In my experience I have found that for most people the answer comes down to one thing...FEAR!

FEAR that you'll never be able to continue your life as a non smoker and be completely free of nicotine;

FEAR that you'll put on weight or start biting your fingernails;

FEAR that you'll have to give up the pleasurable crutch that your smoking habit seems to give you;

FEAR that in order to become smoke free you have to through some kind of terrible trauma or painful feelings;

FEAR that when you become smoke free you are unable to enjoy life or handle stress;

FEAR of failure in your attempts to become smoke free.

All of these examples of FEAR are simply potential symptoms of the one simple reason that until now you have not been able to stop smoking and this in itself is another FEAR

The fear that it will prove too difficult and far too painful when you attempt to stop smoking!

Hypnosis or NLP, or anything else, cannot magically remove your need or desire to smoke. But it helps control your cravings, your urge to smoke. With the techniques you learn during our stop smoking program you gain tools to help you deal with stressful situations, whether by using a cue, a breathing technique or a mantra, without falling back to smoking.

Fear is the reason why most people are happy and content to stay in the their comfort zone even though they complain about what goes on around them. As the saying goes: "better the Devil you know". There is a comfort about complaining. Do you know someone who drains you by constantly complaining? You ask "how are you" and you actually get to hear all about their woes and pains when in fact you just want a pleasantry back.

What is F.E.A.R. and why am I writing it like that. Well, let's look at the letters:

F is False

E is Expectation

A is Appearing

R is Real

Fear = False Expectations Appearing Real

Now say it again and again.

Now think of situations that made you fearful, but you did it anyway and then when it was over, you wondered why it had bothered you so much.

So don't let your False Expectations Appearing Real hold you back. Take control of your life and quit smoking now.

Tips for Staying Smoke Free

* Get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays before your stop smoking session or as soon as you possibly can after the session.

* Drink plenty of water.

* Enjoy some gentle exercise.

* Focus on the benefits of being smoke free ? health/finances/self esteem.

* Change your routine ? if you always smoked at break do something else.

* Avoid smokers at least for the first 3 weeks.

* Avoid nicotine patches, gum etc. ? you could become addicted to these instead!

* Find something else to do with your hands.

* Choose to become smoke free when you are unlikely to become stressed.

* Brush your teeth if you need to distract yourself.

* Reward yourself for being smoke free for a week, two weeks etc. Motivation helps.

* Remember the reasons why you became smoke free.

* Remaining smoke free will not be easy but it will get easier each day that passes.

* Have a "sponsor" in place for times of need. The best person may be someone who used to smoke. They know what you are going through.