29/06/2026
Why smoking made perfect sense
(Bear with me here… I know smoking isn’t a “healthy choice.”)
A client came to see me feeling really frustrated. He had a healthy diet, exercised regularly, practised mindfulness. He was also a senior leader in a secondary school and wanted to set a good example to his students.
But he couldn’t quit smoking. No matter what he tried, he kept on returning to it and it was driving him mad.
Our bodies rarely do things for no reason. As we explored further, it became clear that smoking was helping him regulate something.
In his relentless stressful life, smoking was five minutes of time out. He got to stand outside and have a moment of camaraderie with his smoker colleagues. Usually they had a bit of a laugh, or at least commiserated when things were really tough.
Was smoking ideal? No. But it was the best solution his system had found at that point in time.
The body always chooses the best available option from the choices it believes it has.
When we understand the need beneath the behaviour, change becomes much easier.
Compassion is often more effective than criticism.
Instead of asking "Why do I do this?" try asking "What need is this meeting?"
