Swap quitter's pain for pleasure

The key to becoming an ex-smoker is transforming the pain of quitting into the pleasure of living, says Debora Orrick.

If you are going to become an ex-smoker, you will have to do more than quit smoking. Cigarettes may have only been a smokescreen for other issues in your life that you medicated or numbed with the soothing effects of nicotine and the smoking habit. Research in the addiction field has revealed that the age at which you become dependent on a drug is the age that you begin to delay your emotional development.

How old were you when you began to smoke? If you were very young, you may have used smoking to cope with a wide variety of life's little difficulties or big problems and unwittingly stunted your personal growth in unexpected ways. You may have used cigarettes like a 'security blanket' when you felt uncomfortable or self-conscious. You may have used the soothing effects of nicotine to help you manage stress, anxiety, or boredom. When you quit smoking, you will have to face the parts of this struggle that your smoking has continued to mask. This is why quitting smoking is really about moving beyond the cigarettes to achieve a lifestyle that you have always dreamed about.

Open an emotional bank account
When you quit smoking you will have more time and more money because you won't have to go outside to smoke and you won't have to buy cigarettes any more. You can use these to your advantage so that your energy is focused towards achieving your goals, enhancing your skills, deepening your sense of purpose, or investing in your relationships. Think of it as putting money in a personal, emotional 'bank account'. You are investing in yourself, your loved ones, your health, your career, and your future. Get focused on what you can do today to further your advancement towards your dreams and use your old smoking time to attain greater balance and moderation in your lifestyle.