quit smoking this stoptober!
Andy Garland Therapies - Counselling Cardiff - Mental Health Services Cardiff - Cardiff Therapists - stoptober - quit smoking - hypnotherapy

5 steps to a smoke free life: This October, the team behind Stoptober is ready to help you split up with smoking and we're keen to lend a helping hand where we can If you want to stop smoking, you are most definitely not alone. According to research presented by the Stoptober initiative, six in 10 smokers actively want to quit and, for most, taking the first step is the hardest part.

While it can be a struggle to kick a long-term habit, taking part in Stoptober means that you'll be joining a community of people all dedicated to doing the same - and to date, the month-long challenge has helped 1.9 million make the change.

So, are you ready? Here are five Steps to get you started.

1. start with your why

We all know that smoking is detrimental to our health, still, it can be incredibly difficult to break the habit. Quite often it's easier to negotiate rather than stop completely. You might hear yourself saying; "I'll only smoke when I drink, or at the weekend." Cutting down on the amount you smoke is fine, if that's what you're ready for right now - and every step towards quitting is a step forward. However, if you want to counter these bargaining behaviours and ban cigarettes from your life completely, start with why you want to stop. What is your reason and motivation? It might be your ability to breathe and recover more easily when exercising, to save money or something life-enhancing or maybe to feel more in control of your day without the nag of a nicotine fix on your mind.

Write your reason, or reasons, down on small notes and stick them where you will be able to read them several times every day. Your bathroom mirror, the inside of your wardrobe, on the keyboard of your laptop, maybe. Set a reminder on your phone at times you would usually pop out for a smoke - help your future self succeed! Finally, answer the following questions and write down your responses somewhere you can access them easily.

- What will no smoking success look and feel like?
- What will I be able to do with the time, money and energy I gain back when I'm cigarette free?

2. get your success toolkit together

The arrival of Stoptober brings with it a huge amount of information and resources to help. A search for 'Stoptober support' will bring up a multitude of tools to support your smokeless lifestyle, including the Stoptober App, access to daily motivational emails, personalised quit plans and details of the Facebook community and chatbot for instant messaging if cravings are hitting you hard. In addition to these resources, the site signposts face to face support, information about nicotine replacements and scientific studies on the benefits of living without cigarettes.

You can read about the experiences of smokers who have quit already as well as others who are embarking on the journey alongside you. Remember, there's a whole community out there making the change - you are not alone.

Andy Garland Therapies - Counselling Cardiff - Mental Health Services Cardiff - Cardiff Therapists - stoptober - quit smoking - hypnotherapy

3. know what works for you - accountability wise

Some people are more likely to make changes if they are part of an active group, all pursuing the same goals. Other people find it easier to go alone, sharing their progress when they feel ready and able. There are as many approaches to accountability as there are individual personalities so think about what might work for you and make a plan - building on the success toolkit you have started to develop.

Continually circle back to your motivation, your 'why'- and your messages to yourself, can you build upon these if external accountability isn't your thing? Could you record a voice note message you can play again when things feel tough? If you struggle in the month, try to tap into the positivity and motivation you felt at the beginning of the journey to quit - read your response to what living a smoke-free life will look and feel like at the beginning of every day? You know what will work for you.

4. make the month memorable - for all the right reasons

Print off a calendar month view of October before you start and plot interesting and fun activities for yourself across the month. This will help you to focus upon the experiences you've had and are looking forward to rather than purely counting each day without a cigarette. Cinema trips, museum visits, autumn hikes, book readings, open writing or drawing classes - activities where you are engaged and being creative will help your mind focus and keep cravings at a low level. Activities where you are engaged and being creative will help your mind focus and keep cravings at a low level. Check out your local what's on website or MeetUp and do something you've never done before, maybe try something you've never quite made the time for?

Andy Garland Therapies - Counselling Cardiff - Mental Health Services Cardiff - Cardiff Therapists - stoptober - quit smoking - hypnotherapy

5. consider clinical hypnotherapy

Sometimes it can help to engage with specific therapeutic support to guide a change. Clinical hypnotherapy is just one of the ways in which you can move towards a cigarette-free life and it can be very successful.

Smoking cessation therapy is proven to be the most successful way to give up your smoking habit. It only takes one 75 minute Clinical Hypnotherapy session to break your smoking habit. Andy is listed on the national register for smoking cessation therapists.

It goes without saying that smoking is bad for your health, in fact, it's deadly. It's never too late to give-up the smoking habit, and live a more healthy and full life. You can achieve long-lasting and permanent results using the latest Clinical Hypnotherapy techniques. Suggestions are given to encourage the smoker to believe that they will lose the desire to smoke, and also aims to help them cope with withdrawal. The technique encourages smokers to concentrate on three ideas: 1) smoking is a poison for your body; 2) you need your body to live; 3) to the extent that you want to live, you owe your body respect and protection.

everything to gain

Rates of smoking, especially in younger people, are falling - with increasing numbers switching to vaping or giving up altogether. This is great news, given that smoking contributes to heart disease, stroke, impotence and causes seven out of every 10 causes of lung cancer (as well as many other types).

Studies have shown that every cigarette puffed shortens your life by around 10 minutes. In other words, the time it takes you to smoke a cigarette is equal to the time it takes off your life. Add that up over a life time and you'll be heading to an earlier grave. Stopping smoking has rapid benefits. After 48 hours, carbon monoxide will be eliminated from the body and the lungs start to clear. After two to 12 weeks, your circulation improves. And after 15 years, your risk of a heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.

You'll find more information on smoking cessation by CLICKING HERE.

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