CBQ Method

Quitting Smoking Naturally

Nasia Davos

How to Quit Smoking Naturally Even if You Love Cigarettes (in 4 Steps)

by 112 Comments

If quitting smoking was easy, would you do it today?

If you just answered YES, then you’re in the right place. Because this article will show you how to quit smoking naturally and easily.

And I know a part of you does want to stop smoking.

Maybe you want to know how to quit smoking naturally because smoking has started harming your health…

…You have sudden chest pains, climbing up the stairs exhausts you, you don’t breathe effortlessly anymore, your voice is turning hoarse…

Perhaps your children or grandchildren told you they are afraid of losing you because of your habit. And that scares you because you want to be there for your loved ones.

Maybe you have lost someone to smoking and that made you realize that the danger is very real.

Or maybe, you’ve started seeing smoking for the poison it really is, and you don’t want to be addicted anymore.

All smokers have their own reasons for wanting to stop.

But they don’t want to suffer. Or feel deprived for the rest of their lives.

Instead, they want to quit smoking without missing cigarettes ever again.

They want to want to quit.

They want the best way to quit smoking.

Well, if that’s what you’ve been looking for…

You’ve finally found it…

woman quit smoking naturally

This article is for you if you want to grow to a non-smoker; not force yourself to become one.

Because it will show you how to quit smoking naturally and easily so you can get back your health, wealth, and peace of mind.

But before we get into that answer, let me make something very clear.

I understand that at the moment…The mere thought of quitting might overflow you with hesitation, anxiety, and fear.

So I am going to ask you to put that hesitation aside -just for now.

Why You Need a New Best Way to Quit Smoking Naturally

You see — all smokers who are trying to quit, find themselves at various levels of STUCK. I’ve been there too.

There’s just so many things to change, so many habits to reverse and so much fear about how we can cope with life without our cigarettes!

And with all the methods and products out there, that overpromise and under-deliver, quitting gets really frustrating — and extremely hard.

Don’t you think?

But it is not your fault …Like I say in my TED talk, what you need is a quit smoking solution that makes quitting what it’s supposed to be: easy!

CBQ quit smoking method as COPD treatment

When I was a smoker, I tried to stop many times, and I am not ashamed to admit that I failed miserably every single one of them.

No matter what approach I used.

I felt smoking was my crutch, my stress-aid, and my friend through hard times. I couldn’t imagine my life without it.

Or, at least, that’s what I told myself.

After I discovered how to quit smoking naturally without feeling stressed and deprived, something great happened:

I smoked my last cigarette, and I felt so happy and free, that I only wished I had done it sooner. (But I will leave this story for another time)

The important thing is that the over 8,400 ex-smokers who’ve used my method, felt the exact same happiness when they quit.

And you can feel it too. As long as you decide to say goodbye to the cigarette friend.

Now you might be thinking, “Well, once you get hooked it’s very hard to let go. It’s difficult to stop smoking.”

But why is it so difficult to stop?

Why Quitting Smoking Seems Hard

Reason #1 (and only):

You Try to Quit while You still Desire a Cigarette.

Let me explain.

Most smokers believe they enjoy or even love smoking.

At the same time, they want to quit because smoking has taken a toll on their health, pocket, and freedom.

So here’s what happens:

You want to stop smoking. You have the desire to quit.

But you also have another desire: the desire to smoke.

So you experience a conflict of desires. You are torn.

Your desire to smoke comes from all the benefits you think you get from smoking.

Think about it.

The reason you like smoking is because you believe it helps you cope with stress and boredom, socialize, enjoy life, take a mental break, keep your hands busy, concentrate, enjoy your “me-time” or even manage your weight.

Right?

So why is it so hard to stop?

Well, because on some level you are afraid that if you quit you will lose all those benefits.

Understand this.

The FEAR of feeling anxiety, deprivation, boredom and the fear of losing a source of enjoyment… and the pure habit of holding a cigarette…are the REASONS why you keep on smoking.

And as long as you have reasons to smoke, you will always desire a cigarette.

woman craving cigarettes

The problem? When you attempt to quit while still desiring cigarettes…

…one thing is bound to happen:

You will quit fearing that the desire to smoke will never go away. And that this feeling of “something missing,” will leave you forever deprived.

I have to tell you, feeling deprived will drag you back to smoking at the drop of a hat.

What makes quitting even harder is forcing ourselves to NOT smoke.

Because when we use our willpower, we suffer.

See, our willpower can’t remove our desire for smoking. The desire for smoking is strong because smoking is an addiction.

And our willpower is LIMITED.

So we cannot try to fight our desire to smoke and our addiction with willpower.

It’s simply not a fair fight.

It’s hard.

But if willpower can’t fight our desire to smoke, what do we do?

The only real cure for smoking is not to resist our urge but to obliterate it.

Removing our desire to smoke from the core is the only easy way to quit smoking naturally.

If you try to stop smoking without removing your desire to smoke, then quitting will be extremely hard.

And even if you do quit for a short period of time, you will be feeling deprived and miserable without cigarettes.

Makes sense, right?

But if you think about it… Which method actually removes your desire for a cigarette?remove your desire for cigarettes

Using the Common Quit Smoking Approaches

If you have ever tried to stop smoking with willpower or other traditional ways, you probably found it very hard to remain smoke-free.

Here’s why:

Nicotine Products (Nicotine Replacement Therapy + Vaping)

Let’s take nicotine products as an example.

  • Stop smoking patches
  • Nicotine gums
  • Lozenges
  • Nicotine inhalers
  • And vaping…

ALL keep you addicted to nicotine.

These stop smoking aids don’t remove your desire for your smokes.

In fact, they intensify this desire.

Plus, substituting cigarettes with other forms of nicotine makes you feel that you are making a sacrifice by quitting.

So when you stop taking these products, you still feel deprived.

And… You end up smoking again.

nicotine gums patches quit smoking

Cold Turkey

You may wonder how going cold turkey works out.

When we use our willpower to stop smoking, what we’re actually doing is this:

We first stop smoking and then wait for our desire to smoke to magically fade away by itself.

But it doesn’t.

Instead, we feel deprived, and the thought of a cigarette becomes even more precious.

And sure, you can “tough it,” for a short while, but you can’t go through life always putting effort to resisting a cigarette!!

That’s not how smoke-free life is supposed to be like.

Smoking Pills

And let’s not forget smoking pills like Zyban or Chantix.

These chemicals might stop you from smoking for a while.

But they don’t remove the reasons why you smoke. Your desire for a cigarette is still there.

So what do you think happens few days after you stop taking the pills?

That’s right. You have a nice smelly cigarette.

So what’s the answer?

the easiest way to quit smoking naturallyThe Best and Easiest Way to Quit Smoking Naturally 

What all the above approaches have in common is this:

They only try to stop you from smoking cigarettes for a short period.

They don’t remove the fears that keep you lighting up one cigarette after the other.

All the reasons you want to smoke, are still there.

No wonder why quitting seems hard.

