Can mindfulness help you quit smoking?

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment with an open and accepting attitude. It is a way of being that can be applied to any situation in life, whether you’re eating, walking, or brushing your teeth. So, do read on to find out if mindfulness could help you quit smoking.

When you’re mindful, you’re not judging or reacting to what’s happening around you. Instead, you’re simply observing and accepting things as they are. This can be a powerful tool in battling addictive habits as it makes it easier to resist temptations. e.g. If you’re actually aware of the urge to smoke, then you’re more likely to be able to control it. Why? Because when you’re mindful, you’re more aware of your thoughts and emotions and are less likely to get caught up in them.

So, if you’re struggling with any habit that you’re willing to change, give mindfulness a try.

How can mindfulness help with quitting smoking?

Cigarette smoking affects approximately one billion people worldwide. Every year, smoking kills more than 5 million people globally. It is estimated that one-third of smokers try to quit each year, usually without professional help. However, less than 3% of smokers who try quitting on their own succeed in becoming permanent ex-smokers.

Several studies have shown that mindfulness practices are directly related to longer periods of abstinence from smoking and also reduce cravings. In one such study, a group of 54 smokers who were willing to quit smoking was taken, and half of them were asked to practice paying mindful attention to certain smoking cues. The result showed that the people who practised mindfulness had fewer cravings for smoking. Mindfulness was effective.

Why does mindfulness work?

One theory is that it helps to “quiet” the part of the brain known as the default mode network (DMN), which is responsible for mind-wandering and rumination. Mindfulness helps in breaking the cycle of automatic behaviours such as smoking, tobacco use, etc.

Several physicians across the globe coach their patients to use mindful techniques while smoking. The first step here involves becoming more aware of the immediate smoking effects. While smoking mindfully, smokers can sense a “burning feeling” as they inhale and notice the bad smell and taste of smoke. They can immediately feel their heart pounding and a sensation in their temporal region. Therefore, being mindful creates an altogether different experience as opposed to smoking without paying attention. When practised frequently over time, mindful smoking helps to ride out cravings instead of acting on them.

The NHS also lists mindfulness as one of the ways to reduce the desire to smoke.

How can you quit smoking using mindfulness?

As we can see, mindful smoking can lead to long-lasting periods of smoking cessation. But how to do so? Well, practising mindful smoking is something that has to be done repeatedly to ensure that it has a deeper impact at a subconscious level. For that, you smoke in a zero-distraction mode and pay absolute attention to what happens with the first puff itself. This helps you understand the difference between what you think happens when you smoke and what actually happens. Does it really relieve stress? Does it uplift your mood? Does it make you less anxious? Try it next time you smoke and you might have an interesting revelation.

Because all activities require discipline and a plan to be successful, thankfully, there is an app for mindful smoking. QuitSure, which is currently the leading mobile app for smoking cessation, lays out the perfect flow, structure, and activities for you to quit smoking. It’s a personalized app that changes your relationship with smoking using a psychological approach involving scientific information, thinking exercises, and mindful techniques. And it works!! It has over a 95% success rate (based on 4000+ user reviews). So, when you are willing to quit smoking and want to make it a smooth process, the QuitSure programme with its mindful techniques will be ready to help you and come out victorious. All the best!!