Is your morning cough irritating you? Are you constantly short of breath? Do you find smoking in the rain a chore, a pain you can do without?

Now, let me ask you this question: when you are deeply focused on something you thoroughly enjoy, where you are sitting at the edge of your seat, how often do you think, “I want a cigarette?”

For example, when you are totally engrossed in a movie, or immersed watching your favourite sport and your much-loved team, or listening to a speech, do you think of cigarettes? Probably not.

Why’s that? It is because your mind is deeply focused on something you enjoy, something that is by far more enjoyable than a cigarette. So if you can go without a cigarette for that duration, it goes to show that you can do without smoking when you deeply want to.

I believe one very powerful way to stop smoking is to distract your thoughts away from your itchy fingers who want to reach out for a cigarette, away from the craving of that deadly nicotine.

If you are a smoker who plays a particular sport in the evenings or at the weekends, do you smoke while you are playing? No, you don’t. You conditioned yourself that when you play you don’t smoke. As a matter of fact, smoking doesn’t even enter your mind. In much the same way, you conditioned yourself that you must have a smoke after the game when having an alcoholic drink.

You see, it’s all a matter of conditioning. You change your conditioning and you change your habits. Soon enough you will also enjoy an alcoholic beverage without the need of a cigarette. You will be a non-smoker. How great is that?

The idea here is for you to stop focusing on cigarettes, and to stop thinking of quitting smoking. Simply, do not think of cigarettes and anything that has to do with smoking. Get those thoughts completely out of your head.

Don’t you find that if you don’t think of something it will not be on your mind all the time? If you constantly think about how bad smoking is for you and how desperately you want to give it up, you will end up yearning for a smoke. No matter which way you think of smoking, the idea of smoking will remain in your mind and more than likely you will go out and light one up.

It is great that you realise that you need to quit smoking, but constantly thinking about it is not helpful at all. This will make you want to smoke even more.

So my concept here is for you to make that commitment that you want to quit smoking. Decide on when you want to break away from that damaging habit, and put that date on your calendar. And leave it at that; do not dwell on it.

When the date arrives, throw away everything and anything that reminds you of smoking. Let’s use the ‘out of sight out of mind theory’. The next step is for you to constantly keep your mind occupied on other issues; such as playing more sports or starting an exercise routine, or if the weather is nice go for a walk, go to the park and feed the ducks.

Do whatever it takes to keep your mind off cigarettes and quitting smoking, and start enjoying the other good things in your life. Take pleasure in enjoying what is out there.

To help you along in the first few weeks when you quit smoking, it would be better for you to be aware of the places and situations where you are more likely to smoke; for example, a bar or restaurant. It will be advantageous for you to avoid such places in the beginning.

Change your routine, go to a smoke-free movie theatre, instead of drinking alcohol while barbequing drink plentiful water or fruit juice.

Remember, keep focused on the good that is happening to you: you sleep better, you’re coughing less, you have more breath to run around the field on a Sunday, you smell better, you dance more, you sound better on a Karaoke night and so much more.

Make enjoying your life your centre of attention. Be healthy to get up and about so you may enjoy life more. It is there for your enjoyment, so make full use of it.

Let living a healthy and enjoyable life be your focal point; put the spotlight on it and live it up.

Discover how you can be http://www.insight4you.com/quit_smoking.html”> smoke-free and healthy to have a better quality of life. Visit: http://www.insight4you.com

Hani Al-Qasem is the co-author of “Self-Confidence Building In 7 Steps”.