Russell Grant Magazine – Jan 2022 (NEW2022)

Many people decide to make resolutions at New Year. They carefully select what they are going to give up, berate themselves for their old, bad habits and put themselves under increasing pressure to stop doing things that they have often enjoyed. Many of those resolutions last a week or two before stress, desire for comfort and simple forgetfulness propel them back into their old ways. Let's look at another approach that may have a better chance of success.

Positive resolutions are supportive, encouraging and gentle. They encourage us to improve with kindness, especially kindness to ourselves. Let's look at some of the best positive resolutions, taken from my postbag: Mary asks “I really want to stop smoking, but every time I try something crops up and I find myself reaching for that comfortable reassurance of my trusty cigarettes. Have you any ideas to make this new year's resolution succeed?

Many smokers say that they need to give up their habit and stop smoking. They often find that they can manage it for a week or two, but then find that their willpower disappears as they resort to smoking again. Smoking today is less tolerated by the public and is illegal in many places. The price of maintaining a smoking habit is continuously escalating and the dangers to health are readily available to be seen.

Many smokers feel conflicted. They know they should stop but can't seem to. Here are some thoughts for either cutting down or stopping completely.

Identify the times when you smoke and become aware of the triggers that prompt the desire for a cigarette. Is it when the phone rings, after a piece of work has been finished, after food? Recognise the triggers and recall how you handled