About Steve Gardiner

Stephen Gardiner originates from Rhodesia, (Zimbabwe) then working around the globe before finally settling in Brisbane Australia. As a scientist, Steve always had an interest in human development, especially Mind Plastisicity and how we cope with stress, anxiety and addictive behaviours. Over the past 15 years Steve has assisted many clients to transform their lives by resolving the obstacles holding them back.

Entries by Steve Gardiner

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

When people come to us at Quit Smoking in 60 Minutes in Capalaba we ask them to list the benefits that they will get from quitting. Here are some of them:
• Breathe easier
• More Energy
• Live Longer
• Better quality of a future life
• More in control of their lives
• Will be around for their children and grandchildren
• More money
• Able to socialise with whomever they want whenever they want
• Less inconvenience
• Smell fresher
• Don’t have to lie about smoking
• More time and more efficient
• Better health
There are many more benefits to be gained by quitting. The list above is by […]

Vaping and Young Smokers

Vaping and Young Smokers

Our Kids are getting sucked into Vaping.  Vaping and youth smokers are a national problem.

The World Health Organisation has just come out with a recommendation that electronic cigarettes are harmful. In the past, they endorsed electronic cigarettes as there was not enough evidence that it is harmful.  BUT Now we have had the deaths of several young kids.  Many children are starting to vape at primary school.  Some are as young as eight years old.

The electronic cigarette is just another way to deliver nicotine to the body, and anybody who thinks nicotine is not harmful is deluding themselves. Nicotine is […]

I’m Afraid To Quit

I’m Afraid To Quit

A lot of people that come to see us at Quit Smoking in 60 Minutes in Capalaba say that they are afraid or fearful about quitting smoking.
They see smoking as almost a friend: it’s always there for them and they have been doing it for a long time. What will they do if they do not have smoking?
Let’s look at this and the cost to you of thinking like this. Firstly it’s like a friend and it’s always there. If I was to offer you a deal in life where I would benefit but you would get nothing would you […]

Who Knew There Is Sugar In Cigarettes!

Who Knew There Is Sugar In Cigarettes!

Yes there is. This is why quite frequently when you quit smoking smoking you have a need to eat sweets, it has caused an addiction to sugar, not nicotine. Sugar also it hides the bitter taste of the nicotine which is NOT addictive. Have you ever heard of anyone addicted to Nicotine patches? I think not…An interesting point. According to studies, the long term quitting success rate of nicotine patches can be as low as 1.6%, yet it is promoted as an ‘effective’ means of quitting smoking. (Would you use a condom as an ‘effective’ means of birth control and […]

You Set Your Boundaries

When we are born, we all have the same abilities. If this is so why do some of us rise to the top of success and others of us do not? The answer is that we set the boundaries of what we can and cannot do. These boundaries are set from the moment we are born and they are often a result of fear.
Fear is both a positive and negative thing. It sets the flight response in us and gets us to move away from a potentially dangerous situation, or it can paralyse us and prevent us from reaching greater […]

Is Smoking Addictive?

Are you too physically addicted to cigarettes to free yourself from them?
Usually, you start smoking when you are young and at first you own smoking and you can quit anytime. However, bit by bit smoking starts to own you and eventually it does and many of us feel as if it is now an addiction. The tobacco companies and the perception of society reinforce this.
Most people have tried to quit smoking but have not succeeded, and this reinforces the perception of smoking being an addiction. It’s not just stopping smoking that’s important, but how you stop.
A Russian psychologist named Pavlov […]

Tipping Point

It’s important to have reached the tipping point when you want to quit smoking. Not the physical tipping point where your body has been damaged, and you need to quit! The mental tipping point is when you feel ready, the point when your want to outweighs your need to.
A lot of people come to me to quit smoking, but they have been motivated by the things that are going on in their lives. Their lives are out of balance from things such as marriage failure, anxiety and stress etc.
In situations such as this, you need to balance your life. The […]

Does Smoking Relax You?

Does a cigarette really relax you?  The facts are the opposite.  A cigarette actually causes more stress!

The heart of a smoker works so much harder, beating up to 10 000 extra beats every day as it struggles to pump the blood around the body because the arteries become blocked, restricted and clogged. Are you suffering from cold feet? It is because it does not receive enough blood.  This is why smokers have high blood pressure and increased risk of blood clots – because the heart has to work so hard to get the thickened blood through the veins and arteries. The effect […]

Facts about Smoking and Your Mental Health

Surprising Facts about Smoking and Your Mental Health

You probably know that quitting smoking reduces your risk for lung cancer, emphysema, and other physical ailments. However, you might be surprised to learn how much it can do for your mental health.  A recent review of research to date found that giving up the tobacco habit promotes positive feelings and mental wellbeing. More specifically, the study found a 24% lower risk of developing anxiety and depression and a 44% reduced risk of developing anxiety alone.  These psychological benefits are another compelling reason to say goodbye to cigarettes. Find out more about how smoking affects […]

How to stop your suicidal habit of smoking

Smoking is a suicidal habit that can lead to an early and miserable death.  It is like playing Russian Roulette and wondering when the bullet will hit you because it is inevitable!  Almost everybody I see wants to quit smoking because their health is deteriorating.

Suicidal Habit of Smoking

One woman wanted to quit smoking cigarettes when she realised she was looking older than her younger friends.  She was only 36 years old and she was right.  Another man hated the control cigarettes and smoking had over him.  The side effects of smoking creep up on you.  Suddenly you find you don’t […]