Nancy J is a AOD counselor. She has helped many people quit smoking and was a part of a smoking treatment program, Quit Tobacco Now. Today I am including some of what she gave to people in the program who were trying to quit. Because people in the Quit Tobacco Now program found her suggestions so helpful I wanted to share them with you.
1. Breathe!
Stress can inhibit our breathing creating the tendency for us to breathe shallowly from our chest. To counteract this tendency, when you notice you are stressed tune in quickly. Notice where you are feeling the stress physically, then, take a deep cleansing breath in and release it. Do it again-imagining you are releasing the tension with the out breath.
2. Notice Your Thoughts
Stress often occurs because we are reacting automatically (and often irrationally) to a situation. To counteract this tendency, do a quick ABC assessment. What's the A or activating event here? An example of an activating event is coming home after a long day at work only to find the house a complete disaster. What is your B or belief and self-talk about that event? In this case, it may be "I have to do everything around here! No one else does anything. I feel like the maid. No one respects me." A secondary belief may be "My house must not be a mess." What's the C or consequence? The consequence in this case can be feeling stress in the form of anger, muscle tension, fatigue, etc. The next step is to determine which of these items you can control. In some cases you can control all and in some only one. Taking the sort time it requires to do this check in and realizing that you always have some control in a situation, even if it is only over your own beliefs, can make all the difference.
3. Laugh
When Things become tense, laugh...for no reason if necessary. Laughter, even the anticipation of laughter shifts our internal chemistry measurably, reducing stress hormones and increasing the number of natural virus killer cells raising our immunity. Laughter also releases endorphins which lessen our perception of distress and are powerful mood lifters. Be not afraid of looking like a fool. The end result is what you are after. Engage others-laughing is infectious-most cannot help but join in!
4. Do Something Different
Change what you are doing if even in some minute manner. The stress that you are experiencing right now i soften the result of patterned behavior. Break the pattern. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. Change it Up!
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