Question 12: How Do We Utilize And Optimize Alternative Approaches For Quitting Smoking Effectively? (Visualization, Self-Affirmation, Self-Hypnosis, Relaxation Etc.)

Many find it difficult to relax and stick to this routine. Getting under and inducing self-hypnotic states will take different times and shapes, challenges and obstacles for different people. No two journeys are alike. Some might need details  instructions to follow to a tee on how to relax.
Others do not get the mind-body connection right away and do not believe that relaxing and breathing can actually help you to stop smoking!
You will need to practice relaxing and breathing to be successful at it, regardless of how easy or hard you think or perceive, believe it is going to be – IT DOES NEED TO BE DONE!
RELAXATION CAN BE LEARNED! That is the good news! Your sleeplessness will become something pretty much of the past.
You need to begin to recognize and read the signals that your body is sending you. Hands and arms, tight muscles, leg cramps, breathing, shoulders, neck etc. see where in your body there is tension as you lie down, focus on releasing it throughout your different body parts, one by one until you are totally relaxed. Breathe naturally and easily, deeply and calmly. In and out. In and out.
Establish a pattern and rhythm to your breathing. Look for rigid, taut, tight spots and consciously make an effort to relax them.
Elbows, wrists, palms of your hand, feet and legs. Go through them one by one. Focus and concentrate on releasing tension and relaxing muscles. This can become a regular routine and is very good for your whole body, and well-being. Your mind and body will relax! That is your perfect, desired and altered state.
Mind over matter – BOTH mind and body relaxed, they work together to enable you BETTER to quit smoking!
Picture your body part, muscle or tense area relax! That is the best way to see and feel it go limp! Claim it by words spoken either silently to yourself or out loud.

• muscles in readiness
• muscles are overextended
• exhaustion, fatigue
• signaling pain
• seeking release and relief
• an alert to the conscious mind to relax
• lack of sleep and relaxation
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Tension
• Lack of concentration – inability to relax your own muscles
• Even spasms

MAKE MIND AND BODY TAKE A BREAK! And you will too from smoking!

Three deep breaths might be all it takes for some to self-induce a hypnotic state – others may have to work harder at it. Regardless of the levels of efforts or commitment YOU CAN DO IT!
Now what if it were your feet and legs that were the source of all that tension and muscle aches?!
Here is once more, a self-hypnosis expert taking us through the steps one by one:

• See if, feel it, envision it, pull it up in your minds eye
• Focus and concentrate on it.
• Introduce a thought or positive suggestion that it is beginning to feel very heavy
• Let it hang limp and loose
• Feel it getting heavier
• Relax the leg muscle
• Feel it spreading through the ankle
• Let it become . . . limp . . . heavy . . . more relaxed . .. more heavy . . more and more relaxed .. . completely relaxed.
• Continue to breathe normally and deeply
• Take three deeper breaths
• Keep the rhythm and pace of inhale and exhale throughout the process
• Keep and get yourself relaxed all over
• Go slow
• Give all the thoughts and instructions in a deliberate manner
• Keep the introduced thoughts short
• Keep the pace of your breathing up
• Avoid any distractions, noise or your mind from straying too far
• Pay close attention to everything around you
• Next focus on the calf of your leg and repeat the above processes
• It is growing heavy . . . becoming limp … more limp .. . more heavy .. more relaxed.
• Keep going until it is as if you cannot physically  move them even if you wanted to
• Next move to the knee, upper leg and torso of the body
• The back
• The next
• TOTALLY RELAX and feel the tension release and flow from you

Concentrate and relax, sounds like a bit of a paradox, but it is not really! Parts of the same dynamic process that will help you QUIT SMOKING and change your life FOR THE BETTER!
Try and focus on what you are doing and banning other problems far from your mind. Let the stresses and stressors of everyday living, work, home life, family GO!
Hypnosis is not a silver bullet to cure all ills we stated earlier on. Do not look for something that it cannot provide.
There are numerous benefits at play here to help you lead a happier, healthier, smoke-free life.
It will become easier too once you have broken the cigarette habit permanently.
There will always be skeptics and those who dismiss these techniques – our suggestion – why mock it till you’ve tried it! TRY IT FOR YOURSELF AND THEN YOU WILL KNOW!