How NLP helps in quitting smoking

Global toll of tobacco is as high as a billion users. Covid scare must have got many more people to want to quit the dreaded smoke. According to WHO an estimated 780 million?people, around the world, report that they want to quit. However, only 30% of them have access to the tools that can help them do so. Can you imagine what a world it would be if 100% had access to tools that help them quit? #NLP is one such area that helps.

But have you ever asked a smoker, WHY does he/she smoke?

“I have been smoking since I was 21 ...can’t help it”?“It relaxes me” “I enjoy chilling with my friends with a sutta” “Smoke breaks helps me bond with my colleagues” “I don’t know...but my hand just goes to it even when I don’t want to” “It helps me think” “After a great meal, it just makes it better” These are some of the responses I have heard from smokers, and am sure, you would not hear something very different.

Let's see how a habit forms.

A habit forms when we do something repeatedly. It is as if the neural connection becomes stronger each time, we repeat a behaviour. A myelin sheath forms covering those neural connections – that help the neural communication be smoother – making it easier for behaviour to seem easy.

Smoking is a habit.

WHY does a habit form?

But is repeated behaviour the only reason...or is there something deeper here? Many smokers have a positive association with smoking. Most times we do a behaviour because it does something for us. It either takes us towards a desired outcome or allows us to move away from something we want to avoid. There is an underlying reward or avoidance of something painful at play. Such behaviour being repeated it often enough becomes a habit. So, while many smokers might say, “I don't know... but my hand just goes to it even when I don't want to” there may be a deeper reason to their urge for smoking.

Changing habits – difficult or easy?

Most smokers know the facts about smoking, and how it impacts their own health and the health of their loved ones.?Many decide to quit. And decide again. And decide yet again.?

Popular belief is that it takes 21 days to form a habit. But how long does it take to break an old habit. Am not going to go into nicotine dependence here and its challenges. Aside from that, there are some factors that are important for a person to be able to quit smoking!

1. An alternative habit. The availability of a healthier behaviour is important. We need something to replace the old habit of smoking.
2. Motivation. Why smoke? Why stop? ?When we are able to generate more motivation for stopping, it outweighs the apparent gains from smoking.
3. Ability to change. Mentally and physically. Will power alone is never the only solution. If you are someone who is looking at giving up smoking, and you are struggling, you might consider the support of an NLP Coach to help you mentally and physically. ?

NLP helps in quitting smoking

#RichardBandler and #JohnGrinder came up with the term Neuro Linguistic Programming (or NLP as it is commonly called) in the 1970s. Once they understood that we all have patterns of thinking, speaking, behaving, and feeling. NLP helps in self-awareness about how our emotional and mental patterns work. And if anything needs tweaking – for us to be able to get better results, then to help that change to be seamless and permanent.

NLP tools equipped to help

1.??????#SixStepReframe (Deeper positive intention):?I know, you like me, will agree that avoidance of pain is also a gain. And if there were many ways to avoid the pain, or have a productive gain – wouldn’t you like to know of them all? Having the flexibility to choose how to satisfy this deeper gain, a deeper positive intention is something that NLP focuses on.

2.??????#Anchoring : The existing positive associations with smoking can be replaced easily by NLP by creating multiple VAK based negative anchors.

3.??????#Swish : There is always a trigger that helps smokers move towards the next cigarette. Maybe the cigarette box itself seems exciting.?Maybe seeing the time on the clock that signifies it is time for a drag. Swish works with erasing the image of the current trigger image with a powerful image of the self being smoke free.

4.??????#Dicken ’s pattern: An NLP Coach can help you visualize the perils of smoking in such detail, that dropping smoking may seem like a relief.

5.??????#Timeline : When we move something from our present to our past, it is as if our mind understands that I used to be a smoke.

6.??????#Identity work: Many smokers identify with being a smoker.?Either they have felt like a smoker for the longest time or find a certain sense of machoism when the link their identity with that of a smoker.?An NLP Coach can help you choose a different, more resourceful identity for yourself.

7.??????#NewBehaviourGenerator : We all know people who have given up smoking (or any other negative habit) easier than others. Such a non-smoker does things differently. And helping a person wanting to quit, adopt those behaviours helps move them easily towards non-smoking.

This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are many more tools and techniques that a creative #NLPCoach uses, to support a person desirable of quitting, feel fully free.

Imagine finding nothing but repulsion at the idea of inhaling smoke – and how much cleaner and freer you would feel inside! And what if it was easy to do??NLP provides that space now, for you and your loved ones, to make the switch to a healthier and enriched life.?So, lets all #committoquit with NLP.

@wingsteam