Don’t get me wrong. The above methods have helped many smokers quit. This doesn’t mean, though, that they are the easiest and most successful ways to stop smoking.

It’s like catching a cold and trying to find the right cure. There may be many ways to fight a cold.

But would you rather use an outdated medicine that has helped few people in the past?

Or use the newest discovery that guarantees you will be cured in the easiest way without any side-effects?

The second of course!

And knowing how to quit smoking naturally is no different.

Please listen. No matter how you choose to quit, you need to know this:

The best way to stop smoking is to stop desiring a cigarette BEFORE you actually stop smoking.

Here’s Why:

  • It’s Stress- Free: when you stop enjoying smoking before you quit, you don’t experience stressful cravings.

And you don’t overthink about the situations where you can’t smoke.

So you don’t feel anxious when you don’t have a cigarette.

Because there is nothing to miss.

  • It’s Permanent: when you stop desiring cigarettes, you don’t have any cravings.

And you don’t even notice your physical withdrawal from nicotine!

So you don’t experience withdrawal symptoms like weight gain, irritation, loss of concentration, headaches or fatigue…

Because there are no cravings to cause them in the first place.

  • It’s Easy: when you stop craving a smoke before you quit, you can’t possibly feel deprived without cigarettes.

Plus you don’t need to use willpower to stop yourself from smoking.

Because again, there’s nothing to resist.

At this point, you’re probably wondering how you can remove your desire to smoke.

Is there a method that does exactly that?

That eliminates your desire for smoking BEFORE you actually extinguish your last cigarette?

Yes, there is!

It’s the CBQ quit smoking method.

last cigarette

The Cognitive Behavioral Quitting method – CBQ – is a unique sequence of simple scientific techniques that remove your need to smoke.

The CBQ has been developed over a decade of research and testing with the sole purpose of helping smokers quit permanently without:

•Stress & Anxiety

•Feelings of deprivation

•Gaining weight

•Willpower

•And without nicotine substitutes and medications.

It has a 94% success rate.

85% of smokers quit permanently on their first attempt, and 9% quit on their second or third attempt.

Over 8,400 smokers have been cured of smoking using the CBQ method.

And it can work for you too!

The CBQ can work for you no matter how long you’ve been smoking, how much you smoke and how much you believe you enjoy or need smoking.

And if you believe the saying “Once a smoker, always a smoker” let me reassure you that it is a myth.

Being a smoker has been a part of who you are for so long… I get it.

But that doesn’t mean that it has to stay that way.

Think about it like this. At some point in your life, you were a teenager. Now you are not.

Do you ever think to yourself “Once a teenager, always a teenager?”

Of course not. Your teens was a phase of your life that passed and gave way to better and greater things.

The same goes for smoking.

Every smoker has the innate ability to become a happy non-smoker…As long as they use a quit smoking method that works.

So why does the CBQ method work?

how to quit smoking permanently

How to Quit Smoking Naturally with the 4 Stages of the CBQ Method

After researching, studying and modeling the psychology of addiction, I found the exact 4 mental, physical and behavioral stages of quitting smoking. Going through them… is the key to quit smoking naturally and easily.

In other words, the CBQ method works, because it follows the exact 4 stages, our brain gets attached or detached, from a habit or addiction.

Skip one of these stages, and you are guaranteed to fail, or relapse after a while.

But follow these 4 stages, in the right sequence, and you will see your desire for a smoke fade away, day after day. You will see yourself cutting down on your smoking- effortlessly. It’s science.

The 4 stages of quitting smoking are very simple.

The name of each stage starts with the letter “C”, so a simple way to remember them is by calling them “the 4Cs.”

They are:

Stage 1. Choose to Quit

This stage prepares you to quit so you can make a real decision and commit to quitting smoking.

Ok, let’s say you made a real firm decision to quit. Now, what? Do you just try to resist cigarettes with willpower or buy a pack of nicotine gums?

No.

stop cigarettes

Stage 2. Change Your Mindset

In this stage, you change how you think about smoking and remove the fears stopping you from becoming a non-smoker so you can believe that quitting is possible and believe that you can do it.

Believing that you CAN stop smoking is key to succeeding.

Stage 3. Change Your Smoking Pattern

In this stage, you break your smoking habit, eliminate your desire for smoking and smoke your last cigarette.

A big part of this stage is knowing how to cope with your emotions and feel relaxed without a cigarette.

become a happy non smoker

Stage 4. Condition Your Smoke-Free Life.

This stage ensures you remain a happy non-smoker for the rest of your life without feeling deprived, suffering from stress and gaining weight.

Now, you know the 4 essential stages you need to follow so you can quit smoking naturally.

But follow the sequence (Choose-Cultivate-Change-Condition). Don’t mix up the stages.

My team and I have tested this method again and again on all kinds of smokers.

And I can promise you this:

Following these steps in the right sequence will take you from a lifetime of smoking to a healthy smoke-free life radiant with joy. A life you deserve!

Best thing? They are incredibly easy.

couple quitting smoking

How to Start Your Quit Smoking Journey (and make it easy)?

As you probably know by now, the easiest way to stop smoking is by following the 4 stages of the CBQ method.

So if you want to quit smoking successfully without missing cigarettes ever again, click here to access the Foundational Video of the CBQ Method

In this free video I show you:

  • What you need to do in each stage
  • And how you can use the CBQ method, starting today.

This is 100% free.

All you need to do is put your name and email address so I can send you the video.

And if you’re someone who’s just tired of trying to quit and failing, then there’s a special free gift waiting for you at the end of that video.

Get the Foundational Video of the CBQ Method now.

PS: Leave a comment below and let me know which of the 4 stages was missing from your past quit attempts?

10 Quit Smoking Quotes that Helped Me Become a Non-Smoker

by

Quit smoking quotes can give you the inspiration and motivation you need to kickstart your next quit attempt.

When I first tried to stop smoking cigarettes, I felt stuck, hopeless, and miserable. Until I bumped into some quotes about quitting smoking.

Once I read what other people say about this habit, it gave me a new perspective and a renewed strength to quit.

Knowing that I was not alone in this, helped me quit successfully.

And now it’s my turn to help you.

That’s why I put together a list of my favorite quit quotes that can help you get off the fence and break free from smoking.

And if you have already stopped smoking, these quotes will encourage you to remain smoke-free.

Are you ready for some quit smoking motivation?

Here it comes:

My Top Quit Smoking Quotes

1.

“All the suffering, stress and addiction comes from not realizing you already are what you are looking for.” –Jon Kabat-Zinn

You don’t need cigarettes to be complete. All the happiness, comfort and peace you seek, is already inside you.

2.

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” –Tony Robbins

Everything you are and everything you have is because of a decision you once made. Decide to quit smoking, and nothing will stop you.

3.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” -Mark Twain

There will never be a perfect moment to quit smoking. Don’t wait for life to change, it won’t.

If you want to quit smoking cigarettes, you have to take control of the changes you need in your life.

