Our brains are of two minds. We each have
a higher brain, that's the part of you reading this. And
we each have an auto pilot, that's the part of you that
manages automatic behaviors like driving or brushing your
teeth.
Auto pilots recognize immediate needs and,
once trained, connect that need to an established response.
Your auto pilot is in charge of your smoking. When it's
been too long since your last cigarette and your body is
beginning to display symptoms of withdrawal (increased muscle
tension, shallow breathing, foggy thinking or difficulty
concentrating, and a mood shift toward irritable), your
auto pilot recognizes those first subtle signs, connects
the 'established' response, and all of a sudden you've got
an urge to smoke.
Those physical/mental/emotional symptoms
of nicotine withdrawal are identical to the physical/mental/emotional
symptoms of fatigue, anger, boredom, driving... in fact,
any and all forms of stress. And therein lies the difficulty
with quitting; Auto pilots don't see or care what created
the symptoms or cues i.e. whether it's been too long since
your last cigarette or an irritating phone call. Auto pilots
see and care ONLY about an effective immediate response
to relieve the need or discomfort of the moment.
Auto pilots do almost all of their work just
below our radar. That means simply that while we're busy
thinking about the phone call or the traffic or what to
make for supper, our auto pilot is busy watching intently
for body cues and is ready to connect a response. The good
news is that as set in their ways as auto pilots appear
to be, they can be quickly and fairly easily retrained.
The key is for you, the 'you' who is reading this, to begin
to be more aware of your physical, mental, and emotional
symptoms (your body cues). For most of us, the only way
that's going to happen is if we use some tool that will
remind us to stop and pay attention. Otherwise, we get caught
up in our day and fall into our established patterns.
If you'd like to find out more or get started,
click here to take your next
step into the CQ program.
