How VIDEO GAMING Helped Me Quit Smoking
from web site
In somewhat recent years, there is a campaign of anti-smoking commercials from BecomeAnEx.org, and I loved them. It had been the 1st time I felt like someone really discovered the trick to quitting smoking, and offered it from the sympathetic perspective, with a feeling of humor and a sincere desire to help smokers.
I've seen many commercials against smoking over the years. Somehave tried fighting cigarettes by unveiling statistics about smoking and its own industry, with this particular self-righteous "look how clever we are" approach that is rather alienating. It's like being told to give up smoking by somebody who is more invested in their marketing pitch than the problem at hand.
And then there have been the deluge of "scare tactic" commercials that show you blackened lungs and people coping with tracheotomies. While I believe these commercials hold some worth, they're more likely to provide a smoker pause, instead of actually helping them to quit. Our selective memory kicks in, and kicks out the bad ones.
These campaign, however, nailed the essence of the smoking problem in several brief moments. It remarked that smoking is strongly connected to habitual behavior; you smoke together with your morning cup of coffee, throughout your morning routine, or during happy hour at the bar. These commercials suggested you can relearn most of these activities without a cigarette. The one about happy hour even suggested you "keep a beer in one hand and not a cigarette in another". That's smart advice.
Physical addiction of nicotine is nothing when compared to the mental addiction of smoking. This is why wearing a patch doesn't instantly fix the problem; a smoker still wants to hold and smoke a cigarette. Mental addiction is king. I was quite lucky; I gradually gave up smoking simply because I had not been enjoying it anymore, and that made it far easier to leave. But some of this habitual smoking through association was still rearing its ugly head. Removing those last few lines of defense could possibly be the hardest.
When you quit cigarettes (or are in the process of doing so), you may notice certain new habits taking over temporarily. Once of them is the famous one: eating. Along with other ones pop up, like chewing the caps from pens (until they're completely unrecognizable). However, one activity that interfered with my smoking was entirely by chance, yet so able to keeping my mind and body off of smoking, it must be recommended in organizations: playing video games.
more info is probably arguable that the full total sensory experience of playing a gaming contributes in distracting the ball player from alternative activities like smoking (or socializing... kidding!), but I really believe that the controller is the key. Keeping both hands fully occupied and working hastily makes you just forget about holding a cigarette.
And why not? People have a tendency to smoke the most if they are unoccupied, bored and feeling lazy. People smoke on their breaks. People smoke at their laptops and throughout a football game on television. It's down time, time and energy to drink a beer, have a smoke watching a movie!
Video games are down time too, but never let for a half-hearted relationship using them. I remember when I'd play games like Halo 3 online, discussing strategies with friends and controlling my Spartan Soldier. I was way too engaged with the overall game to smoke (or use the bathroom, for example!). In fact, when I would light up a cigarette between matches, I'd take my first puff and put it down, as we would already be back in the firefight. By enough time I reached for my cigarette again, nothing remained save a long log of ash, burning off in the ashtray. That's a powerful moment to note; I had made my choice. That wouldn't function as last cigarette I ever endured. But it wouldn't function as last time I ignored them and only playing video games, either.
Playing video games isn't a magical solution, and you can find plenty of variables when quitting smoking, so your mileage can vary greatly. I already wanted to quit smoking, but video gaming helped by running interference, and it helped to keep me occupied once I quit smoking entirely.
For this time, I was spending a good deal of my gaming time with portable systems, like the DS Lite and the PSP (the very best part is when you easily justify your PSP purchase, based on the amount of cigarettes you're not buying). When I'd return from work and settle down for the evening, I would lie on my back in bed doing offers. That worked great for me, as I was in even less of a position to reach for a cigarette, and much more relaxed than normal. Having said that, I think a stronger case could possibly be made for taking your portable on the go, as it's intended for. Now you're looking forward to the subway or sitting throughout your lunch break at work, and you're working on your game, with no free hands or time and energy to smoke. Try reading the newspaper instead, or worse, just standing or sitting there. Smoking will become a lot more tempting.
I can't stress the importance enough of video gaming occupying your hands. While Freud would likely tell us smoking is an oral fixation (see: eating, chewing pen caps), we hold a cigarette inside our hands; it is the main appeal. So, when our hands are busy, we are less inclined to be holding a cigarette. Playing a casino game engages the upper 1 / 2 of your body arguably more than worries does. When driving, you have one free hand to smoke with. Also, most people drive exactly the same roads ad nauseam, also it largely becomes a mindless activity, second nature even. In contrast, video games frequently change things up, producing new challenges and garnering your full attention merely to master (and also survive) them.
