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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 (which are: 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 cognitivequitting® program.

Disclaimer
The quit process will involve physiological and emotional changes. I strongly urge all quitters to ensure the involvement of appropriate health care professionals. I am NOT a doctor. Any information contained on my pages reflects my own experiences and is NOT to be taken as medical advice.