You Can't Stop Smoking For Someone Else -
It Has To Be For YOU!
How many times has your wife, or your husband, or other family member nagged you about your smoking habit? No doubt you have thought about it, and probably agreed with them many times over, but has it actually inspired you to quit? If that answer is no, then you should realise by now that you can't quit because someone else tells you to, it has to be for you, on your terms and it has to be sincere. Otherwise, you are probably doomed to failure.
Your loved ones might think they are helping, or encouraging you to quit, but they're actually not doing you any favors by continually going on at you to give up. Human nature dictates that by doing this, you'll naturally rebel against them, especially if they are expressing a negative or judgemental attitude towards you.
Smoking is an addiction, not just a bad habit. You can't just tell someone to quit, they have to want to. Smokers have an ingrained "defence mechanism" against almost all the important reasons for quitting. Consider how many times have you said these things to yourself, or to other people who nag you to quit smoking:
- It's my only bad habit
- It helps me relax and unwind after a stressful day
- My grandfather lived until he was 90 and he smoked 60 cigarettes a day
- You spend money on - insert your own reason here - so it's the same amount as the cost of my cigarettes
Do you recognise these tactics? Smokers use them all to time to justify their habit to themselves, and in their minds, to those who are questioning them about why they don't want to quit. Your spouse or partner can say it as many times as they like, but you'll always find an answer - that is unless you really want to quit!
So, how can you take that all-important step towards quitting smoking for YOU? First of all, you need to re-train your brain to get rid of all of these ill-conceived excuses. Find a good reason for you to quit, for yourself and not for others. It doesn't matter what your reason is, as long as you believe it. It could be money orientated, maybe you want to save up for that expensive car you've always dreamed about, or you'd love to go on an extended vacation.
Health, of course, is a big issue too. If you've been feeling a bit breathless lately, or an annoying cough won't go away, it could be time to stop and consider how quitting smoking would relieve this.
Whatever your personal motivation is, the important thing is to find it, and to start planning your "quit smoking day" - not for your wife, nor your husband, partner or friend - but for you!
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