You At Your Best

courtesy american Heart association We all know habits don't change overnight. But there's good news: research shows that you can rewire your brain to change your own habits. It's important to understand how habits form and how to replace the bad ones with good ones. Old habits can be hard to break, and new habits hard to make, but with these six basic steps you can develop new, healthy behaviors that stick. 6 steps to changing habits 1 Identify cues - Something has to trigger a habit, and a cue can be anything. Maybe stress makes you crave chocolate, or the sound of your alarm triggers you to hit the snooze button. Identifying cues helps you understand what puts your habits into motion. 2 Disrupt - Once you know the cues, you can throw bad habits off track. If the alarm cues you to bash the snooze button every morning, put the alarm clock on the other side of the room. Trekking across the cold floor will likely disrupt the snooze habit. 3 Replace - Research shows that replacing a bad behavior with a good one is more effective than stopping the bad behavior alone. The new behavior "interferes" with the old habit and prevents your brain from going into autopilot. Deciding to eat fruit every time your mind thinks "cookie" substitutes a positive behavior for the negative habit. 4 Keep it simple - It's usually hard to change a habit because the behavior has become easy and automatic. The opposite is true, too: new behaviors can be hard because your brain's basal ganglia, (the "autopilot" part), hasn't taken over this behavior yet. Simplifying new behaviors helps you integrate them into your autopilotutines. 5 Think long-term - Habits often form because they satisfy short-term impulses, the way chewing on your nails might immediately calm your nerves. But short-term desires often have long-term consequences, like nasty, splintered, chewed up fingers. Focusing long term while trying to change some habits will help you remember why you're investing the effort. 6 Persist - Research has shown that what you've done before is a strong indicator of what you'll do next. This means established habits are hard to break. But the good news is, if you keep at it, your new behaviors will turn into habits, too.4 Persistence works — at first it might be painful to get up at 5am for that jog, but soon it will be second nature. So, habits can be changed, and with a bit of time and some effort, healthy behaviors can become second nature. courtesy american Heart association So you've decided to quit smoking, vaping or using any form of tobacco. Great! It's one of the best things you can do to improve your health and add years to your life. It's not easy — but you can do it. You're more likely to quit for good if you prepare for the cravings, urges and feelings that come with quitting. Remember, nicotine is a highly addictive chemical, and your body will need to get used to being without it again. If you would like support to help you quit smoking or vaping call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to get help from trained professionals who can help you quit for good. Get ready to stop smoking and vaping for good with these five steps — just remember to take it one step at a time: 1 Set your "Quit Day" and take a No Smoking or Vaping pledge - Choose a date within the next seven days when you'll stop using tobacco products – that's now your "Quit Day." Make a pledge or commitment in front of people who will support you on your path to quitting. Use the time until your Quit Day to prepare and to gradually cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke or how much you vape or use other tobacco products. Take the pledge: "I promise to not smoke or use any tobacco products after my Quit Day. I know it is a serious danger to my (and my family's) health. I will also try to stay away from secondhand smoke and encourage and support others to quit smoking and using tobacco products." 2 Choose your method for quitting - There are three ways to quit smoking. You can choose one or use them in combination – whatever you think will work best for you. 1. "Cold turkey." Stop smoking or vaping all at once on your Quit Day. This method works best for some people because it doesn't drag out the quitting process. 2. Cut down the number of cigarettes you smoke each day or how many times you vape until you stop completely. For example, if you smoke 20 cigarettes each day, cut down to 10 per day for two to three days. Next, cut it down to five cigarettes for two to three days. Keep track on a calendar. By your Quit Day, stop smoking completely. 3. Smoke only part of each cigarette, reducing the amount until you stop smoking completely. Count how many puffs you normally take from each cigarette, then reduce the number of puffs every two to three days. Keep track on a calendar. On your Quit Day, stop smoking completely. 3 Talk with your doctor and decide if you'll need medicines or other help to successfully quit. 4 Make a plan for your Quit Day and afterward - Have healthy snacks available, like: • fruits and vegetables • nuts and seeds • air-popped popcorn • sugar-free mints and chewing gum Find enjoyable ways to fill the time when you may be tempted to smoke: • Go to a movie. • Work out or go to the gym. • Visit non-smoking friends. • Take a walk. • Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. • Try a new hobby that occupies your hands, like painting, playing an instrument, woodworking or knitting. • Work in the yard or garden. Get rid of every cigarette, vape, match, lighter, ashtray and any other tobacco product in your home, office and car. 5 And finally, quit tobacco for good on your Quit Day! 5 steps to quit smoking & vaping Can you retrain your brain? sunday, decemBer 25, 2022 | January - Goals for Great HealtH youatyourBest.nwaonline.com | you at your Best | 5

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