Natural Methods to Help You Quit Smoking

Smoking is one of those habits that is difficult to stop once you become addicted to it. Although it does not make sense why people would become addicted to a stick of weed that really tastes and smells like one, we have to respect their personal reasons regardless of what they may be. However, all of us know by now how harmful smoking can be not only to the smoker, but also to the unfortunate people who would happen to inhale the smoke coming from his cigarette or cigar. And since smoke is air borne, we can conclude that smoking endangers everyone whether he/she is a smoker or not.

Regardless of the confirmed facts of the harmfulness of smoking, there are still some people who insist on continuing with this dangerous habit. But then again there are also those individuals who are attempting to make that vital change, which could literally prolong their life and create wonderful changes to their health. But as mentioned previously, trying to quit smoking could be 10 or more times more difficult than learning how to get started with it. Then again, if an individual is really serious, there is no way he/she could ever not succeed. There are a variety of natural methods a person can use in order to help him/her quit smoking. Here are some of them:

Try Using St. John's Wort

Medical and scientific breakthroughs are beginning to see the other wondrous benefits of the herbal supplement St. John's Wort, which is originally used as an anti-depressant. Current studies reveal, that this decreases the cravings of smokers. This is made possible because St. John's Wort raises the level of dopamine in the brain. This, in turn, helps combat the depression that usually accompanies attempts to quit smoking. St. John's wort, which is available in powder or pill form, is one natural way to help people ditch their smoking habit.

Hypnotherapy

Another alternative is hypnotherapy. It is an external means of helping people kick the habit without chemical side effects. The manner in which hypnotherapy addresses the problem of smoking is through targeting the source: the person's cravings. Attacking the problem from the source gives you a better chance of dealing with it.

Just Quit

Some smokers curtailed their smoking habit simply by making the decision to stop and stuck with it. Although this can be very challenging for most, it is not far from achievable. After all, our will plays an integral role in the things that we do. Gathering substantial will power and persistence is what some smokers utilized to aid them in kicking the nasty habit once and for all.

Be a Busy Bee

Sometimes, trying to substitute certain activities to replace smoking can help smokers quit. Keeping the mind preoccupied is one very effective way of diverting one's thoughts from the need to smoke. Try a new hobby or engage in a sports activity. These do not only keep your thoughts away from putting a cigarette in your mouth, but they also benefit your physical and mental well-being.


Resource Box: Maricel Modesto is a writer and editor who writes for various health and lifestyle magazines.

Using Self Hypnosis to Quit Smoking

Similar to meditation, hypnosis makes use of the right side of the brain—the part of the brain in charge of introspective awareness, calm perceptions, passiveness, and that floating feeling. Hypnotherapy, therefore, is the practice of using hypnosis as a therapy for alleviating certain conditions through the power of suggestion. If a person were to undergo hypnotherapy by himself/herself, this is referred to as self-hypnosis. Using self-hypnosis to quit smoking is one suggested method that can help an individual forgo the habit of smoking permanently. However, it is important that we keep in mind that we have to willfully allow ourselves to believe that this method could work. As with every other method, doubt could deter our success at any cost.

One effective way of self-hypnosis is using the “swish” technique, which was created in 1985 by Bandler. It utilizes “imagery” in helping an individual fend off the effects of any past. This does so through the process of mixing up messages our subconscious has received about what we really desire for ourselves and the habit we want to cut off. Here are the steps for this method:

1.Relax yourself gradually, closing your eyes as you do so.

2.Picture yourself in a theater as you are seated in front of a gigantic screen. Visualize an image of your worst fear regarding smoking. Focus on the worst effect possible and try to conjure an image of it as vividly as you can. Allow yourself to feel the negative feelings stirred up by this image as you fixate your attention to it.

3.Take away this image, leaving the screen blank. Then, replace it with an image of what you would want to be or what you want to happen to yourself. Make it as positive as you can and just as vivid as you did with the negative image. Again, allow yourself to experience the positive feeling that comes with looking at this specific image. Then remove it, leaving the screen blank again.

4.Replace the negative picture on the screen. Afterwards, put the positive picture on its lower right corner. The superimposition of the small positive image over the big negative image would make the aforementioned look like a stamp.

5.Do these things at the same time: say “swish” and as you do this, visualize the small positive image getting bigger and brighter until it supersedes that of the negative image. The latter eventually diminishes until it is gone from the screen.

6.The second the “swish” has transpired, leave the screen blank, or open your eyes abruptly.

7.Repeat the process for at least five times, ascertaining that each “swish” procedure is quicker than the previous one before it.

8.Prior to finishing this method, visualize one more time the negative image you came up with. If the “swish” procedure has been successful, it should be harder for you to get the same image you have visualized originally(it could either become less accurate or blurry).

9.Visualize the positive image again, and take note of how much easier it is for you to conjure this image more vividly than the negative one. Allow this positive image to prevail in your mind. In the event that you haven't achieved the desired results, repeat and think of ways to make your imagery more effective or exact.


Resource Box: Maricel Modesto is a writer and editor who writes for various health and lifestyle magazines.