by Connie Kvilhaug
Almost everyone who wants to stop smoking has some kind of reason (i.e., excuse) why they just can’t seem to do it on their own. They talk about having a “part” of them wanting to stop, and yet another “part” always seems to pick up a cigarette anyway. This internal debate in the mind is a big part of what keeps people stuck in their smoking habit.
A good hypnotist knows how to really listen to their client to discover their particular debate. Clients may say things like the following:
“I don’t even like the smell of them, but I need something to do on my work break.”
“I hate the fact that I’m controlled by them, but whenever I get irritated with my spouse, I go reach for one anyway.”
“I know I need to stop, but I enjoy having one while at the bar with my buddies.”
“I think I could stop, but what if I can’t?”
Notice all the “buts” in these statements. That’s the first indication that there is an internal debate going on. As we look past the actual statements, we see that there really are deeper reasons to why they keep smoking. Notice the reasons (in bold) after each statement:
“I don’t even like the smell of them, but I need something to do on my work break.” (bored, needs a distraction)
“I hate the fact that I’m controlled by them, but whenever I get irritated with my spouse, I go reach for one anyway.” (needs to relieve stress or anger)
“I know I need to stop, but I enjoy having one while at the bar with my buddies.” (wants to socialize)
“I think I could stop, but what if I can’t?” (has a fear of failure)
Whether it’s boredom, needing a distraction, relieving stress or anger, wanting to socialize, or even a fear of failure, these need to be addressed in order for a person to be able to let go of their smoking habit. Being able to see that these needs can be met in other ways, rather than smoking, can be very useful. Then one can “single-mindedly” decide to stop their smoking habit for good. Here at Billings Hypnosis, we use hypnotism and Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques to help you accomplish your goals. These tools work together beautifully to help resolve the internal debate and move forward.
Change Your Thoughts and You Can Change Your World!