4.

 “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” -Zig Ziglar

Make a list of all the benefits you will gain by quitting smoking. And revisit it every morning until your mind starts liking the idea of becoming a non-smoker.

5.

“The surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed.” – Richard Brinsley Sheridan

A successful quit attempt starts with the decision to try. Making a firm decision to stop smoking will fuel you with determination and motivation.

That’s why choosing to be smoke-free is the first quit smoking stage (I will tell more about it in a bit).

(The next one is my favorite quit quote…)

6.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” -Theodore Roosevelt

Usually, what’s holding us back from quitting is our beliefs that quitting smoking is impossible or that we can’t quit.

Believe in your potential, and you will be successful.

7.

“Our strength grows out of our weakness.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Smoking is your weakness, your comfort. Quitting smoking is a transformational process that will change your confidence in yourself, your health, and your life.

8.

“At least three times every day take a moment and ask yourself what is really important. Have the wisdom and the courage to build your life around your answer.” -Lee Jampolsky

Make a list of what you value most in your life. Then compare everything on that list with the instant gratification you get from a cigarette. What’s more important?

9.

“All behavioral or mood disorders – including depression, OCD, ADHD and addiction – have some neurochemical components, but sufferers can still work to overcome them.” -Jeffrey Kluger.

Yes, there are nicotine receptors in the smoker’s brain. But with the right quit smoking method, our brain can feel happy without smoking.

10.

“Checking your ego, abandoning it, letting it go, is a huge part of recovery from addiction.” -Susannah Grant

You will be a happy non-smoker only when being a smoker stops defining who you are.

Ok, here are three more quotes I just had to share…

11.

“There is no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.” – Alexander Woollcott

I believe this is one of the best no smoking quotes. Don’t wait to quit after Christmas, your birthday, Summer, a celebration, or a stressful event.

The perfect time to stop smoking is now because every day you are smoke-free matters.

12.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Quitting smoking doesn’t happen overnight. But it can be incredibly easy when you follow a specific process that removes your need to smoke.

This process is the 4 quit smoking stages of the CBQ method. The CBQ has a 94% success rate.

13.

“You are greater than your addiction.” – Nasia Davos

That’s the last thing I said in my TED talk.

It’s awkward to quote myself, I know. But this is what I want you to tell yourself every day.

Because it’s true. You are greater than your addiction. You were born to be smoke-free.

Your life belongs to you.

Quit Smoking Quotes Are Great for Inspiration, BUT

…. are they enough to help you quit? For most of us, the answer is no.

Quotes may be a fantastic and quick way to get a new perspective and feel inspired. However, if you feel motivated and then do nothing about it, that motivation will eventually evaporate. (Learn how to feel motivated to stop smoking.)

The best time to take a step towards your smoke-free life is right after you feel inspired because you can use that momentum to propel yourself towards your goal.

Okay, so you have the motivation and you’re using it to gain momentum. The last thing you need is a roadmap and a method to guide you through the process of quitting smoking. Following a tested method gives you confidence, provides a structure and protects you from mistakes and failure.

Think about it like this. Quitting smoking is a journey. You are the driver. Inspiration and motivation are your fuel, and a method is your map. The Cognitive Behavioral Quitting (CBQ) Method, which is world-renowned for its effectiveness, shows you how to become a happy nonsmoker in four steps.

To learn how to quit smoking naturally in four steps, click here to get the free foundational video & PDF starter guide of the CBQ Method.

Smoking Triggers: All You Need to Know About Your Triggers & How to Crush Them

by

Perhaps, if you’re like me, you’ve dreamed of quitting smoking while on vacation or wished there was a rehab for smokers, where you could escape your smoking triggers and the stresses of everyday life.

But what happens when you return home, and your triggers are there waiting for you?

In this article, you’ll learn:

  • The 4 types of smoking triggers.
  • How your triggers stop you from quitting smoking.
  • If you should avoid your smoking triggers when you first quit.
  • And how to crush your triggers with the CBQ Method.

Smoking Triggers: What Are They?

The smoking triggers, or else cues, are all the situations that remind you to smoke.

Some common triggers are: anxiety, boredom, driving, taking a break, finishing a meal, having a drink, feeling upset, or even celebrating.

relaxYou’re connected to your smoking habits through your triggers.

Because your triggers spark your desire to smoke and intensify your cravings.

At first glance, it may seem that after facing a trigger, you end up smoking – almost automatically. 

But as we explain in the third quit smoking stage of the CBQ method, there’s a chain reaction (mostly subconscious) that leads to you picking up a cigarette and smoking it.

That chain reaction starts with a trigger.

For example, you experience stress (trigger). This trigger causes you to think “I need a cigarette to relax” (craving thought), which makes you feel like smoking (emotion) so you eventually smoke (behavior).

Your triggers affect your thoughts, your thoughts affect your emotions, and your emotions affect your behavior.

Trigger -> Craving Thought -> Emotion -> Behavior

You can learn more about this in my TEDx talk.

How Different Situations Turn Into Smoking Triggers

For every smoker, eventually, smoking becomes part of your routine and it becomes a coping mechanism that’s present in everything you do. (When I was a smoker, you could hardly find a photo of me without a cigarette between my fingers.)

So with time everyone and everything seems to make you smoke.

Because while you smoke and nicotine goes to your brain and releases dopamine, you’re doing certain things and activities; you’re living your life.

So your brain has learned to link smoking to certain activities, routines, habits, and people. And with time, all these situations become triggers.

For example, if you usually smoke while talking on the phone, then after a while talking on the phone will trigger your cravings.

Or if you smoke when you’re bored or stressed, then your brain has learned to expect a dopamine release when you feel that way.

So after a while feeling bored or stressed is an instant reminder for you to smoke.

If you don’t, your self-talk, your craving mind comes in and tells you:

“You need one.”

“If you don’t smoke you won’t be able to cope.”

“Just one cigarette.”

Why Does Your Brain Insist You Smoke?

Simply because nicotine has hijacked the dopamine pathways in your brain and makes it believe you need nicotine to survive – just like you need food.

Of course, you don’t need nicotine to survive and your brain is not working against you on purpose.

Your brain just has outdated information.

But whatever the brain can learn, it can unlearn it. I’ll show you how in a bit.

The issue is that by constantly linking your emotions, situations, moments, and people to smoking, it’s easy to think that without nicotine, you can’t relax, socialize, enjoy life, take a break, drive or concentrate.

It’s easy to think that without smoking your cigarettes will magically take away with them your capacity to enjoy life and cope with your problems.

But the truth is that you just don’t know how to live as a non-smoker – yet.

But everything you do as a smoker you can do better as a non-smoker.

The 4 Types of Smoking Triggers

1. Emotional Triggers

All smokers smoke either to boost a good emotional state or to escape from a bad one. These are emotional triggers.

When you’re drinking your coffee, you smoke to enjoy your coffee even more. —that’s a Boost.

When you’re bored or anxious, you smoke to alter that state.—that’s an Escape.

