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Last week I was having a conversation with a client about her bad habits and how she wishes she could quit them. I shared with her that I was a non smoker for 10 years now and I haven't had a drink since November 2022.
She was impressed and wanted to know how I did it. So I told her my story of being diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2013. I hated it at first and I tried to protest it... Why? Because I had no choice but to stop eating wheat and gluten as it was making me ill. So of course it was a very hard time adjusting
because I thought of it as a punishment and as a diet...
During this time I read Louise L. Hay's book You Can Heal Your Life. This book touched on addictions and smoking was definitely one of mine that I very much wanted to quit. So as I read the book it had helped me to make the decision of actually WANTING TO, and not NEEDING TO stop smoking. It was MY decision. But the how was a bit unclear and all the previous times when I tried to quit before, this is where I felt overwhelmed and basically I gave up, declaring that " I can't do it" !
This time I decided that I would only focus on one step at the time, rather than the whole staircase. So I made a mantra for myself "Today, I make healthy choices" before I knew it a month went by, and now I am 10 years smoke free. I applied the same technique last November about alcohol, too, and I am now almost a year in and I still not wanted or had a drink.
I never made these decisions a forever decision, because that can be overwhelming. I just take each day as it comes and I say every day, that today, I make healthy choices for myself.
So to succeed with quitting your bad habits, you need the following:
Motive (the book made me understand why I want to stop smoking)
Remove the pressure ( focusing on one day at the time)
Remember your why ( why did you decide to want to stop)
New habits (daily mantra " Today, I make healthy decisions")
Work on your mindset ( it is not a punishment if you decide to do it)
I realised that the coeliac lifestyle is exactly what it was, rather than calling it a diet. Diets don't work, because you have a belief that at some point you can just stop, and return to your old ways. Eating healthy should not be a diet, it should be your lifestyle.
So, my client enjoyed our chat and realised what a clever little way it was to focus on the here and now, and not to set unrealistic expectations, that could cause overwhelm and failure.
Here is where you can find out more about my coaching program:
Nikolett,
Intuitive Mindset Coach and Skin Therapist