Aids to Help You Stop - Part 1
Here are some of the healthy things you can use as a substitute for smoking. Things that will help you get your mind off that urge to light a cigarette:
Music
Music is a wonderful way of getting your mind off that urge to smoke. If you have fixed times for having a smoke (like after meals or during the coffee break) you could try playing something very soothing using an MP3 player and headphones, so that you do not disturb others. Another thing you could try is playing music on your computer - if you have a work station all to yourself. Music is a wonderful stress reliever.
Meditation
Meditation is also an excellent way of helping you to get better control over your mind. It's not as daunting as you may think - anybody can learn the art with a little bit of practice. The simplest method of meditation that you could practise by yourself would be to sit in a very comfortable position with your eyes closed. In the initial stages you may find your mind drifting, but gradually you will learn to focus more and more. The idea is not to cut out all the forces around you, but to become one with them.
Be aware of them; listen to them. First listen to the bigger sounds around you, such as the traffic, or machines, or even loud music from your neighbour's apartment. Then listen to the softer sounds, such as the drone of the refrigerator, or the boiler. Then bring your attention to the sound of your own breathing.
Try to focus on some inner picture that you could conjure up in your mind - an image that you can concentrate on; for example, the flame of a lighted candle, or a single flower on a plant. Try and see how long you can keep your mind focused on this. If the image blurs immediately and is replaced by something else, then you need to work on it. Gradually you will see that you can keep your mind focused on the same thing for more than ten minutes.
That means that you have arrived. Once you have reached this stage, you will see that it can give you immense mental strength. Then, the next time you get the urge to smoke, all you have to do is sit put wherever you are, close your eyes and meditate. The urge will have vanished by the time you open your eyes. Meditation not only drives away the urge but gives you control over your mind.
Go to the next section: Aids to Stopping - 2
