HOW TO STOP SMOKING EASILY THROUGH RELAXATION

INTRODUCTION..............A TABLE OF CONTENTS......1-6 CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

Stopping to smoke is one of the most difficult addictions to overcome. Even after stopping, the discouraging possibility of relapsing remains challenging. Indeed, relapsing is a difficult problem on its and often dogs many people who have stopped smoking. This problem leave many smokers wondering whether they can ever stop smoking permanently. They stop smoking and then start smoking all over again. This time around, they even smoke more than ever before. Then they stop once more and relapse again, in an excruciating, vicious circle. Most disheartening is that each time they relapse, they smoke even more heavily than before. Then they give up trying to stop altogether. This does not have to be so. You can stop smoking permanently and never relapse.

The method I am going to teach you has been used successfully by countless of the heaviest smokers. They stopped after two weeks or less and never craved smoking again for the rest of their lives.

You too can stop smoking permanently without ever having to grapple with the discouraging possibility of relapsing. I am going to reveal some of the reasons why people start smoking in the first place and how this urge to smoke is reinforced. As with most addictions, once you stop, there is what is known as withdrawal symptoms. This is basically the memory of missing your addiction and struggling to forget it so as to overcome the addiction permanently.

This problem is basically psychological. It is a mental problem. All addictions, be it to alcohol, narcotics, sex, and in our case, tobacco, are mental in their nature. To overcome smoking we shall have to understand the mental connection to the problem of smoking. Understanding how the mind drives a smoker to smoke, we shall be able to use the very mind to overcome this stubborn habit, but actually very easy to overcome. Once you have mastered this technique of how to stop smoking, you will be surprised at how easy it is to stop smoking. The benefits of this method are manifold. You can even use this technique to control anger, discouragement, overeating, procrastination and other habit based problems, which are basically mental in their nature. Like everything mental, such as learning a language and studying for an examination, discipline is the key. So discipline will be the key in mastering the technique I am going to teach you. Good luck.

CHAPTER ONE

Why do people take up smoking? And how do they become addicted to tobacco? And how can one stop smoking permanently without ever relapsing? These are the questions I wish to address with you as I go about showing you how you can stop smoking successfully for good, without ever relapsing.

By far, one of the reasons people take up smoking, especially among young people, is to look hip. Peer pressure among teenagers is a major reason why young people take up smoking. The need to be accepted by one's friends and to look smart and hip, plays a major role in young people taking up smoking. Another reason is the example set by parents. It has been proven that parents who smoke are easily emulated by their children. Also if from an early age the dangers of smoking are not stressed enough to children, it becomes easy for children to be persuaded to take up smoking. Advertising also plays a major role in glamorizing smoking. Advertisements will have people believe that smoking has something to do with success and being socially smart. It also tells people about how 'satisfying' a certain type of cigarette can be and depicts smokers driving sleek cars and well dressed. To impressionable minds of young people, this is definitely a potent form of encouraging them to take up smoking. Of course, tobacco companies have to concoct any sort of fictitious reasons and outright lies as to why smoking could possibly be good for anyone, for the simple reason: making money and

more money. It is a fact that when it comes to making money, companies can go to extraordinary lengths in their advertising campaigns to convince potential buyers to buy their wares. This includes making omissions, telling half truths and even outright lies. It is the same with tobacco companies. Once the smoker is addicted and begins to experience the negative side effects of smoking, it becomes difficult and sometimes even impossible to stop. This is because the more one smokes, the more the habit is reinforced. Smoking begins first as a conscious act and then with time, it becomes a reflex action. It is the same as when one learns to drive a car. You begin first by consciously going about changing gears and controlling the steering wheel. As time goes by and you become used to operating the car, your actions become spontaneous and it becomes easy to drive the car.

This is the subconscious mind in action. In our next chapter we shall learn how the conscious and subconscious mind work.

CHAPTER TWO

The human mind is twofold. We have the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. When you press keys on your computer console, or when you walk, you are using your conscious mind. The heartbeat and all other involuntary bodily functions such as blood flow, are controlled by the subconscious mind. When you dream, it is the subconscious mind that is in action. This tells us one important thing: the subconscious mind is always in action even when we are asleep.

