When you quit smoking, you have many choices to select from? One person says hypnosis, another says Chantix, and someone else says to put this eye dropper of liquid under your tongue twice a day or when cravings are tough. Don't bother asking them what's in the liquid, just pay your money and move on.
Then you have people who say you don't need any particular smoking cessation method; just quit cold turkey. They say if you can't quit cold turkey, then you're just not strong enough to quit. When you quit smoking, it's much more complex than just quitting. Regardless of which method you choose, you will have to use some amount of will power or self-control.
Hey, there are over 20% of the population who smoke. There are also thousands of people who quit every year. So everyone has a story to tell about what works or doesn't work for them. You have to remember that your nicotine addiction is individual, like a fingerprint. No two are alike. In fact, your genetics play a role in your addiction. Then there's the environmental and social pressures you face that are unique to your situation. So don't think your success or failure is guaranteed because of how someone else performed. Their quit experience will be different than your quit experience. If you haven't discovered that yet, you will once you start to quit smoking.
Interestingly, scientists recently looked at the idea that people who attempt to quit smoking, may not be trained in how to approach the hazards and withdrawal cravings. They set out to examine the impact of practicing acts of self-control on the rate of relapse during quit attempts. The researchers thought a treatment plan that improved self-control, could only help when you quit smoking.
After your quit date, how easy is it to think that one little cigarette won't hurt. Many have been sabotaged by this little thought. As we know, that cigarette leads to another and then another. However, scientists found out that self-control, much like a muscle, can get stronger when it's exercised; think of it as a mental jumping-jacks for your will power. They also discovered that just thinking about self-control didn't do the trick. The participants actually had to perform acts of self-control for the desired effect to be realized.
Their results were significant. Those who practiced their will power prior to stopping cigarettes, had a much lower rate of relapse than those who didn't. People often try to breakdown smoking cessation into core elements. Sustaining self control has always been a foundational plank of any stop smoking program. Although there is no easy way to quit smoking, there is a simple way - practicing self control. What's nice about this way, is it will pay off in other areas of your life as well. So boost your self-control and your ability to say "no" by exercising your will power when you quit smoking - no expensive membership or equipment to buy.
