Need To Quit Smoking? Hypnosis Can Help, Here's How

Hypnosis isn’t some magic idea that immediately causes you to quit smoking after years. However, it can also be one of the most effective ways to quit – especially when you’re tired of other methods failing. 

Researchers haven’t yet pinpointed one conclusion as to why hypnosis can help you quit smoking. However, they have determined that in many cases, it’s an extremely effective and efficient way to kick the habit. It also doesn’t require a reliance on things like gums or patches. 

So, how can hypnosis help if you’re trying to quit smoking?

Let’s cover some of the reasons why it can make such a positive impact, and why you should consider it if you’re trying to quit. 

The Lasting Relaxation Effects

There’s a common misconception that you’re asleep while you’re in a hypnotic state. That’s not true. You’re still fully aware of everything, and you’re very much awake. 

However, hypnosis can put your mind and body into such a deeply relaxed state, that it often feels as peaceful as sleeping. 

Research suggests this is one of the reasons why hypnosis is so successful at helping people quit smoking. You’re not just relaxed during the hypnosis. The effects of your sessions can last quite a while, helping you to feel more peaceful in your day-to-day life. You can even make that a goal of your hypnotherapy – to be more relaxed. 

Not only can feeling more at peace keep you from reaching for a cigarette, but it can also make it easier to cope with the effects of nicotine withdrawal. That’s one of the main reasons people have such a hard time quitting – nicotine addiction. By being able to cope with your symptoms, you’re less likely to give in and have another cigarette. 

Curbing Your Cravings

Another reason why hypnosis can help you quit smoking is that it can help you combat your cravings. 

When you’re trying to quit, it’s not difficult for cravings to get the best of you. When you start to crave a cigarette, it can end up being all you think about. Eventually, it can even start to make you feel anxious, so you give in and have one (or more). 

If your goal of hypnosis is to curb your cravings and make it easier to say “no” to a cigarette, that’s absolutely achievable. 

Hypnosis can help you focus on your inner resources to curb cravings. You can target your unconscious triggers for smoking, including things like boredom or stress, and learn to cope with those issues in healthier ways. 

The Unpleasant Outcomes

Finally, hypnotherapy can help you quit smoking by giving you alternative behaviors to try instead of reaching for a cigarette. You might also be asked to imagine the possible consequences of smoking could be. 

That often includes responses like lung cancer, respiratory issues, or even a foul smell. 

One popular method of smoking hypnosis, the Spiegel method, focuses on the advantages of life as a non-smoker. Under a state of hypnosis, as you hone in on those advantages, you’ll reduce your desire to smoke, and have an easier time dealing with cigarette withdrawal, because you’ll know your body is entitled to protection from smoke. 

Having a desire to quit smoking is an important first step in kicking the habit. If you’re ready to make healthier choices and stop letting cigarettes play such a major role in your life, hypnotherapy can help. 

Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have, or to set up an appointment. Whether you use hypnotherapy for smoking cessation as a standalone strategy or combine it with other methods of quitting, you can break free from cigarettes.