- 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
- Focus on gratitude, not craving a cigarette
Nov. 24, 2009
- Join the Great American Smokeout
Nov. 17, 2009
- Preparation key to quitting smoking
Nov. 5, 2009
- Learning to be a non-smoker
Oct. 23, 2009
- Build confidence in effort to go smoke-free
Oct. 16, 2009
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Quit smoking blog
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Oct. 1, 2009
Goal-setting helps smooth way to smoke-free future
By Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
When planning to stop smoking, applying goal-setting strategies can help you create doable steps while preparing for your smoke-free date.
Effective goal-setting involves not just saying what you want to accomplish, but actually planning what to do, how much of it and by when. Your goals should be achievable for you and realistic within your normal routine. By setting measurable goals, you can tell whether or not you achieved them.
Vague goals, which neglect the planning stage, can leave your ambitions hanging somewhere out in the future, without your moving closer to them. The image that comes to my mind is of a donkey following a carrot on a stick that is dangled in front of it. No matter how much or how far the donkey walks, it never gets any closer to the carrot. By setting goals and effectively planning, you create strategies to "reach the carrot."
In the process of preparing to stop smoking, I find some people have more success if they break it down and start by creating small goals along the way. Below is an example of how this might look:
Goal: Stop smoking in my car
Date (by when): Oct. 15
Planning (what to do):
- Buy substitutes: 1 bag of suckers, 10 packs of chewing gum, a stress ball and an audio book.
- Stock the car with substitutes on Oct. 14.
- Plan alternate routes to drive to regular destinations by Oct. 14.
- Buy air freshener and begin using on Oct. 15.
- Empty ashtrays and remove lighters on Oct. 15.
Once the first goal is accomplished (which you will know by Oct. 15), you can focus on the next aspect of moving toward your smoke-free date. Goal-setting and well-planned "baby steps" will support your transformation from smoker to non-smoker and make it more sustainable over the long haul.
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