Smoking

INTRODUCTION

I am not going to repeat here that smoking is not good. We all know that. Of course, it’s best to stop completely, but that’s difficult at the moment.

Smoking is nice and can be a moment to get out of the stress. Take it easy and catch your breath. In that light, I think smoking has a function. You can then get rid of the stress for a while. Taking advantage of “me time” at a time when you are trying to prevent a burnout.

Smoking has also become a routine for many people. Quite a few people smoke from an early age. Smoking has often become a part of life, as has the cup of coffee at 9.30. A moment when you can step out of the situation and catch your breath.

At the same time, this is where the problem lies.  The fact that you need to catch your breath and get out of the situation for a while is perhaps the problem. It’s good to take a look at that.

TOGETHER

We know that smoking is addictive, and that quitting is quite difficult. The entire smoking industry is designed to get us hooked (think of VAPING) and keep us hooked.

For that reason, it is good not to do it alone, but together. Maybe it’s a good idea to ask smokers to guide you. After all, they know how nice smoking can be and will better understand what you are dealing with.

Together with your environment, you will look at how that works for you. There is a good chance that you will find an imbalance between what you can handle and what is required.

I think that’s where the sting is.

CHANGE

To be able to change, you can do three things.

First, you should keep track of how much you smoke so that you can get a picture of the situation. You can stick a yellow sticky note on your laptop and keep track of how much you smoke. You can then SEE how it is.

Second, could you link smoking to stressful moments?  Often, you will see a relationship there. And you can work on that. Sometimes there are real patterns in the habit. At sometimes you smoke substantially more than at other times.

Finally, the question is whether the effort it now takes to reduce addiction is feasible.  Maybe you need a moment for yourself right now. I would say: allow yourself that.

So don’t be too hard to yourself but look TOGETHER at what is achievable.

Together with your environment, you will try to uncover the smoking and the stress causes. Especially the search for the stress that you can handle and what is asked leads to insight.

If you are aware of the situation, you can get started with it. Perhaps changing these stressors will lead to a change in the amount of smoke.

Change is also possible here (just like moving) with very small mini steps. So, take it easy.

GROW 

I think it’s good to grow to a situation where there is a good BALANCE in smoking compared to your stressors. Acknowledging that the stress is there and that it causes more smoking is a change in itself.

In addition, I would advise to be lenient. You are in a stressful situation and smoking helps you to relax. So, take your time. You can easily take a few weeks/months for this.

TRUST 

Again, it has to feel good. If it feels good to look at the smoking and the stressors and address them where necessary, then I would.

You will notice that, with small steps, you will really get there. That inspires confidence.

SUMMARY

Smoking can be linked to stress. Do you have a lot of stress… then you’re going to smoke more…

Flipped around, you’ll have less stress… Then you should smoke less…

So, get started with the stress, then you also have to smoke less.