When you start to smoke, it is first a conscious effort and sometimes you even forget that you want to smoke. As time goes by and the habit of smoking is reinforced, you begin to need to smoke by a sort of a reflex urge, and you even start to lose count of the number of cigarettes you have smoked in a day. The subconscious mind has taken over and now you have begun to be addicted.

Let us look at an example as when you learn to play a musical instrument such as the piano. At first you have to learn consciously where each note of the eighty five notes on the keyboard are, and how you have to hit the keys to produce a harmonious tune. There also two paddles under the instrument, which you have

to manipulate with your feet simultaneously as you hit the keys with your fingers As you practice regularly, you become proficient in the playing of the instrument, the subconscious mind takes over and you are able to play the keys even with closed eyes and still be able to produce a harmonious tune. The more you practice, the more you become 'addicted' to the instrument, as it were, and you begin to play even better and better, including your speed. Your feet and fingers seem to become and extension of the instrument itself. Watching master piano players indeed sometimes make me see the player and the instrument as one. Take learning to ride the bicycle for example. At first you are self conscious. You look at the paddles as you try to paddle forward. Your control of the handles is unsteady and erratic. Then you fall, stand up and try again. With practice you stop looking at the paddles and you even are able to paddle without holding on to the handles and can even drink water or a soda from a bottle while the bicycle is in motion. The subconscious mind has taken over and you are able to ride the bicycle without any conscious effort to control it. Another example is learning a new language and to write. At first you search for words and try consciously to make correct grammatical constructions of your sentences. With practice, it becomes easy to speak the language without any conscious effort to search for words and make the correct grammatical constructions. It is also the same with learning to write. As time goes by, a sentence that took you a minute to write, becomes easy to write in seconds. Your subconscious mind has taken over and you can speak or write as if by reflex action. The urge to smoke works in much the same way as with the above given examples.

In the next chapter we shall examine how the subconscious mind produces the urge to smoke even when the smoker would prefer not to smoke. The smoker begins to experience acute anxiety each time he cannot 'satisfy' the urge to smoke. It is this mental state called anxiety which we shall look at in the next chapter as to what role it plays in making the smoker to want to light up. Each time after smoking, the smoker feels less anxious and is 'satisfied'. I shall also tell you about the four distinct frequencies of the human brain and their place in the overall consciousness of the human being. All this will help in understanding how the human mid works and how with this understanding we can use our 'will' more effectively in stopping to smoke. For those who have always failed in using ' WILL POWER' to stop smoking. The following chapter will be instructive in using your will in the most effective manner that will produce results.

CHAPTER THREE

The human brain has four distinct frequencies by which it operates. These

frequencies can be viewed as 'states' of consciousness of the human mind. Let us look at each FREQUENCY and what these 'states' of consciousness of the human mind are and how they operate.

1.BETA:- this is the everyday waking state. As I write these words on my computer, my brain is operating on this frequency or state of consciousness. The waves of this state are the fastest, if they could be seen with the naked eye.

2.ALPHA:- this is the state lower to the beta state. It is between the waking and sleeping states. Just before you fall asleep and seconds from waking, your brain is operating at the alpha frequency or state of consciousness. The sleepy state, if you wish. The waves of this frequency are slower than the BETA waves.

3.THETA:- in this state, the brain is at a much slower frequency. This is the sleeping frequency. The frequency of dreams. The waves of this frequency are even much slower than of the first two frequencies. 4.DELTA:-this is the deep sleep frequency as when you are unconscious. This state can be likened to when a person is anaesthetized for surgery, or even when in an alcohol induced blackout. A boxer who has been knocked out stone cold in a bout, is certainly in the delta brain frequency or state of consciousness. This frequency is the slowest of the four frequencies but not motionless. A dead brain does not manifest any of the four frequencies under discussion The ALPHA frequency is the best and most efficient frequency by which to implant new habits in our mentalities or characters. In this state we can deliberately hold on to ideas and mental pictures of our choice to the exclusion of everything else. We can also simply choose not to think about anything in particular, but simply wallow in this state for a length of time we desire. In this state you are simply relaxed. In chapter five we shall endeavor to do relaxation exercises three times daily in our quest to stop smoking. Do make sure, however, that you do not immediately fall to sleep when doing your night and morning sessions of these relaxation exercises. Do take note, though, that during the day it will take a little effort to attain this frequency. But with practice, you will easily attain this frequency by deliberate effort. It is indeed satisfying to deliberately and willfully 'switch off' from the beta frequency to the alpha frequency. This is much like moving the dial of your transistor radio from one frequency to another, or changing your

