In part one we dealt with the decision to stop smoking and the initial cravings that come up when you first stop. Habits and addictions are a lot more complex than just cravings so let's look at the triggers and underlying feelings that make it difficult to stay away from smoking.
For many people, stress is a main trigger for lighting up or turning to whatever habit or addiction they might have. It can be easy to blame everyone around you who are "doing your head in!" and not making it easy for you but ultimately it is all about how YOU deal with stress, and yes, YOU do have a choice! You have a choice in the way you react and how you choose to handle the situation. Realising that alone can help you in taking control of many aspects of your life.
There may also be *anchors to particular feelings in the past linked to the action of smoking. For example: being with friends as a teenager, laughing and feeling accepted as part of a group, fitting in and thinking you're grown up or "cool" because you smoke. These "positive" feelings that made you feel good as a kid might subconsciously keep you attached to the action of smoking as an adult.
*An anchor is an attachment we make to a memory, a person, an emotion, a place, etc. For example maybe you choose the same table in a cafe because you've created an anchor of feeling secure in that particular chair, since it's familiar to you. A song might anchor you to a person and the feelings you have towards them, etc.
First of all, let's focus on the stress factor... (see part 1 for the tapping points reference sheet)
Round 1: Dealing with stress
Start by rating your feelings on a scale of 0 to 10, let's say 0 is absolutely chilled out and 10 is pulling your hair out, reached your limit! Remember that number so you can measure the changes.
Now do the psychological reversal, tapping on the KC point and saying out loud (or mentally if you prefer):
"Even though I need cigarettes to help me deal with the stress, I choose to let go of that false belief now"
"Even though I need to smoke to calm me down, I can't deal with everyone and everything stressing me out and smoking helps me to handle it, it's time for me to find a healthier way of coping"
"Even though I need my cigarettes to get me through these stressful times, smoking helps me to relax and calms my nerves. I choose to let go of this unhealthy belief and to realise it's unnecessary"
Now you will tap around the points on the face and body saying these reminder phrases, and feel free to add your own:
Eyebrow: I need cigarettes to help me deal with the stress
Outside corner of eye: I need to smoke to calm me down
Under eye: Smoking calms my nerves
Under nose: I need to smoke when I get stressed out
Chin: It helps me to relax and deal with annoying people who stress me out!
Collar bone: I need my cigs to help me cope
Under arm: I need to smoke to relax
Top of the head: Smoking helps me get through stressful times
Eyebrow: I choose to let go of this false belief now
Outside corner of eye: I don't need cigs to calm me down
Under eye: I choose to find a healthier way to deal with the stress
Under nose: It's time for me to let go of this unhealthy habit of dealing with stress
Chin: I choose to handle stress without reaching for a cigarette
Collar bone: I choose to believe I can relax without cigarettes
Under arm: I can handle stress and stay calm without smoking
Top of the head: I choose to release and let go of all these attachments I have to smoking now
Round 2 - Anchors and emotions
Now you can work on the anchors to particular feelings. This might sound like nonsense to you but I've found this comes up with many smokers so give it a go! Start again by rating your feelings on a scale of 0 to 10, let's say 0 is absolutely no desire to smoke and 10 is absolutely gagging to light up! Remember that number so you can measure the changes.
Now do the psychological reversal, tapping on the KC point and saying out loud (or mentally if you prefer):
"Even though smoking reminds me of feeling happy and accepted, my adult self knows better and I don't need to smoke any more!"
"Even though smoking reminds me of good times with friends, when I was relaxed and care free, I realise that I don't need to smoke to get those feelings back"
"Even though smoking made them accept me and I fit in, I'm an adult now and I know better!"
Now you will tap around the points on the face and body saying these reminder phrases, and feel free to add your own:
Eyebrow: Smoking reminds me of happy times with friends
Outside corner of eye: When I was relaxed and care free
Under eye: It reminds me of feeling happy and accepted
Under nose: I fit in because I smoked
Chin: They accepted me and I was part of a group because I smoked
Collar bone: These feelings of being happy with friends
Under arm: This feeling of being accepted
Top of the head: It felt good to fit in
Eyebrow: I don't need to smoke to feel happy and relaxed
Outside corner of eye: I'm an adult now and I know better
Under eye: It doesn't matter what they think
Under nose: I don't need to smoke to get these good feelings back
Chin: I choose to feel happy and relaxed without smoking
Collar bone: It's time for me to let go of this attachment to smoking
Under arm: I release and let go of the anchor I made to smoking and feeling good
Top of the head: I release and let go of this anchor now because I know better!
These rounds of tapping should help to give you an idea of the route you can take with your wording. If you get stuck then just focus on the feelings. If there are any aspects of stopping smoking that you feel are important then please comment and I can post some more rounds for you.