I've seen many commercials against smoking over the years. Somehave tried fighting cigarettes by unveiling statistics about smoking and its own industry, with this particular self-righteous "look how clever we are" approach that is rather alienating. It's like being told to give up smoking by somebody who is more invested in their marketing pitch than the problem at hand.
And then there have been the deluge of "scare tactic" commercials that show you blackened lungs and people coping with tracheotomies. While I believe these commercials hold some worth, they're more likely to provide a smoker pause, instead of actually helping them to quit. Our selective memory kicks in, and kicks out the bad ones.
These campaign, however, nailed the essence of the smoking problem in several brief moments. It remarked that smoking is strongly connected to habitual behavior; you smoke together with your morning cup of coffee, throughout your morning routine, or during happy hour at the bar. These commercials suggested you can relearn most of these activities without a cigarette. The one about happy hour even suggested you "keep a beer in one hand and not a cigarette in another". That's smart advice.
Physical addiction of nicotine is nothing when compared to the mental addiction of smoking. This is why wearing a patch doesn't instantly fix the problem; a smoker still wants to hold and smoke a cigarette. Mental addiction is king. I was quite lucky; I gradually gave up smoking simply because I had not been enjoying it anymore, and that made it far easier to leave. But some of this habitual smoking through association was still rearing its ugly head. Removing those last few lines of defense could possibly be the hardest.
When you quit cigarettes (or are in the process of doing so), you may notice certain new habits taking over temporarily. Once of them is the famous one: eating. Along with other ones pop up, like chewing the caps from pens (until they're completely unrecognizable). However, one activity that interfered with my smoking was entirely by chance, yet so able to keeping my mind and body off of smoking, it must be recommended in organizations: playing video games.
more info is probably arguable that the full total sensory experience of playing a gaming contributes in distracting the ball player from alternative activities like smoking (or socializing... kidding!), but I really believe that the controller is the key. Keeping both hands fully occupied and working hastily makes you just forget about holding a cigarette.
And why not? People have a tendency to smoke the most if they are unoccupied, bored and feeling lazy. People smoke on their breaks. People smoke at their laptops and throughout a football game on television. It's down time, time and energy to drink a beer, have a smoke watching a movie!
Video games are down time too, but never let for a half-hearted relationship using them. I remember when I'd play games like Halo 3 online, discussing strategies with friends and controlling my Spartan Soldier. I was way too engaged with the overall game to smoke (or use the bathroom, for example!). In fact, when I would light up a cigarette between matches, I'd take my first puff and put it down, as we would already be back in the firefight. By enough time I reached for my cigarette again, nothing remained save a long log of ash, burning off in the ashtray. That's a powerful moment to note; I had made my choice. That wouldn't function as last cigarette I ever endured. But it wouldn't function as last time I ignored them and only playing video games, either.
Playing video games isn't a magical solution, and you can find plenty of variables when quitting smoking, so your mileage can vary greatly. I already wanted to quit smoking, but video gaming helped by running interference, and it helped to keep me occupied once I quit smoking entirely.
For this time, I was spending a good deal of my gaming time with portable systems, like the DS Lite and the PSP (the very best part is when you easily justify your PSP purchase, based on the amount of cigarettes you're not buying). When I'd return from work and settle down for the evening, I would lie on my back in bed doing offers. That worked great for me, as I was in even less of a position to reach for a cigarette, and much more relaxed than normal. Having said that, I think a stronger case could possibly be made for taking your portable on the go, as it's intended for. Now you're looking forward to the subway or sitting throughout your lunch break at work, and you're working on your game, with no free hands or time and energy to smoke. Try reading the newspaper instead, or worse, just standing or sitting there. Smoking will become a lot more tempting.
I can't stress the importance enough of video gaming occupying your hands. While Freud would likely tell us smoking is an oral fixation (see: eating, chewing pen caps), we hold a cigarette inside our hands; it is the main appeal. So, when our hands are busy, we are less inclined to be holding a cigarette. Playing a casino game engages the upper 1 / 2 of your body arguably more than worries does. When driving, you have one free hand to smoke with. Also, most people drive exactly the same roads ad nauseam, also it largely becomes a mindless activity, second nature even. In contrast, video games frequently change things up, producing new challenges and garnering your full attention merely to master (and also survive) them.
