- With Mayo Clinic behavioral counselor
Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
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Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
Jennifer Kern is a tobacco treatment specialist, certified through the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center.
Her counseling work addresses various aspects of tobacco addiction, including the love-hate relationship many tobacco users have with their smoking or chewing, education about nicotine addiction, and effective strategies to help with quitting.
In addition, she explores the importance of getting emotional and social support when stopping tobacco use, and offers ideas and suggestions about how to ask for and give this support.
Being bilingual, she enjoys counseling in both Spanish and English. She holds a master's degree in psychology, with interests including spirituality, psychosomatic illness, depression and anxiety, maladaptive coping behaviors, and overall health behavior change.
"As a former smoker, I am personally familiar with the complexity of dealing with the 'tobacco shackles,' " she said. "I am committed to helping others conquer this addiction so they may regain their freedom and possibly even save their own lives."
Latest entries
- Smokers, don't take your health for granted
Jan. 27, 2010
- Don't give up on goal to quit smoking
Jan. 9, 2010
- Helping others can help you become a non-smoker
Dec. 24, 2009
- Finding inner talents can aid the quit smoking process
Dec. 15, 2009
- Focus on gratitude, not craving a cigarette
Nov. 24, 2009
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Quit smoking blog
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Aug. 22, 2009
Blog: Selecting your smoke-free date
By Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
"Quit date" is the phrase most commonly used to refer to the day one plans to stop smoking. I'm not a fan of this terminology. Instead, I encourage you to focus on having a "smoke-free date," the day you reclaim your life. No more tobacco shackles.
The day you begin your smoke-free life is the day you start to regain those things you've sacrificed for the cigarette: time, money, intimacy, smelling good, excellent health, freedom. This is what you want to focus on when you plan to make new choices that don't involve smoking.
So how do you identify a good date?
It's important to know yourself, your triggers, your responses to being without the cigarette and what you can do to manage them, and who will support you along the way. Consider the following:
- Is it better for you to stop smoking on a work day? Or on a day off?
- Is there anything particularly stressful that you anticipate happening on or around that date?
- Who are the people you will spend time with on your first smoke-free day?
- How will you keep yourself occupied?
- What are specific alternatives you plan to use in response to each trigger?
- Do you have enough time to prepare in advance by getting any tobacco cessation medications and stocking up on the alternatives that will help you manage your triggers?
Try to be as specific as you can when making your game plan for the first few days and weeks of being smoke-free. The main thing to remember is to set yourself up for success as you make the transition to becoming a non-smoker for good.
Please share your tips for success.
4 comments posted
January 4, 2010 1:25 p.m.
I've tried just about every method there is out there and there is only one I can recommend - NLP! It eliminates the cravings. Gum patches and all the other just did not cut it for me, not to mention cold turkey which was the hardest, I even tried the electric cig and it is just no match to the real thing. Check out this article: http://quit-smoking-today.bestof-the-net.com/
it’s the one that got me off the cigs and smoke free for GOOD even without gaining weight! :) Good luck kicking the habit! J. - jeremy
November 17, 2009 6:54 p.m.
Hi, I'm a student at Metro State of Denver. I'm researching a new product possibility; the product would be a "Quit Smoking" aide that offers a stepping down approach. I am a former smoker myself but I'm addicted to Commit lozenges and they contain nicotine. I would still buy them if they had zero mg of nicotine but they don't offer that. I would like to market a product that does. Anyways, I made this survey for my research project and it would really help me if anyone could take it [smokers, former smokers, and non-smokers are all welcome] Thanks so much. -- Casey Here's the link to the survey. http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/206243/r2zgt
- Casey
August 27, 2009 12:50 a.m.
I had tried several times setting a specific time to stop smoking. Hated it, never succeeded. Here is how I stopped: bought a nice cigarettcase, a mouthpiece with filter. Started by cutting cigarettes in half. Smoked same amount of times a day. After about two months I cut them i three. Smoked as often. When I was down to cutting them i four it felt ridiculous and I eventually stopped. No withdrawal symptoms at all!!! And I was a really heavy smoker! Good luck!
- Gerd
August 26, 2009 12:19 p.m.
A real life success Story: I, born on 21 February, 1938, started casual smoking at my age of 19 after joining Medical College as a student in 1956, became a chain smoker by 1969, smoking 10x6=60 cigarettes a day. I did my medical graduation in 1961, Doctorate in 1970-71 and quit smoking for 7 months in early1974.I started smoking again during my stay at the then SOVIET UNION as a Senior Fellow of WHO mainly because of loneliness and free supply of cigarettes by USSR authorities (although they did not taste well). I finally QUIT SMOKING on 7th March, 1975, and have not smoked a single puff since that date. The decision was on a silly ground of raised Tax on cigarettes in the proposed Budget of the Government. Decision was easy but to execute it was difficult. DETERMINATION was the key word for me. I used Chewing-gum, Clove, etc. but no tobacco-product. All efforts of my friends to derail me failed and I succeeded to overcome the problems in about three months. Since then I am a campaigner against smoking and all forms of tobacco. I feel happy when people around me admires me of my DETERMINATION, DEDICATION and SUCCESS in war against my own addiction. It should be easier these days with much of publicity about ill effects of smoking and tobacco, the strict laws, supportive medical fraternity extending all help.Dear smokers, my appeal to you all is to have confidence on yourself. When I could QUIT smoking, any one can QUIT.
- Dr. J.
4 comments posted