnosis and NLP that applies here, namely that every bad habit has a positive intention. That’s right – there’s something positive that your smoking is trying to give you. If we simply apply discipline and willpower to take away the smoking, there’s a part of you that’s going to fight back to make sure you don’t lose the apparent benefits you’re gaining.
So now that you know this, what can you do about it?
1 Quit telling yourself you have to stop smoking
Every time you tell yourself that you must quit you’re just triggering the desire to smoke. Rather take that determination you have and channel it into positive affirmations connected with the good things non-smokers take for granted. For example, say to yourself, “I am enjoying clean fresh air with every breath. My body has all the stimulants it needs to cope with daily life.” Make up your own affirmations, but remember the key point – don’t focus on what you want to give up, focus on what you want to gain.
2. Apply some self-hypnosis
Now you need to try and find the positive intention behind the smoking. So sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a nice, deep breath. When you feel settled and relaxed, just direct your attention inward and ask the part of you responsible for the smoking to tell you what benefits it’s trying to give you. Most people will find it’s things like relaxing, taking a break, or socializing.
Once you’re aware of the benefits, search deep within your own wisdom and find some better ways of getting the same benefits. Commit to applying these actions instead of the smoking. In this way, you’ll be giving yourself something, not taking something away. Remember, your smoking is going to fight you if you just try to take it away without giving it something in return.
You might find it helpful to work with a hypnotherapist to really take this process deep. If you’re in the Cape Town area, give me a call and we’ll schedule an appointment. My stop-smoking course is usually done over two sessions, though some people prefer to extend it to a few more if their habit is really entrenched.
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