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 was the 1st time I felt like someone really discovered the secret to quitting smoking, and offered it from the sympathetic perspective, with a sense of humor and a sincere desire to help smokers.
I have seen many commercials against smoking over time. 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's rather alienating. It's like being told to quit smoking by a person who is more invested in their marketing pitch compared to the problem at hand.
And then there were the deluge of "scare tactic" commercials that demonstrate blackened lungs and people coping with tracheotomies. While I think these commercials hold some worth, they're more likely to give a smoker pause, rather than actually helping them to give up. Our selective memory kicks in, and kicks out the bad ones.
The aforementioned 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 with your morning cup of coffee, throughout your morning routine, or during happy hour at the bar. These commercials suggested you can relearn many of these activities without a cigarette. The main one about happy hour even suggested you "keep a beer in one hand and anything but a cigarette in another". That is smart advice.
Physical addiction of nicotine is nothing when compared to the mental addiction of smoking. That is why wearing a patch doesn't instantly repair the problem; a smoker still really wants to hold and smoke a cigarette. more info 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 that habitual smoking through association was still rearing its ugly head. Eliminating those last few lines of defense can be the hardest.
When you quit cigarettes (or are along the way of doing so), you might notice certain new habits taking over temporarily. Once of them may be 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 body and mind off of smoking, it must be recommended in organizations: playing video games.
It is probably arguable that the 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 may be the key. Keeping both of your hands fully occupied and working hastily makes you just forget about holding a cigarette.
And why not? People tend to smoke the most when they are unoccupied, bored and feeling lazy. People smoke on the 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 much too engaged with the game to smoke (or use the bathroom, for example!). In fact, when I would light up a cigarette between matches, I would take my first puff and put it down, as we would already be back the firefight. By enough time I reached for my cigarette again, nothing remained save an extended log of ash, burning off in the ashtray. That's a powerful moment to note; I had made my choice. That wouldn't be the last cigarette I ever endured. But it wouldn't be the last time I ignored them and only playing video games, either.
Playing video games isn't a magical solution, and there are plenty of variables when quitting smoking, so your mileage can vary greatly. I already wanted to quit smoking, but video games helped by running interference, and it helped to keep me occupied once I quit smoking entirely.
Around this time, I was spending a great deal of my gaming time with portable systems, just like the DS Lite and the PSP (the best part is when you easily justify your PSP purchase, in line with the amount of cigarettes you're not buying). When I would return from work and settle down for the evening, I would lie on my back in bed playing games. That worked ideal for me, as I was in even less of a posture to attain for a cigarette, and much more relaxed than normal. Having said that, I believe a stronger case could possibly be made for taking your portable on the go, as it's designed for. Now you're looking forward to the subway or sitting throughout your lunch break at the job, 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 can be 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 section of the appeal. So, when our hands are busy, we have been less inclined to be holding a cigarette. Playing a casino game engages the upper 1 / 2 of your body arguably more than driving a car 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. On the other hand, video gaming frequently change things up, producing new challenges and garnering your full attention just to master (and also survive) them.
I have seen many commercials against smoking over time. 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's rather alienating. It's like being told to quit smoking by a person who is more invested in their marketing pitch compared to the problem at hand.
And then there were the deluge of "scare tactic" commercials that demonstrate blackened lungs and people coping with tracheotomies. While I think these commercials hold some worth, they're more likely to give a smoker pause, rather than actually helping them to give up. Our selective memory kicks in, and kicks out the bad ones.
The aforementioned 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 with your morning cup of coffee, throughout your morning routine, or during happy hour at the bar. These commercials suggested you can relearn many of these activities without a cigarette. The main one about happy hour even suggested you "keep a beer in one hand and anything but a cigarette in another". That is smart advice.
Physical addiction of nicotine is nothing when compared to the mental addiction of smoking. That is why wearing a patch doesn't instantly repair the problem; a smoker still really wants to hold and smoke a cigarette. more info 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 that habitual smoking through association was still rearing its ugly head. Eliminating those last few lines of defense can be the hardest.
When you quit cigarettes (or are along the way of doing so), you might notice certain new habits taking over temporarily. Once of them may be 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 body and mind off of smoking, it must be recommended in organizations: playing video games.
It is probably arguable that the 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 may be the key. Keeping both of your hands fully occupied and working hastily makes you just forget about holding a cigarette.
And why not? People tend to smoke the most when they are unoccupied, bored and feeling lazy. People smoke on the 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 much too engaged with the game to smoke (or use the bathroom, for example!). In fact, when I would light up a cigarette between matches, I would take my first puff and put it down, as we would already be back the firefight. By enough time I reached for my cigarette again, nothing remained save an extended log of ash, burning off in the ashtray. That's a powerful moment to note; I had made my choice. That wouldn't be the last cigarette I ever endured. But it wouldn't be the last time I ignored them and only playing video games, either.
Playing video games isn't a magical solution, and there are plenty of variables when quitting smoking, so your mileage can vary greatly. I already wanted to quit smoking, but video games helped by running interference, and it helped to keep me occupied once I quit smoking entirely.
Around this time, I was spending a great deal of my gaming time with portable systems, just like the DS Lite and the PSP (the best part is when you easily justify your PSP purchase, in line with the amount of cigarettes you're not buying). When I would return from work and settle down for the evening, I would lie on my back in bed playing games. That worked ideal for me, as I was in even less of a posture to attain for a cigarette, and much more relaxed than normal. Having said that, I believe a stronger case could possibly be made for taking your portable on the go, as it's designed for. Now you're looking forward to the subway or sitting throughout your lunch break at the job, 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 can be 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 section of the appeal. So, when our hands are busy, we have been less inclined to be holding a cigarette. Playing a casino game engages the upper 1 / 2 of your body arguably more than driving a car 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. On the other hand, video gaming frequently change things up, producing new challenges and garnering your full attention just to master (and also survive) them.