television channel from one to the next. The act of becoming an addict is not something that randomly happens. It can be scientifically explained and the effort to stop smoking can equally be scientifically attained. How much easy then it becomes when you know exactly what to do rather than wishing struggling and being at a loss as to how to free yourself of this detestable habit. You shall never play soccer successfully if you do not first know the rules of the game, no matter how fast you can run or hard you can kick. The same with playing the piano. You need to first know and understand how the instrument is structured and its keys played to produce harmonious music. Many people struggle to stop smoking and give up completely because they do not understand how a person becomes addicted in the first place. It is the same with learning a language, a game, driving a car and even improving one's memory. In chapter four and five I am going to explain how ANXIETY works as the chief trigger in driving a smoker to light up and start to smoke. Then in chapter five I will explain the relaxation exercises you must perform in order to unlearn the habit of smoking and to finally stop. And stop for good. Permanently.

CHAPTER FOUR

ANXIETY. The concise English Oxford dictionary says of the word 'anxiety' = 'uneasiness, concern; solicitous desire for a thing or to do something.' It is this anxiety a smoker experiences each time he or she craves for a smoke.

Now here is where cigarette advertisements come in. If you did not know, advertisements would not be effective without an understanding of the human psychology. As I explained in a the first chapter, an advertisement creates a desire in the mind of its potential customer. For example, when the advertisement suggests that it is hip and smart to smoke; that it is socially a smart thing to smoke. Here anxiety is subtly created in the one who is looking at the advertisement or is listening to it over the radio. Of course, people want to be accepted socially and to look smart and to be considered hip. This is how their anxiety is cultivated and encouraged to smoke. People, especially young people, generally desire to be smart and to look smart and hip .

This starts of as a conscious act on the part of the smoker. As time goes by, the smoker does not need advertising to smoke. The anxiety has been internalized in

his or her mind and has become a subconscious memory working day and night. That is why some smokers wake up in the night to smoke or smoke a cigarette as soon as they get out of bed. The smoker does not need to think of how smart he looks and how hip he or she is or that he or she will be socially accepted as a smoker. The act of smoking over and over again has become so habitual that there's no need to consciously think of the desirability of smoking. The habit can be so ingrained that even if the doctor tells him or her that his or her life is threatened, the urge is so strong that it overshadows the fear of death. Such is the power of the subconscious mind that it can destroy a person if not understood and constructively used. CHAPTER FIVE

RELAXATION. Again the English Oxford dictionary says of this word: 'cessation from work, recreation, amusement; diminution of tension.' The last word, tension, is the same as anxiety. When you are anxious, you are tense and after smoking the anxiety or tension subsides only to recur once more later. It is this tension and anxiety we are aiming to get rid of. Remember that anxiety is a state of mind and we shall have to address it mentally in order to overcome it.

As a smoker I used to go almost insane when I could not have a smoke when I needed it. If I had somehow forgotten to stock up for the night and the craving to smoke gripped me, I would search my jackets in the wardrobe to look for a cigarette I might have left in my jacket pockets. I would even go out and search my trash can outside for old butts. I would then collect the residual tobacco left in the butts and then proceed to roll a cigarette with a piece of newspaper just to so as to get a puff to relieve my tension. Though I was ashamed of this kind of behaviour, I nevertheless stooped that low just so that I could have my smoke until I learned of the power of relaxation. To attain the desirable alpha state, first lie down on your bed or anywhere you can feel comfortable. If it is in the morning after waking up, just make sure not to fall back to sleep as you are already in the alpha state. Before going to sleep at night, do the relaxation exercise and make sure not to immediately fall to sleep. Breath in deeply and hold your breath by counting to ten. Relax your body from your facial muscles, neck, chest, arms, abdomen and down to your legs.