Or when you feel depressed, you will smoke to feel better. —again, an Escape.

When you are with your friends, colleagues, or partner, you smoke to connect and enjoy their company. — that’s a Boost.

Which emotional states are you trying to escape or boost by smoking? Make a list if you can.

See, there are many ways to quit smoking. But none of them will work unless…

You discover new ways to manage your emotions without smoking ….before you quit.

ex-smoker relaxing

Let me explain.

If you had never smoked in your life, you wouldn’t be relying on cigarettes to calm down. And you wouldn’t be more anxious as a person. You would have found different ways to relax when you are stressed – just like non-smokers do.

But now, you are just used to relaxing by smoking. That doesn’t mean that you can’t relax in other ways.

You can!

You can learn 3 ways to manage your emotions without cigarettes here.

2. Social Triggers

Social triggers can social occasions and people.

Social occasions 

For example, if every time you’re at a party, you smoke…then after a while you may think you can’t enjoy a party without smoking.

Because in your mind having fun and smoking are one and the same.  Other social occasions can be:

  • a wedding
  • vacation
  • your birthday
  • dinner

But the strongest social triggers are…

People. If you habitually smoke with your partner, your best friend, your colleagues, or your neighbor, then after a while you may find it challenging to maintain a conversation with them without lighting up a cigarette.

You will feel that something is missing.

And when the people we see or love the most, are the people we smoke with…

… then we unconsciously fear that quitting smoking will damage our connection with them- even if that’s far from the truth.

In this short video, I show you how to enjoy social occasions as a non-smoker.

healthy couple quit smoking

3. Environmental Triggers

Environmental triggers are all the places you have linked to smoking. It can be your:

  • Home.
  • A friend’s house.
  • Your workplace.
  • Certain walking distances you make every day
  • A bar.
  • Or your car.

Research shows that context and environment play a huge role and can strengthen or break any habit.

So if you habitually smoke while driving, then after a while getting in your car will become a trigger that reminds you to smoke.

4. Double-Habit Triggers

I call this category double-habit triggers because what reminds you to smoke are other habits you have.

Drinking coffee or alcohol, watching tv, eating and even talking on the phone are all habits.

If you usually smoke while drinking your coffee, it may seem that you can’t enjoy your coffee unless you smoke. And if you quit, life won’t be as fulfilling or enjoyable without cigarettes. But as you’ll see in a bit, that’s not the case. 

All 4 Types of Smoking Triggers Can Happen at the Same Time

Many times you can encounter all those types of triggers at the same time.

Imagine you quit and you’re going out to see a friend who smokes. Social trigger. 

You meet at a place you used to hang out when you were a smoker. Environmental trigger

You’re having a drink. Double habit trigger.

And you feel drained from the day, stressed and tired. Emotional trigger. 

Should You Avoid Your Smoking Triggers When You First Quit?

You may have heard “experts” telling you to avoid your smoking triggers when you first quit.

But is this realistic?

Is it sustainable?

Most importantly…is it helpful or harmful?

According to the CBQ Method, you should never avoid your triggers.

Now I’m not saying to force yourself to face your triggers if you’re not ready, but don’t avoid them either. Just go on about your day, go on about your life.

Why?

Because when you stop smoking your brain starts breaking the associations between your triggers and smoking.

brain synapses

How to Weaken Your Smoking Triggers with the CBQ Method

When you put yourself in situations where you used to smoke and you don’t… and you are relaxed in these situations… you’re actually allowing your brain to get new information.

Because you show your brain that you don’t need smoking to enjoy and cope in these situations (which is what it used to think.)

You show your brain that nothing happened because you didn’t smoke.

This new experience creates new non-smoking memories and therefore, new neuropathways in your brain.

That’s how you crush your triggers, rewire your brain, and rewrite the script in your mind of how to be a non-smoker in different situations.

It’s important to expose yourself to your triggers while feeling good.

If you encounter a trigger and you feel bad, this actually gives your brain the opposite message. It tells your brain that it should keep reminding you to smoke so you can feel good. We don’t want that.

What about Alcohol?

The only exception to the rule of facing your triggers after you quit is alcohol.

Of course, you can socialize and unless you’re recovering from alcohol addiction you can have a drink.

However, it’s best to pace your drinking until you feel comfortable in your smoke-free life. It would be a good idea if at first, you had just one drink while socializing or had a glass of water in between drinks.

Summary

Triggers are all the situations that remind you to smoke. Over the years, your brain has learned to associate all these situations with cigarettes, and eventually, those situations become triggers.

To break the associations and weaken your triggers with the CBQ method, you need to expose yourself to your triggers while having a good experience.

Because every time you experience a situation as a non-smoker, you’re rewiring your brain and break past associations with smoking.

Just like your brain learned to expect nicotine, it can learn to not expect it and be content and happy without it.

After all, you were born a non-smoker, so you can return to that state; it just takes some practice.

Like we said before, the key to rewiring your brain is feeling good while facing your triggers.

So how can you do that? You need to change how you think about smoking and overcome the mental addiction, which is what the CBQ method is all about.

Over the last decade, the CBQ method has reached and helped millions of people quit easily by overcoming their mental addiction and changing how they experience smoking. And it can help you too.

You can get the free foundational video of the CBQ Method + the CBQ starter guide with tips for every quit smoking stage, an overview of your journey, and everything you need to start overcoming the mental addiction.

Get the foundational video of the CBQ Method here. 

7 Ways to Avoid Smoking Relapse This Time

by

Do you want to quit and avoid any future smoking relapse so you can finally break free from this addiction?

Perhaps you’re worried or afraid that your next quit attempt might fail.

Maybe you have failed in the past, and you don’t want this to happen again.

Or maybe you quit before but started smoking again in an unexpected moment of weakness; you had a bit too much to drink, a friend offered you a cigarette, or worse, you got some bad news, and you didn’t know how to cope.

If any of the above has happened to you, then this article is for you.

Because I will show you how to avoid smoking relapse so you can stop smoking for good.

No matter what happens in your life.

See, I also failed to quit many times.

And it was only after creating the CBQ method, that I was able to quit smoking successfully and understand why we relapse, and how to prevent that.

The reason we relapse is this: we don’t prepare adequately for our attempt.

And because of that, we don’t know how to protect ourselves in vulnerable moments.

Now I am not saying there won’t be vulnerable moments after you quit. Life gets hard for all of us, and we can’t avoid that.

But what we can avoid is to start smoking again.

And there are 7 ways to do that.

7 ways you can prepare for your next attempt so you can quit and dodge a quit smoking relapse.

Some of these ways are exercises and techniques while others are different ways to think about smoking.

But all of these practices come from the CBQ method; the quit smoking method that has 94% success rate.

So I know that if you apply all seven, you will stop smoking naturally and never feel tempted to smoke another cigarette in your life.

How to Avoid Smoking Relapse

1. Don’t Quit for the Rest of Your Life

Wait. Isn’t that the point?

