Changing your behaviour to break a bad habit can be challenging. Rokfri, the unique stop smoking programme, understands that every smoker and smoking habit is different, which is why it provides you with a personalised holistic approach to you stopping smoking. Rokfri consultant, hypnotherapist and NLP master practitioner Jasmine Piran shares her top tips and tricks for moving away from any bad habit:
To stop smoking for instance
1) Set yourself a date of when you want to start your new behaviour and keep to it. Many people start a new routine on a Monday, after a birthday, in the New Year, whatever you choose just make sure it is a realistic and practical date that works for you.
2) Think carefully about who you want to tell about your plan to stop smoking. Some people find it very useful to have other people involved in these types of behaviour change, while others can find people knowing about their aims adds pressure or stress to their journey. Do whatever works best for you and put your own needs first.
3) Make a list of the positive reasons why you want to change your behaviour and keep it with you at all times. Whenever you are feeling challenged you can look at this list and remind yourself of your reasons for making this change in your life.
4) Be kind and patient with yourself- small positive daily steps will gradually amount to a big positive change. Congratulate yourself for every success along the way, no matter how small, and allow yourself sufficient time to achieve your desired end result. Avoid placing any unfair pressures on yourself.
5) Use positive mind set and self-talk, believe in yourself and have total faith in your ability to succeed. Ban yourself from using words like 'can't' and instead repeat things such as "I can do this", and "I will do this." It's a matter of reframing the way you talk to yourself. Give yourself the positive words of encouragement that you would say to a loved one in the same position as you.
6) Repeat affirmations to yourself and pay full attention to the words you are saying. Make sure you are doing this in a calm, focused way with no distractions. Keep affirmations in the present tense - examples include "every day, in every way, I'm feeling better and better" and "my thoughts are under my control"
7) Understand your emotional drivers behind your behaviour by logging your thoughts. See what may trigger certain responses and understand what may cause your reactions. Keep a cravings log and see how they link to specific situations, times or people in your life.
8) Keep track of your results so you can have a clear idea of your journey and experiences to date. This can help you see how far you have come, obstacles you have faced, and work out how to manoeuvre around these in the future.
9) Celebrate your victories and reward your own progress. Avoid picking rewards that could lead to other unhealthy habits and instead invest real time in yourself and find healthy ways to treat yourself. Keep these rewards in mind, and remember them at times when you are feeling challenged. If you're retraining your brain mind and your behaviour around a habit such as smoking, a celebration could be using the money you've saved to book a treat such as a day out.
10) Persist with this new ritual- it takes 21 to form a new habit so do stick with it and you will find that things get easier with every day that passes.
Tagged in Smokers