Feel these muscles relaxing. If you feel the urge to scratch any part of your body, simply ignore the urge and you'll feel the urge subsiding. Feel your body lying as of a heap. Observe the sounds around such as the barking dog outside or children playing in the garden or in the street. Do not be disturbed by these sounds. Relax and observe them without taking any position as to whether you like them or not. Next whisper to yourself; 'I am relaxed. I am relaxed. I am relaxed.' As you do this, you will notice that your breathing has slowed down considerably and your heartbeat becoming slower. Keep up this relaxed state for about five minutes and then stop by counting slowly from ten down to one and then at zero ,stop and just lie relaxed until you fall asleep. It is important to do this three times a day. Each time before getting out of bed, once around lunch time and before finally going to sleep at night. Keep up this exercise everyday. On the fourth day you will notice that it becomes easier to quickly relax than when you first started. By the end of the first week you will notice that you light up fewer times a day than you normally do. If you are a heavy smoker, you will still see a marked decline in your craving, but you will improve in the second week. It is also advisable to just relax and ' watch' your desire to smoke each time you feel like smoking. You will notice that the desire becomes less compelling and soon fading away. It seems so easier said than done that is unbelievable until you try it and see the results for yourself.

CHAPTER SIX

If when the day comes when you don't light up a single cigarette for the whole day, do not stop performing your exercises. Much as you repeatedly smoked until you became addicted, you’ll need to keep up the relaxation exercises even when a week passes by without smoking. It is imperative that you internalize this state of affairs in your mind until it is impossible to relapse. Depending on the degree of your addiction, you should be free from your addiction by the end of four weeks. Remember that this unlearning process will increase your confidence levels as you see yourself forgetting that you have to light up. Or when you notice yourself not struggling to switch off your craving by simply relaxing each time it rears its ugly head. In fact you will wait and want to see how you have grown to become less anxious and how badly you want to light up. Each time the urge crops up, it will be less strong and your confidence will soar.

There is another interesting thing about these relaxation exercises. They have a ripple effect. First you shall notice after a week or so that you can even easily relax in a crowded bar or bus. You'll be even less prone to being fidgety. Your composure and serenity will grow. Many smokers have complained that whenever they drink alcohol beverages, their craving sky rockets even when they had made some headway in trying to stop smoking. It will be wise to avoid drinking or letting yourself in situations where your craving is tempted. However, it is important to test yourself to see how far strong you have become even in situations that trigger your craving.

Keep on relaxing and you will notice that you are no more prone to panic attacks even when people rush about because someone has said that the house is on fire. You will notice yourself reacting coolly and rationally even in emergency situations. Another surprising aspect is that you will become emotionally stable and not inclined to be easily irritated or driven to negative emotions such as anger and impulsiveness. You shall also be much less prone to be argumentative. In the next and final section of this article, I shall enumerate some of the fringe benefits of these relaxation exercises and how they will in turn reinforce your confidence and thereby bring about the joy of seeing distinct improvements in many aspects of your persona.

CONCLUSION

The following are some of the benefits you'll enjoy as a result of the relaxation exercises. They are the following: 1. You shall begin to fall asleep much easily and enjoy a deeper and more restful sleep.

2.You will sleep less hours and yet wake up feeling more refreshed. 3.Your energy levels will rise because your blood stream will be having less and less carbon dioxide levels. 4.Your appetite will improve and food will taste better.

5.Yor facial complexion will glow as you'll be having less carbon dioxide levels.

6.Your breath will become fresher and your teeth will be whiter. Your lover or spouse will be happy about this. No one likes to kiss an ashtray. It will be a pleasure for anyone to sit next to you, not having to contend with the musty smell of your clothes. 7.You

will also walk faster and longer without losing your breath or panting. Going up several flights of stairs to the uppermost floors will be much easier than when you were still smoking. 8.You power of focus and concentration at work or play will improve remarkably.

As you notice these glaring improvements in your persona, your confidence to maintain your non smoking will be further increased and you'll have more spare change in your wallet or purse. Your house and car will be less stuffy and you will be surprised to see smoking to be a frivolous and silly habit it really is. Relaxation is not only about stopping to smoke. It is a character enriching exercise that even religion encourages by what it terms prayer. Indeed prayer is a very powerful form of relaxation as it entails a recognition of a higher power that is capable of helping us achieve our needs. Religion advocates for a complete belief and faith in a supreme being, which leads to less anxiety. There is then no need to be apprehensive about anything as we are assured that our needs will be taken care of.

BY :MPHOJANE L.LEBOKO

http://www:MPHOJANELEBOKOINFORMATIONEXPLOSION.com