Good luck and keep tapping!
For many people, stress is a main trigger for lighting up or turning to whatever habit or addiction they might have. It can be easy to blame everyone around you who are "doing your head in!" and not making it easy for you but ultimately it is all about how YOU deal with stress, and yes, YOU do have a choice! You have a choice in the way you react and how you choose to handle the situation. Realising that alone can help you in taking control of many aspects of your life.
There may also be *anchors to particular feelings in the past linked to the action of smoking. For example: being with friends as a teenager, laughing and feeling accepted as part of a group, fitting in and thinking you're grown up or "cool" because you smoke. These "positive" feelings that made you feel good as a kid might subconsciously keep you attached to the action of smoking as an adult.
*An anchor is an attachment we make to a memory, a person, an emotion, a place, etc. For example maybe you choose the same table in a cafe because you've created an anchor of feeling secure in that particular chair, since it's familiar to you. A song might anchor you to a person and the feelings you have towards them, etc.
First of all, let's focus on the stress factor... (see part 1 for the tapping points reference sheet)
Round 1: Dealing with stress
Start by rating your feelings on a scale of 0 to 10, let's say 0 is absolutely chilled out and 10 is pulling your hair out, reached your limit! Remember that number so you can measure the changes.
Now do the psychological reversal, tapping on the KC point and saying out loud (or mentally if you prefer):
"Even though I need cigarettes to help me deal with the stress, I choose to let go of that false belief now"
"Even though I need to smoke to calm me down, I can't deal with everyone and everything stressing me out and smoking helps me to handle it, it's time for me to find a healthier way of coping"
"Even though I need my cigarettes to get me through these stressful times, smoking helps me to relax and calms my nerves. I choose to let go of this unhealthy belief and to realise it's unnecessary"
Now you will tap around the points on the face and body saying these reminder phrases, and feel free to add your own:
Eyebrow: I need cigarettes to help me deal with the stress
Outside corner of eye: I need to smoke to calm me down
Under eye: Smoking calms my nerves
Under nose: I need to smoke when I get stressed out
Chin: It helps me to relax and deal with annoying people who stress me out!
Collar bone: I need my cigs to help me cope
Under arm: I need to smoke to relax
Top of the head: Smoking helps me get through stressful times
Eyebrow: I choose to let go of this false belief now
Outside corner of eye: I don't need cigs to calm me down
Under eye: I choose to find a healthier way to deal with the stress
Under nose: It's time for me to let go of this unhealthy habit of dealing with stress
Chin: I choose to handle stress without reaching for a cigarette
Collar bone: I choose to believe I can relax without cigarettes
Under arm: I can handle stress and stay calm without smoking
Top of the head: I choose to release and let go of all these attachments I have to smoking now
Round 2 - Anchors and emotions
Now you can work on the anchors to particular feelings. This might sound like nonsense to you but I've found this comes up with many smokers so give it a go! Start again by rating your feelings on a scale of 0 to 10, let's say 0 is absolutely no desire to smoke and 10 is absolutely gagging to light up! Remember that number so you can measure the changes.
Now do the psychological reversal, tapping on the KC point and saying out loud (or mentally if you prefer):
"Even though smoking reminds me of feeling happy and accepted, my adult self knows better and I don't need to smoke any more!"
"Even though smoking reminds me of good times with friends, when I was relaxed and care free, I realise that I don't need to smoke to get those feelings back"
"Even though smoking made them accept me and I fit in, I'm an adult now and I know better!"
Now you will tap around the points on the face and body saying these reminder phrases, and feel free to add your own:
Eyebrow: Smoking reminds me of happy times with friends
Outside corner of eye: When I was relaxed and care free
Under eye: It reminds me of feeling happy and accepted
Under nose: I fit in because I smoked
Chin: They accepted me and I was part of a group because I smoked
Collar bone: These feelings of being happy with friends
Under arm: This feeling of being accepted
Top of the head: It felt good to fit in
Eyebrow: I don't need to smoke to feel happy and relaxed
Outside corner of eye: I'm an adult now and I know better
Under eye: It doesn't matter what they think
Under nose: I don't need to smoke to get these good feelings back
Chin: I choose to feel happy and relaxed without smoking
Collar bone: It's time for me to let go of this attachment to smoking
Under arm: I release and let go of the anchor I made to smoking and feeling good
Top of the head: I release and let go of this anchor now because I know better!
These rounds of tapping should help to give you an idea of the route you can take with your wording. If you get stuck then just focus on the feelings. If there are any aspects of stopping smoking that you feel are important then please comment and I can post some more rounds for you.
Good luck and keep tapping!