- 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.
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