Bid Goodbye To a Bad Habit –Stop Smoking

Cognitive therapy helps the individual comprehend the basic premise behind the habit, by probing into the nature of one’s thoughts and beliefs. Most victims felt drawn to smoking due to a pre-conceived belief. Cognitive therapy assists the victim replace those negative beliefs with positive ones, with a motive to influence healthy behaviors.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy helps the individual recognize the triggers for smoking in the environment, seeking to replace those triggers with healthy alternatives, in a bid to reinforce positive behaviors. For instance, a smoker who wants to quit is counseled to replace the ‘urge’ to smoke with a healthy alternative, such as cycling, cooking or even stepping out.

By constantly and intentionally replacing the negative behavior of smoking with a positive behavior, the smoker is in effect ‘taught’ to re-engineer the trigger-action-behavior chain in the brain. Eventually, behavioral therapy assists the smoker habituate to a positive behavior, while giving up the negative one.

Cope with Cravings

Cravings last an earth shattering 3-4 minutes. Yet, one can fight it effectively with the following steps:

• Keep those ‘reminders’ away –cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters and anything that diverts focus from the end goal.
• Snack on salads or non sugary items to resist the craving
• Engage in an outdoor activity to divert the mind
• Engage in activities that keep the hands busy – painting, washing dishes etc
• Deep breathing exercises help calm the mind.

Fighting Fit and Tobacco Free

The benefit of joining a support group or a rehabilitation program is far reaching as it helps smokers deal with inevitable withdrawal symptoms to reinforce positive behaviors. Further, the camaraderie from interactions in support programs as well as inputs from others in the same boat enhances problem solving skills leaving people motivated to achieve the end goal. It also ensures people do not relapse into their old ways.

Fitness activities like aerobic exercises, bike riding, tennis, or jogging, or any satisfying sport keeps the mind stress free, focused and positive while keeping the body healthy and fit.

Undoubtedly, giving up smoking has a manifold effect – of mitigating the risks to ones health and of others in the environment. In a nutshell, life can turn completely rewarding for all those who give-up the habit.

Source-Medindia
SAVITHA/L