People take up smoking for a lot many reasons. Other than inquisitiveness and peer pressure, some of the most major factors in many taking up smoking is stress, anxiety and depression. These factors make people start smoking, which then becomes a habit, an addiction, a necessity. It then becomes very difficult to quit, even after getting over the stress or depression.
Happy thoughts may dampen smoking cravings
Many addicts try to quit but are not able to do so for a number of reasons, including the fact that there is constant stress or because they are unhappy about various things in life. These negative thoughts and situations make it very difficult to quit and stay quit.
But there is hope for many such people who have gotten addicted but wish to quit. Research shows and many will tell you with experience that the happier you are, the easier it is to control taking that next puff and stay away from smoking. Mauricio R. Delgado and Elizabeth Phelps have conducted a study on this subject.
This study has shown that if people think of pleasant things when there is a craving to smoke, they can get over the craving. This is because the centers in the brain which help give you a high when you smoke or which crave for rewards can be distracted with such pleasant thoughts. They may think of anything that they find pleasant, like a vacation on a sunny beach, snow-capped mountains or lush green forests.
These thoughts trigger off areas in the brain associated with happiness and pleasure. This distracts the brain from the reward it is expecting — smoking. This helps get over the craving more easily and smoothly and helps you stay away from smoking.
The conclusion of this study was that the happier you are or the more happy thoughts you have, it is that much easier to control cravings to smoke. This means that if you are planning to quit smoking, find ways to keep yourself happy and positive. The more positive your thoughts are, it will be that much easier to quit and stay quit.
