If you are a smoker and worried about the risks of contracting COVID-19, now would be a really good time to think seriously about quitting once and for all!
It’s a harsh reality that, if you’re a smoker, you’re more likely to get acute respiratory infections and have a higher risk of those infections becoming severe. And according the World Health Organization (WHO), “Smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as the act of smoking means that fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) are in contact with lips which increases the possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth. Smokers may also already have lung disease or reduced lung capacity which would greatly increase risk of serious illness.”
Even though it seems that there has never been a better time to stop smoking, quitting isn’t easy for many, particularly at such a stressful time, when many of our routines have been so suddenly disrupted.
Do you find, like the majority of smokers, that the mere thought of stopping fills you with panic?
Do you have every intention of quitting…one day…just not today?
If so, you are not alone. Most smokers continue to smoke for one reason…FEAR!
THE ONLY THING THAT PREVENTS US FROM QUITTING IS FEAR!
Fear – that you will have to undergo an unknown period of time suffering feelings of deprivation
Fear – that social occasions, once they resume, will not be quite as enjoyable without a cigarette
Fear – that you can’t concentrate or be as confident without that crutch
Fear – that your identity, your personality, or your character will change
Fear – that you will lose the “friend” that helps you cope with stress
Fear – that quitting may cause you to gain weight
Here’s some news for you…
That fear of giving up is actually CREATED by cigarettes! You never decided to fall into the nicotine trap, but nicotine is designed to ensure that you remain there.
You need to be motivated to break free of the trap…
You can take some small steps towards a nicotine-free life…
A rehearsal for the time when you can give up smoking…
for good!
1. Make a list of the reasons you want to quit
There are probably a number of them – but have you ever actually written them as a list?
2. Set a quit date
And stick to it!
3. Change your brand
ONE week before your quit date – change your brand of cigarette. You will find they are not as enjoyable
4. Change the hand you use to hold your cigarette
It will feel awkward – but this small change breaks down habits and associations
5. Change your routine
If you normally smoke after a meal, try to break out of this routine. Try reading a chapter of a book, watch a TV show, or retreat to a part of the house where you wouldn’t normally smoke
6. Get active
A five-minute walk or stretch produces chemicals in the brain that reduce cravings
7. Positivity!
Make regular affirmations to yourself several times a day, such as, “I am enjoying life as a non-smoker”
Hypnotherapy can help you to have your last cigarette ever!
It will show you the reasons to stop, and can help you:
• With motivation to stop smoking – and stay stopped
• Break the connections – the triggers to smoking
• Feel positive about becoming a non-smoker
So if you haven’t been able to quit smoking before, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do it now!
And if you COULD stop smoking easily and without cravings, why wouldn’t you break out of that habit,
into a fresher, cleaner, healthier YOU?
To give back to my local community in these current times, I’m giving away two smoking cessation packages (valued at $550) to two deserving people, offering them the chance to become smoke free and have their last cigarette ever.
As so many people in our community are currently helping others. I wanted to offer something that could help someone’s long term health. However, rather than just picking someone at random I decided it would be nice to give something to someone who is deserving.
I will be taking entries and then will sit with friends and colleagues to decide who to give the free sessions to – there must be lots of people out there who are too consumed helping other people that they often neglect themselves.
To enter for your chance to win, email me at info@lesliemcgeaghhypnosis.com, explaining in 100 words or less, why you believe you should be awarded one of the two prizes of a smoking cessation package.
The closing date for entries is midnight, Friday, June 13, 2020. Winners will be announced on Monday, June 16. Good luck!