Well, yes.

The point is to quit for the rest of your life. And to never miss cigarettes again.

But.

If you say to yourself “I am quitting smoking forever; for the rest of my life,” chances are that you will feel overwhelmed.

Thinking “I will never smoke again” probably makes you feel deprived.

I mean, “forever” or “never” are big words that make your goal to stop smoking seem unattainable.

And nobody needs this extra stress when quitting. Right?

But what if you broke down your goal to stop smoking to more approachable steps?

Wouldn’t this make quitting seem easier, more achievable and permanent?

It would!

How to Quit Without Feeling Overwhelmed

You need to take it one day at a time.

quitting cigarettes one day at a time

Here’s what I mean: If you set your intention to stay smoke-free one day at a time… then quitting smoking becomes much easier and a quit smoking relapse becomes much harder.

You get to celebrate every day you are smoke-free.

And you go to bed at night feeling proud of yourself.

Now if you think you’re going to crack without smoking during the day, tell yourself “I can have a smoke in an hour or so if I really want one.”

By that time, you’d probably have forgotten about it.

Something else you can do is to calculate the money saved each day you don’t smoke. Click here to calculate how much money you will save by quitting smoking.

2. Make a Real Decision to Quit

If you don’t really decide to stop smoking, then it is very likely to encounter a relapse.

Here’s what I mean.

Saying: “I should stop smoking” or “I will try and see how it goes,” is not making a firm decision to quit.
Really now, how many shoulds do you say every day?
“I should eat healthier.”
“I should exercise more.”
“I should call that person.”

But how many of these shoulds do you actually do?
Probably none.

The same applies to quitting smoking.

Knowing or saying that you should quit is not enough to make you take action.

Your logic just can’t overpower the emotional connection you have with your habit.

You know you want to quit – but there is still something tempting you to smoke.

What’s tempting you is that you haven’t REALLY decided to quit.

Making a firm decision overcome this addiction is the first quit smoking stage of the CBQ method, called “Choose to Quit.”

If you smoke your last cigarette before completing this first stage, you will relapse the moment you feel tempted.

But if you follow this stage and decide to stop smoking the right way, then nothing will stop you from succeeding.

3. See Yourself as A Non-Smoker

how to not relapse after quitting

Being able to visualize your smoke-free self will motivate you to kick this habit permanently.

But at the moment, being a non-smoker, it is out of your perception.

Or even worse, it is a painful image!

And why on earth would you want to go through a painful process to achieve a painful result?

You wouldn’t.

If you have no empowering and compelling way of seeing yourself as a non-smoker…

And if you can’t imagine how good it feels to be a nicotine-free…

How can you actually quit?

It’s hard.

How to Visualize Yourself as A Non-Smoker Even If You’ve Recently Started Smoking Again

You will stop smoking and avoid any potential smoking relapse if you create a compelling yet realistic image of yourself as a happy non-smoker.

You have to like the idea of being healthy more than the idea of having a smoke with your coffee.

Really.

You must be able to feel all the benefits you will gain by stopping smoking:

•be healthy once again

•get your peace of mind back

•breathe better

•have more energy

•stop worrying about how smoking might be harming your health

•get rid of the cigarette smell

•stop wasting a fortune on cigarettes

•reclaim the lost youth from your appearance

•and live a long life with your loved ones.

•Or maybe just you are sick of being controlled by a nicotine stick.

Just imagine all the benefits of quitting smoking.

Imagine yourself being free.

And keep this image in your mind every time you feel like starting smoking again.

4. Believe Quitting is Possible for You

I’ve seen confident and persistent people believing they can do anything… except quitting smoking.

Or even worse, they try to quit without having a deep empowering and encouraging belief that they will be successful.

The problem?

If deep inside you believe that you are going to smoke again, then that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

can't quit smoking

Believing that you can’t quit smoking for good, is a limiting belief.

Limiting beliefs are all the things we think we can’t do.

Sometimes we believe we’re not good enough or strong enough to achieve our goals.

Other times we believe other people who tell us we can’t do certain things.

Has anyone ever told you that you couldn’t achieve a goal you set?

How did that affect your psychology and your belief in yourself?

If you believe you can’t quit smoking, then you will always feel that something is making you go back to smoking- and that’s your own beliefs.

Nothing more.

But if you have faith in yourself, then it will be easy to remove all the fears and obstacles that prevent you from becoming a happy non-smoker.

That’s why the second quit smoking stage, “Change Your Mindset,” is all about strengthening your belief that:

  1. That it is possible to quit.
  2. AND that you can do it.

5. Learn How to Manage Your Emotions Without Cigarettes

There is no doubt that smoking helps you cope when you’re feeling stressed or down.

Every time you light up a cigarette you do it either to boost a good emotional state or escape from a bad one.
Think about it.

When you are stressed, you will probably light up a cigarette or two to relax.- escape
When you are happy, you will smoke to complete that fulfilling moment- boost
When you are depressed you will smoke to feel better- escape

Cigarettes have become your comfort and your friend because they are always available to you when you need them.

That’s why it might be hard to avert a relapse after quitting smoking.

The only way to stop smoking permanently without feeling anxious and deprived is to go through the 3rd quit smoking stage.

During the third stage of the CBQ method, which is “Change your Smoking Pattern,” you learn how to relax, cope with boredom, socialize, concentrate and enjoy life better without cigarettes.

Just imagine how it would be like if you didn’t need your smokes to go through your day.

Learn how to apply the 3rd quit smoking stage. Just enter your name and email address so that I can send you the link to the video of the 4 quit smoking stages of the CBQ method.

Moving on…

6. Think Before Lighting Up

Behind every cigarette you smoke, there is a smoking trigger.

Smoking triggers are all the emotions, states, and situations that make you light up- instantly.

Most triggers are common to all smokers, but you also have your own smoking triggers that come from your lifestyle.

smoking cigarettes

For example, drinking coffee, finishing your meal or feeling stressed… will probably trigger a cigarette craving.

Or if you habitually smoke in your living room, then after a while just being in your living room will be enough to increase your craving for a cigarette.

The problem is that when you encounter any smoking trigger, you light up without second-guessing it.

This automatic response is what makes your habit strong. That’s how you relapse.

And since there will always be a smoking trigger to remind you of your habit, the only solution is for you to take control over your triggers – instead of them controlling you.

That’s why one of the crucial steps in avoiding quitting smoking relapse, is being aware of your triggers.

And when you want to smoke, take a moment before you light up.

At first, wait for 10 seconds.

After a while, start waiting for 15 seconds, then 20 seconds and so on.

Extend the waiting period for as long as you can.

7. Have an Alternative

What smokers usually do is they try to resist smoking with willpower hoping that the desire to smoke will eventually fade away.

And it doesn’t.

On the contrary, the more you resist smoking, the more you intensify your urge to smoke.

Because you think about it more!

The reason this happens is simple: You can’t just suppress or forget something you’ve been doing at least 20 times per day for decades.

It’s impossible.

