If you’ve been struggling to cut down, you may worry that you’re not progressing and fear that quitting smoking will be hard. Rest assured, this is not the case at all.
This article will show how to stop struggling so you can enjoy your program experience. There is a reason behind each of our struggles as well as a solution to make things easy.
To move forward confidently, let’s see what actually makes cutting down hard and how to avoid those pitfalls:
Pitfall #1: Using willpower
Cutting down shouldn’t feel hard or make you feel deprived. If it does, this means you’re using willpower to resist smoking. But what we resist persists and intensifies, which is not what we want. Because a deprived state sends the wrong signal to the brain: that quitting will be hard and an unpleasant experience.
💡 This video will show you how to follow your countdown guide without using willpower: https://support.cbqmembers.com/support-base/cigarette-countdown-101/
Pitfall #2: Assessing your progress based on how much you cut down
What reprograms your mind to stop wanting to smoke and break the habit is the process of the program, not cutting down.
How much you reduce your smoking does not determine your progress or predict your success. Since the goal of the program is to help you easily break free from nicotine, your progress is measured by how much you’re changing your view and relationship with smoking.
Cutting down, by itself, is only a means to remove the nicotine from your body, bit by bit – it doesn’t change how you see smoking or remove your desire for nicotine. The Cigarette Countdown tool on Day 0 only serves as a guideline, not a smoking allowance or something you must follow perfectly. The purpose of this guideline is to help you gradually wean off nicotine, and give you more opportunities to apply the strategies and tools you learn in the program, and practice saying no to smoking using mindpower.
Putting all your energy and focus on cutting down does not allow you to make the most of the transformational lessons of the program, which are designed to change how you see smoking.
What to do
💡 So if you find yourself over-worrying about how much you cut down, then it’s best to stop cutting down entirely because feeling deprived and worried will only become an obstacle to your progress. Instead, smoke as much or as little as you feel you need and just make sure to record every cigarette right after smoking.
So, what makes quitting smoking easy?
By avoiding the two pitfalls, you can focus on achieving the real key to quitting smoking easily: Mental Freedom, which means you no longer have any desire or need for nicotine in your life!
You become a mentally free, happy non-smoker by:
✅ Learning from and making the most of the transformational lessons and exercises in the program.
✅ Following the only three rules of the CBQ Quit Smoking Program: finish the program, avoid willpower, and go through the process with an empowering mindset.(Day 0 video 3 explains how to go through the process with an empowering mindset)
Tips from Fellow Members Who Didn’t Cut Down
Inspiration and advice from fellow CBQ Program members who did not cut down as much or at all during the program:
Melissa
“I smoked for 40 years. Never able to quit at any point for more than 1 day which was so hard. Never thought I could ever quit. I brought the CBQ program. After 2 half-hearted attempts (stopping around day 4 or 5) over a year I finally committed to just finishing the program. I decided that I just needed to trust the process and have a little faith.
I put a 100% effort into it. I didn’t cut down my cigarette count, I found that hard to do, but I still recorded every single smoke I had. One thing that I felt that really helped me, was that before I would light every cigarette, I would say out loud… I am not giving up. I am saving my money. I am improving my health. I am gaining my freedom.
I found that the visualization exercises, the goodbye letter, and the planning of the last cigarette ritual very powerful for me. To my surprise I actually found it easy to stop. I don’t miss it and I don’t envy those who smoke.
This time next month I will celebrate 2 years smoke free.”
Cari
“I cut down by only 2 cigarettes per day throughout the whole program, but I quit on my planned quit date. As a matter of fact, the last day I smoked twice as much as normal! I have been a nonsmoker now for 85 days. As long as you’re learning things about yourself and your habit you should be fine. Reflect on why you feel the need to smoke after 1 hour. What else could you do instead of smoke? What would happen if you didn’t smoke after 1 hour? What benefit did that cigarette give you?”
Shelton
“I smoked all the way through the program. I smoked a pack on my quit day. When I quit I was relieved. I realized that I had wanted to quit for a long time. The whole idea of the program is to work up to your quit date and quit. But if you are ready, go ahead and quit.”
Pat
“I didnt put to much effort in cutting down but did naturally by doing the lessens. Put most of your energy in the lessens and dont worry to much about smoking. You can do this!”
Jess
“I didn’t really have an ‘aha’ moment. I did have lots of little “that makes sense” moments and I really tried to focus on just finishing the program. Once I finished I couldn’t believe how easy it all felt and I have had little ‘aha’ moments in the months after quitting. It has been nearly 3 months since I quit. My best advice is to not focus on cutting down or what you ‘should’ be experiencing, as it can get in your head. Just keep doing the exercises and going through the program ”
Val
She smoked 2 packs a day for 40 years. She started cutting down for a few days but didn’t need to continue reducing her cigarettes because she was ready to break free! She shared in this video that writing down every cigarette in her notebook played a vital role in changing her relationship with smoking.
Related Resource
I wasn’t able to cut down today. Should I repeat this day of the program? https://support.cbqmembers.com/support-base/i-wasnt-able-to-cut-down/
Any tips on how to cut down if I chain smoke, chain vape, or smoke multiple cigarettes one after the other? https://support.cbqmembers.com/support-base/cbq-program-to-quit-vaping/