Use imagination to Quit Smoking

I used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day and I did it perpetually for 12 years but now I have left smoking completely. When I thought of quitting smoking, I started to seek advice from doctors and friends on how to quit smoking. Most of them advised me to leave it gradually by reducing the number of cigarettes consumed every day. I also tried some of the sprays and anti smoking chewing gums but without result. Surprisingly I left smoking suddenly one fine day.

Photo Credit : Nicoletta Ciunci

I used imagination to quit smoking instantly. I tried to find out and understand how my brain functions during pre and post smoking scenarios. The urge to smoke was more or less time specific and it lasted till I had a cigarette. Suddenly increasing or reducing the number of cigarettes caused discomfort, when I analyzed the reason for it I found that it was basically because my brain was sending an instruction to my body but the body was not complying with it. I tried to identify the same discomfort with some other activities I do. I read for about half an hour before sleeping, when I stopped reading, it caused discomfort and it took me more time to fall asleep. I shifted my time to have breakfast by an hour, I felt discomfort in the beginning but after a few days my body adjusted to the new timing. these analogies helped me in understanding the pattern my brain follows.

For sleeping and breakfast the body had an alternate time to adjust with but for smoking the body has to live without it. So, I concluded that I have to tame my mind or rather fool my brain. I collected pictures of people smoking and pasted it in my room and washroom. I looked at details of the pictures and imagined how happy and satisfied the person in the picture would be feeling while smoking. I did it several times in the day so that the picture pops up in my mind without even without looking at it. It is also necessary to remember the feelings we associate with smoking.

Whenever I felt like smoking I closed my eyes and remembered the pictures and the feelings. My brain could immediately identify the feelings and my urge to smoke was gone in five minutes. I kept doing it repeatedly to keep away from smoking. I left smoking three years back but my brain still believes that I smoke.