The only permanent way to break free and be safe from any future smoking relapse is to find healthy habits to replace smoking.

The 4th and last quit smoking stage of the CBQ method, “Condition Your Smoke-Free Life,” shows you how to remain a non-smoker by replacing smoking with another healthy habit.

Not another crutch or addiction. But with a beneficial, healthy habit.

But be careful. This new habit has to:

1. Satisfy the same emotional needs that you currently fulfill with smoking.

It has to fight boredom, stress and offer you relaxation and pleasure.

2. Occupy your mind and hands at the same time.

As long as your new habit follows the above parameters, it will help you find satisfaction and connection in other things instead of smoking.

Conclusion

The easiest and safest way to avoid quit smoking relapse is to quit while applying these 7 principles:

And if you have recently started smoking again, then try to quit again using these 7 ways.

But do it now that you still have momentum.

Each of these 7 practices to fend off smoking relapse comes from a quit smoking stage of the CBQ method.

To access the exclusive video of the 4 quit smoking stages, click here.

Just enter your name and email address so I can send you your video.

These 4 stages are the complete process that takes you from a smoker who enjoys cigarette to a non-smoker who doesn’t need them.

Get the 4 quit smoking stages now.

The 3 Tricks Your Mind Plays On You When Deciding To Quit Smoking

by

The Clash of Minds

“I have to quit smoking.” You’ve probably said this many times when deciding to quit smoking.

Maybe you wake up in the morning coughing and feeling nauseous because you were chain smoking the night before.

Perhaps you catch yourself running out of breath at odd times.

Or maybe a loved one pursued you to stop and you thought you should give it a go because deep down you know they are right.

And although you have the best intentions about quitting….you still find yourself lighting up a cigarette after a few days.

Now here’s where it gets interesting.

People go back to smoking even they’re using nicotine gums, patches or pills.

They light up a cigarette even if they know how much it’s harming their health.

They smoke one cigarette after the other even if they know how many money problems, restrictions, and family arguments smoking is causing them.

BUT WHY?

Why would you keep on smoking, even though you know you shouldn’t? 

Smokers are not crazy. There’s a pretty simple explanation as to why they don’t quit.

And it has to do with, what else?

This complex machine called “mind.”  Our mind has more or less two aspects.

Our logic and our emotions (remember that our emotions are part of our brain, too).

Sometimes our logic and our emotions work together. Other times, they don’t.

For example, just remember the last time you attacked a delicious cake, even though you’d promised yourself to go on a diet (or is it just me?).

What happened there?

Your logic wanted you to go on a diet, but your emotions wanted you to eat and feel good at that moment.

There was a clash of minds. Your logic and your emotions were not on the same page.

Well, that’s exactly what happens with smoking.

Let me explain.

Deciding to Quit Smoking: Logic vs. Emotions

So your logic says you must stop smoking because you are harming your health, your pocket and the feelings of those who love you.

On the other hand, your emotions may not be on board. 

Your emotions might be telling you that you need smoking to feel relaxed, happy and fulfilled.

As a result, you feel worried about becoming cranky without a cigarette. Or about what you’re gonna do with your hands when you’re bored.

Or about how you can relax without smoking.

And let’s face it: if you feel bad about quitting, then your decision to quit will not stick with you.

Know what I mean?

That’s why we only use the CBQ quit smoking method. Because this is the only method that removes your desire for cigarettes. Here I show you how to stop desiring cigarettes with the CBQ method.

But how exactly do your emotions affect your psychology and your decision to quit smoking?

The answer is simple. Your emotions play some mind tricks on you that make you postpone quitting.

These are not vague, wishy-washy, wizard-of-Oz kind mind tricks. No. I hate these things.

These mind tricks (or as they’re called in Psychology, cognitive biases), happen to all of us for all kinds of things. It’s just how our mind works.

The good news is that once you know these mind tricks, something great will happen:

You will be able to make your emotions work for you and help you quit smoking.

Yes, knowing about these mind tricks gives you power over them. Because when you know how your emotions work, you can change them so you can quit smoking and feel GOOD about it.

Always remember that you are in charge. 

Ok so here are the 3 most common mind tricks that your mind plays on you when you try to quit smoking and what to do to avoid them.

Ready?

Let’s roll.

The 3 Mind Tricks

Mind trick #1. “I will quit later. Nothing will happen to me.”

How many times have you said “I will quit on Monday”, or after Christmas, Summer, a promotion or any stressful event….

…but when that time came, you postponed quitting for another time in the future?

It just wasn’t urgent enough to quit at that moment.

If that has happened to you, is because of a very common mind trick, called “The Present Bias.”

What’s this Present Bias? 

The present bias makes us care ONLY about what’s happening now.

While living and enjoying the present moment is good and healthy, it sometimes leads us to ignore our future.

And that’s a problem when it comes to quitting smoking.

Because not worrying about the future, makes you:

  • Feel invincible.
  • And focus only on the instant gratification you get from a cigarette.

So you stop thinking about the consequences of smoking. 

As a result, the “I will quit tomorrow” becomes “I will quit next week”, next week becomes next year and next year becomes never.

quit smoking for your futureAnother way to spot the present bias mind trick is by noticing if you have thoughts like:

“I know smokers who lived up to 90 years old”

or “Yes, smoking causes cancer, but I don’t think this could ever happen to me.”

This mind trick is responsible for most of our bad habits – unhealthy eating, drinking and yes, procrastinating.

But like everything else, you can easily overcome it.

What to do: 

To overcome the present bias mind trick, you need to create a vivid image of how your life will be like in 10 or 20 years from now if you keep on smoking.

Let’s do this here.

Ok, so the craving strikes.

STEP A: Close your eyes and picture your life 10 years from now as a SMOKER.
Where are you?
What are you doing?
Who are you with?
How is your health?
Make this image really detailed and keep it in your mind for a few moments.

STEP B: Visualize yourself 10 years from now as a NON-SMOKER.

See yourself in the future looking vibrant, healthy and energetic.

You are healthy and strong. You don’t worry about how smoking might be harming your health anymore.

You feel free.
Feel how it feels like to take full uninterrupted breaths.

What are you doing with all the money you have saved by quitting smoking?

Picture yourself enjoying your life with your loved ones. And hold on to that beautiful image for a few moments.

Moving on…

Mind trick #2. “I will lose my only comfort.”

While quitting, you might have thoughts and worries about what you’re gonna lose or miss by quitting smoking.

Your mind might tell you that you have too many things going on in your life. And that smoking is your only way of coping; your crutch.

It will tell you that you can’t give up smoking. Because if you do, you will be so anxious and irritated that you might fight with your loved ones or your coworkers.

Yes, every time you have a craving, your mind will pop in only to remind you of all the emotional comfort you will lose by quitting.

Does this sound familiar?

If yes, you are not alone.

This mind trick is called “The Loss Aversion Bias.”

The WHAT?

This mind trick comes from our strong innate desire to avoid losing something.

