19-03-2025
I'm a hypnotherapist - this tip could help you quit smoking for good
After over a decade of long-term decline, smoking appears to be on the rise in parts of England.
Researchers from University College London examined data for more than 350,000 adults in England over an 18-year period, and found that while the overall proportion of smokers has fallen nationally, progress has 'flatlined' since 2020, and smoking is now increasing in some regions.
The findings, published in the journal Addiction, revealed that smoking had jumped by 10% in the south of England between 2020 and 2024, suggesting progress in the government's plans for a smoke-free country by 2030 is stalling.
In the UK, smoking remains one of the leading preventable causes of illness and death, accounting for around 74,000 deaths annually. And while quitting isn't easy, there are plenty of reasons to stick with a plan — smoking is linked to serious health risks like lung cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
If nicotine patches, gum or going cold turkey haven't worked for you in the past, Aaron Surtees, clinical hypnotherapist and author of the book 'Subconsciously' suggests trying visualisation techniques to help kick cravings to the curb. As a clinical hypnotherapist, he has treated many people both in and out of the public eye, including well-known names in sports, music and television.
"Dubbed the 'Swish Pattern', the following technique is a powerful way to break habits like smoking," he explains, "with the idea that it can reset your brain's subconscious associations with cigarettes.'
"Close your eyes and picture a place where you typically smoke," says Surtees. This could be your own garden or your local pub's smoking area. "Make the image big, bright, and vivid, imagining the smell and feel of holding a cigarette."
"Next, visualise yourself as a non-smoker, with healthy skin, smoke-free confidence and breathing fresh air,' he instructs. 'Make this image small and dim in the corner of your mind."
"Now, picture the small, dim version of your non-smoking self suddenly growing bigger and brighter, completely replacing the smoking self," says Surtees. "Do this fast, like a flash of light."
"Repeat this practice five to ten times, making the shift faster and more seamless each time."
To test if the technique works for you, Surtees says you should try recalling your old smoking trigger — "if the craving is weaker, the process is working," he says. The hypnotherapist recommends you repeat the above steps daily for at least a week to see results.
Neurolinguistic Programming (or NLP) is a set of mindset techniques designed to change a person's thinking.
The idea is that your thoughts, language and habits are all intrinsically connected, so by rewiring your thought patterns, you can eventually change your behaviours — whether that's quitting smoking, overcoming fears or improving your confidence with public speaking.
Its origins go back to the 1970s, when it was developed by mathematician Richard Bandler and linguist John Grinder as a way to help people build and break habits more effectively.
"NLP techniques work by replacing habitual thought patterns around wanting to smoke with healthier phrases such as 'I don't need to smoke or vape' and 'I am a non-smoker'," explains Surtees.
Over time, he claims new thoughts and behaviours can become second nature to us: "The neural pathway in the brain no longer focuses on typical triggers to smoke or vape. Instead, the reaction is an overwhelming feeling of being free from smoking for good."
While NLP has grown in popularity over the past 50 years, it's received heavy criticism from the scientific community for lacking robust, peer-reviewed evidence. Anecdotally, however, many fans of the method have found it useful for breaking bad habits, easing anxiety and achieving work-orientated goals.
When it comes to nixing cigarettes, some claim that success with kicking the habit is more about developing a quitter's mindset, and less about simply relying on nicotine replacement therapies, although everyone's journey to becoming smoke-free is different.
As with any addictive behaviour, alternative therapies aren't recommended as blanket replacement for medical advice from your GP, but since NLP techniques are free, safe and easy to try, it could be worth experimenting ahead of your next work break - especially if other quit methods haven't worked for you so far.
Read more about quitting smoking:
This is what happens to your body when you quit smoking (Yahoo Life UK, 8-min read)
No Smoking Month: Top tips to help you kick the habit for good (Belfast Live, 3-min read)
Why it's so hard to quit smoking - and how to boost your chances of stopping for good (Yahoo Life, 7-min read)
