Why a timer?
So why a timer? Because without some external reminder to take a moment and
pay attention, we carry on in automatic mode, just as we’re designed to do.
A timer will remind you to stop and observe the subtle body signals. Only
by the repetitive action of paying attention will you begin to recognize
how your body experiences your life. When you’re aware of your body cues,
you’ll be able to choose new actions.
We are not aware of the subtle signals our bodies send. Many of us, myself
included, aren’t aware of the not so subtle signals either. There’s no
reason for us to be aware. If you sit too long in one position and your
butt gets numb, do you have to think about how to deal with that situation?
Or do you simply shift in your chair? You simply shift and that because you
already know the sensation you feel as ‘numb butt’ and you already know
that a shift in position will create a change in sensation. That’s the
automatic nature of how we deal with most of the signals our body sends
during a routine day. Part of your brain is already programmed to
immediately associate a response that’s worked in the past to whatever
sensations it recognizes in the moment. And thank goodness. How much time
would we waste if something as mundane and ‘unimportant’ as a numb butt
required us to stop what we’re doing and take a moment to reason out what
response would be best.
Most of your smoking associations are/were just that automatic and
immediate. The only way to reprogram those associations is to become aware
of our body’s signals so that we can start to choose different EFFECTIVE
responses. With a bit of practice, those new responses will become our new
automatic responses and we can get back to living life without the old
smoking associations.
If you don’t want to use a timer, hire someone to walk around behind you
and remind you once an hour. Or get one of your kids who’s whining about
nothing to do and give them the job of reminding you. Or set something up
on your computer. Find a way to remember to stop and pay attention at least
once every hour. Within a day or three you’ll have developed a detailed and
acute awareness of a dimension of your self that was previously below your
radar.
Your body is your most basic motivator. When it sends a signal, you
respond. Isn’t it time you started taking control of how you respond?