In fact, we prefer NOT to lose something we already have than to gain something new.

Think about it.

The pain of losing $200 from your wallet is greater than the pleasure of winning $200 in a lottery.

Well, the same applies to quitting smoking.

The fear of what you will LOSE by quitting -your habit, a stress-aid, your crutch-… overshadows all the things you will GAIN by quitting. 

Think about it.

These are some of the benefits you think you will lose by quitting smoking. You probably believe that smoking helps you:

  • Relieve your anxiety
  • Socialize
  • Enjoy life and its pleasures
  • Take a mental break
  • Keep your hands busy
  • Cope with boredom
  • Concentrate
  • Enjoy your “me-time”
  • Or even control your weight.

deciding to quit smoking

And these are only a few of the benefits you will GAIN by quitting smoking. You probably want to:

  • Be healthy once again
  • Get your peace of mind back
  • Breathe better
  • Have more energy
  • Stop worrying about how smoking might be harming your health
  • Get rid of the cigarette smell
  • Stop wasting a fortune on cigarettes
  • Reclaim the lost youth from your appearance
  • And live a long life with your loved ones.
  • Or maybe just you are sick of being control by a nicotine stick.

What this all boils down to, is that your mind tends to ignore all the benefits of quitting smoking.

But the truth is that all of these benefits are there. You just have to focus on them.

The benefits of quitting are real. The benefits of smoking are an illusion.

What to do: Make a list of all the things you will gain by quitting smoking.

Every time you have a thought about what you will lose by quitting smoking counterattack it with a thought about what you will gain by quitting smoking.

After a while, your mind will naturally focus on the benefits of quitting, and you will start WANTING to quit like never before.

Mind trick #3. “I can’t be happy without my smokes.”

If you’ve ever felt too attached to your smoking habit or if you’ve ever felt that quitting might take some happy moments away from your daily life…. again, there is an explanation for this.

This mind trick is called “The Familiarity Bias.”

What’s that now?

The familiarity bias is when our emotions tell us to stick to what we know.

We are creatures of habit, so keeping a routine that’s familiar to us, makes us feel stable, safe and in control.

Fact is, we tend to choose familiar things over unfamiliar ones,  even if we have all the evidence that it’s not the BEST choice.

For example, we tend to buy a well-advertised product than risk trying something new. When we like a specific brand of milk, we stick to it.

Also, we like the people who are similar to us because they feel familiar.

It’s human nature.

We feel safer doing what we know- even though our habits might be destructive to our health and well-being.

And the same thing applies to smoking. 

Although your logic knows it’s the worst option for your health, your familiarity bias mind trick keeps you stuck to what you know – your habit.

But of course, you can overcome it.

What to Do when Deciding to Quit Smoking: 

The key here is becoming familiar with the idea of being a non-smoker. Sounds simple. And it is.

What you can do is find 1 or 2 people who have quit smoking and ask them how their lives have changed since then.

(It can be someone you know from your social circles or even someone’s story you found on the internet.) 

Ok, so you know the 3 most common mind tricks your mind plays on you when you think about quitting. What’s next?

What comes next, is knowing what are the 4 quit smoking stages. Following these 4 stages will help you quit smoking and never miss it for the rest of your life.

They are simple and they work for all smokers because they follow the exact 4 stages that our brain gets attached or detached from a habit or an addiction.

Click here to access to the video of the 4 quit smoking stages. 

All you need to do is enter your name and email address so I can send you the link to your video.

Get the exclusive video of the 4 stages now.

6 Things to Do Instead of Smoking that Knockout Your Cravings

by

Why do you need things to do instead of smoking?

One of the biggest side effects of quitting smoking is the cigarette cravings.

Cravings can be extremely overwhelming. They create anxiety, agony, frustration… And the more you resist a smoking urge with willpower… then more you want to smoke!

But what makes a craving SO overwhelming?

Truth be told, a craving is nothing more than a physical sensation just like hunger. There is no physical pain.

No spasms, no cramps, no aches.

So what is it?

What makes the need to smoke so overwhelming is the mental and emotional agony that this need will never subside…. unless you give in and smoke.

But what if.. when you felt like smoking… you did something else instead?

Then you could feel better. And feeling good would make it easier to stay away from cigarettes.

Right?

In fact, adopting new healthy habits to replace smoking altogether is what you do during the 4th and last stage of the CBQ method, “Condition Your Smoke-Free Life.”

Think about it. You can’t just forget or suppress your smoking habit, which has been a part of your life for decades.

You have to replace it with another healthy habit.

That’s what the 4th quit smoking stage is all about. Now there are 3 quit smoking stages before that, and 94% of smokers who follow these 4 stages, in the right sequence, quit successfully.

But for now, let’s focus on the 4th quit smoking stage and see what to do instead of smoking so you can occupy your mind and hands during the 3-minute period of a craving – and feel relaxed in the process.

6 Things to Do Instead of Smoking

1. Practice Gratitude

Practice WHAT?

You might wonder what gratitude has to do with cravings and anxiety.

Well, research from The Heart Math Institute and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), shows that regular practice of gratitude can dramatically change your body’s chemistry and reduce stress. Amazing, right?

And here’s the thing: IT’S VERY EASY to practice gratitude so you can feel good without needing cigarettes.

But before I get into that, let me tell you why practicing gratitude can help you beat stress when quitting.

Why Practicing Gratitude is One of the Best Things to Do Instead of Smoking

  1. Gratitude makes you happier.

woman feeling grateful

In a study, scientists asked a group of people to keep a daily journal of all the things they were grateful for. And they asked another group to record all the things that annoyed them.

And guess what?! The people who wrote down the things they were grateful for were MUCH happier, determined, enthusiastic and energetic than the group of people who were focused on the negative aspects of their lives.

   2. You cannot feel grateful and stressed at the same time.

It is practically impossible! Also, while feeling grateful you can’t feel depressed, cranky, or angry- which are common when stopping smoking. We can’t experience negative feelings when we feel grateful. Doesn’t happen.

Think about it like this: your stress is like a small child that’s easily distracted. When a child cries and you give them a toy, they will get distracted and stop crying. The same way, gratitude is like a toy that will instantly end any anxious thought.
You will be surprised by how much the practice of gratitude will reduce your anxiety and improve your relationships.
Let’s see how to do it.

Do the following exercise in a quiet place so you can relax and stay away from your smokes.

Step 1. Rate your stress levels

I want you to rate how stressed, worried or anxious you feel, on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 for “relaxed”, and 10 for “I’m freaking out. I need a cigarette now”. This is important, because at the end of this technique we want to see how much you have reduced your stress.

Step 2. Focus on what you have

Close your eyes and begin to focus on something that you have in your life right now. Something that you feel a genuine sense of appreciation for.
If you allowed yourself to be grateful for something, what could it be?

Start by looking at the small things in your life- someone holding the door for you, a conversation with a stranger, a child’s innocent smile, a beautiful day, the fact that you are alive and can see, walk, talk and feel!

