- With Mayo Clinic behavioral counselor
Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
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
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Quit smoking blog
-
Sept. 23, 2009
Blog: Quitting smoking takes an inner-outer world shift
By Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
When undergoing a personal transformation so profound as stopping smoking, it takes time for your "interior world" to catch up with this external change. Becoming smoke-free isn't something that happens on your quit date. It's a process that begins the day you first contemplate the idea and concludes the day you internalize your identity as a non-smoker.
Many people anticipate instant results. They think withdrawal will be done in a few days and that after a week they'll be comfortable without cigarettes. However, the inner world of your thoughts and your emotions has to undergo a great deal in order to catch up when your outer world shifts so quickly.
Don't run astray by expecting too much too soon. When you go smoke-free you're changing your entire reality; it's not just about giving up the cigarette. Everything has to shift — your patterns, your beliefs, your self-image. Your inner life has to be deconstructed and rebuilt. That process is different for everyone. For some it may require staying busy, but for others it could call for a personal retreat.
Give yourself permission to take the time you need for quiet and self-care:
- Read
- Write
- Listen to music
- Sit in silence
- Exercise your body
- Dive into a creative hobby
- Rediscover your passions
Be gentle with yourself as your inner world changes. So many people become restless and impatient, because they think their thoughts and emotions should keep pace with the abrupt shift from their familiar outer world to a new, uncharted reality. More often than not, you need to embrace the quiet hours before you can awaken to a new dawn.
Do you have other ideas to share about making this change?
9 comments posted
November 28, 2009 3:39 p.m.
This product helped me quit smoking www.greensmoke.us
- Greg
November 17, 2009 6:52 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
November 1, 2009 7:15 p.m.
I am four months a non-smoker after approx. 25 yrs avg. one pack a day. I don't think about smoking every second of the day now but continue to feel sad with frequent crying. I have put on a considerable amount of weight, 20 pounds and understand what I need to do to address that matter. I tend to have dealt with the initial weeks and months of quitting by retreating, almost total withdrawl. I'm pushing myself to get out etc. but feel most days all I can handle is functioning for work. Still feel lots of anxious and depressive feelings. I guess I'm wondering if others have such depression, anxiety and coping difficulties after four months. I'm not taking any medication. Started supplement Sam-E said to be good for better mood. Taking for 12 days and not sure notice any difference. (Takes 7-14days) to feel per instructions. I'm hanging in but wonder if quit smoking has uncovered deeper mood problem that has been self medicated via smoking all these years.
- Mardi
September 30, 2009 11:34 p.m.
Erin, I agree with Lexie. I bet our prejudice against races also. My mother once said we were the new black man. She's been dead for 17 years and it was getting bad then. I don't see how you can live with yourself, peacefully, anyhow.
- Mike
September 29, 2009 4:48 p.m.
Grow up, Erin, and get a life! Smoking is one of the strongest addictions there is and akin to cocaine addiction. The quitting process is very very difficult. If smokers bother you so...get away from them!
- Lexie
September 29, 2009 3:53 p.m.
Talk about over-generalizing. You're a loser, Erin. I'd take those smokers over your attitude any day. We were all sucked (no pun intended) into this lousy habit and it's tough to quit.
- Kathy
September 28, 2009 6:19 p.m.
Instant results don't just happen, that's for sure. Re-directing my habits have helped me. I've taken up walking to work and back. Eating more fruit. And probably just eating too much. I've gained some weight but I'll have to worry about that another time. Stopping smoking is a commitment and as everyone knows, commitments can be hard to keep.
- Brady
September 28, 2009 2:41 p.m.
I quit smoking several years ago and found that every time I engaged in an activity I linked with smoking (like EVERYTHING) for the first time after I quit, even months later, I felt a pang of a craving. Your statement is right on reguarding the miriad of changes involved. It's not just as simple as setting a quit day and it's done. It is a very strong addiction to a very powerful drug. I suppose people don't understand this just as there are those who don't understand alcoholism and drug (illegal and prescription) addiction.
- Germaine
September 26, 2009 8:10 a.m.
I don't like smokers. They smell. They litter. Secondhand smokes kills. Those who smoke in public should be sent to prison.
- erin
9 comments posted