Brace yourselves for some science!
The neo-cortex is our brain's sophisticated operating system. All day long, it allows us to speak clearly, think rationally, plan strategies, anticipate dangers, and unravel complex situations. It makes us human.
Still, we are animals, when you get right down to it. As such, our brain also has a more primitive, primordial instinct called the limbic brain. When danger or stress or fear occur, this limbic brain jumps into the "fight or flight" mode, and will automatically reach out for the most instant and most common tool for handling the situation.
As a smoker, our most common and instant tool for dealing with danger or stress or fear (or boredom or exhaustion and on and on and on) was...smoking. (Now! Right now! Smoke!) So, this limbic brain is going to BEG for a cigarette because that's all it has known for years and years and years. Now, here's the cruel part: Once activated, this primitive "caveman" brain throws the more intelligent neo-cortex brain in the closet. Locks it up, out of the way. Nearly shuts it off. In that moment, we kinda go crazy. Caveman crazy! And this is called limbic downshift.
Again, when faced with a powerful crave or stressor, the smoker's more animalistic brain area will SCREAM for a cigarette while the more logical area of the brain is left pounding on the closet door, yelling out, "Don't do it! Don't you dare do it! You know better!"
So, what is a quitter to do?
Our primitive brain wants tools to fight back against the stress, right? So, give it tools! Practice deep breathing. Have cold water ready in the fridge. Practice taking "emergency walks". Stock up on quit supplies. Write out lists. Blog here at the website. You know...all those things that are asked of us here.
Without advanced planning and practice, our "caveman" brain IS going to return to cigarettes as a coping mechanism. And, in that moment, our higher brain is going to struggle to be of logical help to us during that crisis. So, line up those better tools in advance (while you're calm and sane), so that there will be options and choices and alternatives and strategies in place. The "caveman" doesn't care what tool it is, so long as it works.
MAKE IT WORK!
