Exactly. There are reasons for every cigarette you subconsciously or
consciously reached for. What I’d like you to do is learn what those
reasons are so that you can ‘reach for’ precisely what you need rather than
a random oral replacement. Random reaching doesn’t break or even
significantly change a habit.
A cigarette is a very specific response to very specific needs. It’s either
a way to top up sagging nicotine levels and reverse or eliminate,
temporarily, the onset of nicotine withdrawal symptoms or it’s a way to
change body cues that are the result of situations in life such as hunger,
anger, fatigue, boredom, etc. Rhonda, you can determine just what it is
that your body needs and provide focused effective responses and that’s how
you can change your smoking habit within a very short time. The way to
begin to understand what your body needs is by paying attention to you

body. That takes a bit of practice as subconscious responses (reaching for
a cigarette) tend to stay subconscious. Set a timer! (Here he goes with the
timer again…)
Because you’re not in the habit of recognizing in detail what your body
needs until it becomes critical or intense, you need some external device
that will remind you to pay attention for only a moment, but frequently,
through a day. I suggest a basic timer, you find what works for you. But
please, start to check in with your body and begin to change your 35year habit.
Steve