Max Manders

Another year begins and so too does a time of introspection and self-analysis.  It’s traditional to make lists of resolutions, and while I plan on resolving to change a number of bad habits and adopting new and better ones, smoking has proved year-on-year to be the one resolution that doesn’t stick.  This year that stops.

I’ve smoked for about ten years, averaging 20 cigarettes per-day.  Now it’s time for me to take control of my life and stop smoking once and for all.  There will always be stressful situations, anxious moments that would previously have necessitated the lighting of a cigarette.  Past attempts to quit generally failed due to lack of resolve, always finding an excuse to have ‘just one more cigarette’.  On the recommendation of numerous ex-smokers I downloaded “Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking” on my Kindle.

I noticed a number of repeated phrases and ideas throughout the book: perhaps this repetition was meant to be perceived on a subconscious level, but I was very much aware of what felt like insidious suggestion being snuck in under the radar.  Having said that, the main themes and ideas in the book didn’t focus on the more traditional ‘will-power required’ approach, nor did the book rely on health or monetary scare tactics.  Instead it felt like having a long discussion with an ex-smoker who simply validated and confirmed various feelings and thoughts that were already playing on my mind.  Having someone who has been in a similar situation acknowledge these things is perhaps the nudge that I needed, to confirm what I already knew to be true and stop smoking for the right reasons.

It’s early days but I’m confident I’ve had my last cigarette.  There is no guarantee that this book will work for everyone, but I’d suggest that if you want to stop smoking you’ve got nothing to lose.  If it doesn’t work you’re in no worse a position than you are in now!