Too Stressed to Stop Smoking ?

March 20th, 2011 by Lifestyle Therapy - Susan Leigh

Many people know that they would prefer to stop smoking but find that there are too many reasons for them to stop at the present time. They may have difficult personal situations, be seriously stressed at work or have too much on and can't find the time or motivation to want to stop. They feel that there is enough pressure in their lives. Trying to stop smoking would simply add to that pressure.

It is often the case that cigarettes represent a break, some personal space in the midst of the turmoil and stress. Many non-smokers miss the opportunity to go and have a ten minute interlude between tasks. Finding a way to take a comparable break can require some negotiation.

Here are some thoughts on organising life better so that stress levels are reduced and stopping smoking becomes a serious contender to commit to.

- Organise your life better. Make a list of what needs to be done each day. Then you can see which are higher priority and so organise your workload accordingly. That way, if something unexpected occurs that requires your attention you can rearrange your list to accommodate it with relative ease.

- Keep a diary so that you can arrange appointments in the same vicinity together, leave a little break between each one, perhaps schedule in some time for golf or a pleasant lunch with friends. When you are in control of your diary you are able to plan the use of your time more effectively.

- Delegate. Let others help. There is no merit in doing everything yourself. People will let you do it all if you insist but over time they may lose their enthusiasm to help. Bringing people on board and sharing tasks builds a better team spirit and teaches responsibility. This is equally valid in both a work or home environment.

- Take care of your health. Eat well and regularly. Sleep and try to set a regular routine to switch off. Give yourself a couple of hours before bed to wind down. Exercise is a good way to mobilise the body and also helps it to de-stress and detoxify.

- Fun, breaks and family are all important ways to de-stress. Reminding yourself of why you work so hard and organising some fun brings in a better way to manage stress and overcome the need to smoke.

- Use hypnotherapy and find positive ways of changing the way you feel about smoking. Improve the confidence and determination you have to become and remain a non-smoker. Hypnotherapy is a powerful way to de-stress and focus on positive ways to live your life, free from old unwanted habit patterns that no longer serve any useful purpose in your life.

When you ask a smoker how many of their cigarettes they really wanted or enjoyed many people will say very few of them. Often a smoker smokes out of habit, when they are offered one, in-between jobs, or at certain times of the day when they are doing specific things, like after a meal or on the phone.

By learning to manage stress and become more committed to a better quality of life it is often far easier to become a non-smoker. The need for instant gratification has abated. Other, more positive and healthy activities become more important as a better work/life balance is achieved.