As you go on, focus on the bigger things you’re thankful for in your life. It can be your family, friends, work, your home or an adversity you were able to overcome.

It doesn’t matter what you feel thankful for. Remember, you are after the feeling of gratitude. And when you get it, you will feel an immense sense of relief.

If you need some inspiration, click here to listen to these gratitude affirmations.Sometimes, I start my day by listening to this video and it helps me tune into a positive mood. You can find many similar videos on Youtube.

After spending a few minutes on this step, move on to step 3.

gratitudeStep 3. Write 3 things you are grateful for

Take a piece of paper, a notes app on your phone or a notebook and write 3 things you are grateful for. It doesn’t matter how many things you thought about during step 2. Just select 3 and write them down.

For example:
I am thankful for…
I appreciate…. in my life
I am grateful I have….

Later you may want to expand and write why you are thankful for those things.
Tip: Writing will help you keep your hands busy so you can avoid smoking.

Note: Don’t worry about what you write. Your journal is for you.

Here are some examples of gratitude journal.

how to manage stress when you quit smoking

Step 4. Rate your stress levels again

Stop and check. On a scale from 1 to 10, how stressed do you feel now?

I promise you this: If you do all the above steps, your stress will drop at least 5 points.

So that’s it. Sometimes we are too bothered by the things we don’t have, that we forget to see the things we do have.

So I invite you to do this exercise. It will give you instant results. And if you do it often, you will soon find yourself escaping any stressful feeling in a matter of seconds.

You will be able to do this exercise with your eyes open while driving, while sitting at your desk, before you sleep at night or even while arguing with someone.

2. Visualize the Healthier You

Ok, so the craving strikes.

STEP A: Close your eyes and picture your life 10 years from now as a SMOKER.
Where are you?
What are you doing?
Who are you with?
How is your health?
Make this image really detailed and keep it in your mind for a few moments.

Visualizing a smoke free life is one of the things to do instead of smoking

STEP B: Visualize yourself 10 years from now as a NON-SMOKER.

See yourself in the future looking vibrant, healthy and energetic.

You are healthy and strong. You don’t worry about how smoking might be harming your health anymore.

You feel free. Feel how it feels like to take full uninterrupted breaths. 

What are you doing with all the money you have saved by quitting smoking?

Picture yourself enjoying your life with your loved ones. And hold on to that beautiful image for a few moments. 

Now tell me, which image is more compelling? The first or the second?

The second, of course!

This comparison will help you see past your momentary desire to smoke.

Instead of focusing on the cigarette that’s in front of you… you focus on the big picture and the benefits of quitting smoking: improving your health, having more quality time with your children, watching your grandchildren grow up, and living your life feeling free from cigarettes. You can see what happens when you quit smoking, here. 

Booster Tip: While doing this visualization exercise, play around with a stress ball or fake-smoke a straw so that you wouldn’t feel your hands empty without a cigarette.

3. Keep Your Hands Busy

One way to keep your hands busy without smoking is by playing any musical instrument.

Music has a healing effect on our nerves, mind, and soul. Actually, Research shows that music can reduce your quit smoking anxiety.

But playing a musical instrument might have even more to offer when you are stopping smoking.

Because you can keep your hands and mind busy at the same time.

In a nutshell, playing an instrument can help you avoid smoking for 2 reasons:
1. It calms you down and eliminates any quit smoking anxiety
2. It keeps your hands and mind busy.

What instruments can you play?

Any musical instrument will work! If you have a piano, go for it! The cheapest and easiest option is the harmonica. You don’t have to take lessons or anything. Just start playing every time you feel like lighting up.

Not into playing music? Moving on…

4. Grab a Book

Pick a book and get immersed in it.
It can be a fiction, biography, comics, romance, history, poetry, crime or self-development book – whatever makes your heart sing!

And when you have a cigarette craving, start reading and shift your focus to the characters of the book; imagine yourself living inside the book.

The duration of a craving equals to 5-6 book pages for an average reader. So reading will help you avoid smoking easily and effortlessly.

I can promise you this: focusing on the content of the book instead of a cigarette, will reduce your stress.

read book when you have a cigarette craving

What kind of book? Any form of a book – physical or digital- will do as long as you hold something while reading. That way, you will occupy your mind and hands at the same time and therefore, avoid smoking.

And since I’m talking about books…

5. Write it Down

Destress by writing down your thoughts.

You can keep a journal of your daily impressions, memoirs, or to-do lists. You could write about your quit attempt. Or you could jot down anything that’s happening in your life.

Expressing yourself will help you discharge negative thinking, worries, and stress.

To sum up: When you have a cigarette craving, take a pen or your phone and start writing your thoughts. Any thoughts on any subject. This is one of the best habits to replace smoking, and it will definitely keep you busy until the craving is over.

Remember that it doesn’t matter what you write or how good your writing is. The important thing is to keep your hands and mind busy so that you wouldn’t smoke.

Booster Tip: While writing your journal (or reading your book)…. sip on a tea. Drinking something will give you oral satisfaction, so it will be even easier to keep cigarettes away from your mouth.

If you want to know how to quit smoking without gaining weight and while keeping yourself busy, let’s go to the next point.

6. Move Your Body

According to this study published in the journal Addiction:

“Relatively small doses of exercise should be recommended as an aid to managing cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms.”

This could be riding a bike, jogging, playing tennis or even releasing your tension to a punching bag.work out when you have a cigarette craving Or even taking a 10-minute walk!
Really, anything will do as long as you move your body.

While your heart is pumping, you won’t even realize you have a craving! It’s science.

Also, by exercising you are:

  • Letting go of your daily stress by releasing toxins and increasing the feel-good chemicals in your brain. If you are worried that you will have increased anxiety after quitting smoking, then make sure you add some exercise to your weekly schedule.
  • Burning calories. Not only you won’t need to resort to food to distract yourself from smoking… but you will also get slimmer!

One more thing: my sincere advice is to make these activities habitual. Because the more cigarettes you avoid, the more confident you feel about quitting smoking once and for all.

Is Knowing What Things to Do Instead of Smoking Enough to Help You Quit?

Ok, listen.

Keeping yourself busy during a craving and replacing smoking with another habit is very important for your quit smoking success.

But all that happens in the last quit smoking stage: “Condition Your Smoke Free Life”; the stage where you make sure you remain a non-smoker and you don’t relapse.

Before this last stage, there are 3 more stages that you need to go through.

If you don’t follow all the 4 stages of quitting smoking, then you might quit feeling deprived, or think that you are not ready or even struggle with quit smoking symptoms like loss of concentration, sleep imbalances or irritation.

But you don’t have to!

If you go through the 4 stop smoking stages, then you will quit smoking easily, naturally and permanently.

Click here to access the free exclusive video of the 4 quit smoking stages.  

All you need to do is enter your name and email address so I can send you the link to your video.

Get the exclusive video of the 4 stages now.

It is free, and you will love it! (Plus, there is a surprise waiting for you at the end of the video.)