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Summary 

Jennifer Green talks about the transition to the new year as a portal for change and how small behavior shifts can still get you big results. 

Links

The Way app by Henry Shukman

Transcript

Intro (00:02)
I'm Jennifer Green and this is the Quit For Good podcast. I'm here to help you quit smoking for good.

If knowing better was enough, you wouldn't still be smoking.

As someone who wasted decades believing I was just not capable of quitting, I'm on a mission to help women like me—women who started smoking at a very young age, high performers who consistently show up for others while often neglecting their own needs, and who are ashamed of their habit because it's not aligned with their values.

I can't wait to show you how self-compassion and science-based strategies of behavior change can conquer your addiction as they conquered mine.

Because every woman deserves to give herself a better future by prioritizing her health today. No matter where you are in your quitting journey, you can always begin again. So let's get started.

(01:06)
Hello my dear friend. It's almost Christmas, which means it's practically New Year's Eve. I don't know about you, but for me it all starts to blur together at this point. You know, the dark, the cold, the year-end work deadlines, there's snow to be shoveled, sugar to eat, drinks to drink, overindulging at all the parties, and not a small amount of angst about how I'm going to launch myself out of all this chaos into a serene and healthy New Year orbit.

Can't you just picture me floating in the atmosphere in my slightly larger than last year's space suit? All is calm. All is bright.

Don't get me wrong. Some of these things are exciting and of course they're pleasurable too, but too many of them in such a concentrated burst starts to weigh me down physically and mentally. You can feel it when you're out of balance, right? And the darkest time of the year always sets me a little bit off kilter.

But I'm actually feeling better this year than usual. And I 100 % credit that with my meditation practice. I started using an app called “The Way,” by Henry Shukman this year, and it's really helped me to start working with my negative emotions and accepting them, which actually feels much lighter and freer in practice than it sounds. Mr. Shukman’s voice is magical, like British honey. So I highly recommend it, and I'll include a link in my show notes for you.

It has a, it's a paid app, but it has a free trial and I believe there's a scholarship option. The new year, of course, is totally arbitrary, but I like to use it as a portal for change. I enjoy the ritual and because things are so hectic leading up to it, I'm always ready for a shift.

So in case you are also thinking about transition, and possibilities, and maybe even some kind of reinvention for yourself in 2026, I've compiled a quick list of “Five Tips for A Fresh Start in The New Year” for you.

Number one:
Not everyone is full of holiday cheer at the holidays. If life is feeling kind of shitty and full of big problems that you can't fix, taking on more personal challenges can actually tip the scale in your favor.

When we make purposeful choices and act from a place of self-direction and autonomy, we feel more competent and internally motivated. Seeing yourself as having control and purpose is empowering. And this increases your capacity to deal with all the challenges that you didn't choose, like financial difficulties, relationship problems,

human suffering writ large, or a toxic workplace. And even if you're not quite ready to quit smoking, you can decide to delay your next cigarette by five minutes, or skip that last smoke of the day that you usually have before bed. It will strengthen your resilience and your ability to deal with the other stresses in your life. So I invite you to try that and I would love to hear how it goes.

You can reach me at [email protected].

Number two:
I can remember getting ready to quit and thinking, “Wow, I'm quitting in a couple of weeks. This is my last chance to enjoy smoking. So I'm going to have a few extra cigarettes every day,” Right? This did not set me up very well for a number of reasons.

I was still thinking of cigarettes as something that I loved and that I didn't want to give up. And this is disempowering. You go into your quit fighting against it instead of choosing to be smoke-free, which feels much better. It also robbed me of opportunities to practice delaying and cutting back, like I mentioned in the last tip,

And looking back, I don't recall any pleasure at all from those extra cigarettes that I smoked during my countdowns. If I experienced any, it was fleeting. And all I remember now is that feeling of desperation. So in hindsight, was it worth it? No.

Number three:
If you're still considering whether or not to quit smoking in 2026, please know you're not alone and it's okay if you're not ready. This choice is not a reflection of your self-worth. I found myself weighing the pros and cons at the 11th hour many times in my life. Often after I already thought I decided that I was going to do it and then changing my mind, several times.

But I have a gentle reminder for you. You're not on equal footing in this negotiation. You're up against an addiction. It's a smooth talker with a long resumé of relapses. It's kind of like these stories that we've been hearing about the AI making some terrible decisions about blackmailing or even killing a hypothetical human that wants to shut it down.

It's going to do pretty much anything to stick around and your addiction is the same.

So before you make the final call this year, just ask yourself who should be making this decision, your addiction? Or the part of you who wants what's best for you? That's your higher self. You can think of her as your inner mom or your inner grandma or any benevolent caregiver who is very, very wise. You really do have this part inside of you. And it's the part who knows that you are loved and you are loving. and that you deserve to be taken good care of.

Number four
is real honest, so it's going to sting a little. Your current results come from your past actions. How are you going to feel a year from now if you keep repeating your current behaviors? If you want different results, it's time to take different actions. And if that sounds overwhelming, try writing down what you could gain from making one little change every day.

It's TIME that compounds small behaviors.

Eating one cookie every day adds up to 73,000 calories by the end of the year.

Oh my God. I don't even like thinking about it that way. I mean, I'm still going to eat cookies in 2026, but maybe not every day.

Meditating for just five minutes every day will improve your mood, your concentration and memory, your sleep, and it can even lower your pain levels.

Going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night can give you a whopping seven and a half more hours of sleep every month. Can you believe that? And we've all got these devices. You can set an alarm to remind yourself to get in bed a little bit earlier.

And smoking one less cigarette per day will save your precious lungs from more than 18 packs of cigarettes over the course of a year.

You don't have to be perfect, and it doesn't have to be drastic. The key is to take consistent action, no matter how small it is.

And that brings us to tip number five:
Nobody's keeping score of how many times you tried to quit and didn't make it except you. So you have nothing to lose by trying again.

Happy holidays to you and I wish us both a serene and healthy new year. Take care.

Legal disclaimer (09:40)
If you're still with me, here's your legal disclaimer. The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. While the strategies and techniques presented here may be helpful in your journey to quit smoking, they are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical conditions.

Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health care provider before making any significant changes to your health regimen or if you have concerns about quitting smoking, especially if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or have any pre-existing health conditions.

This podcast does not replace professional medical treatment or counseling.

Take care and keep going. I believe in you.