Summarize the following:
You’re hopefully not smoking anymore if you’re chewing nicotine gum. But, you are still addicted to nicotine and its stimulant effects. That means cravings. Physical cravings usually last less than five minutes, so try to wait them out by distracting yourself, delaying the urge, or engaging in an activity. Try out coping mechanisms and find one that works for you.   One tip is to take 10 deep breaths (or count to 10), walk to the sink for a glass of cold water, and slowly drink it until the craving passes. Try going for a walk, washing dishes, cleaning, or gardening. Call a friend for support or meditate. Alternatively, keep an interesting book with you. Pick up the book with a pen or highlighter and read when you feel a craving, taking notes and occupying your mind. You might be surprised to learn that only a small number of nicotine gum users meet the standard of physical addiction. This doesn’t mean you don’t have a habit, and some users do get withdrawal symptoms. But it’s more likely that your habit is psychological. You might be chewing because you feel anxious, nervous, or out of sorts without it.  Constant chewing of nicotine gum may be an oral fixation for you. Try something else in its place, like gum without nicotine or a peppermint. Try chewing on ice shards, mastic gum (made from plant resin), or honeycomb. You can also engage your mouth by eating a healthy snack. Chew on some carrots, celery, or cucumber. Keep in mind that chewing tobacco is NOT a good alternative, as it has many of the same cancer-causing ingredients as cigarettes. The human brain is crafty and can justify just about anything. You may find yourself thinking, “What’s the harm in just one piece today?” This is a rationalization and can derail your efforts to quit. Learn to spot these thoughts and suppress them.  A rationalization is an excuse. It is an attempt to create reasons for doing something you know, deep-down, you really shouldn’t do. It is a form of self-deception. Watch out for rationalizations like, “What’s the harm in just one?” “I’m in control; I can stop any time I want,” “Today is an exception, I’m having a really stressful day,” or “Chewing is my only way of coping.” When you recognize a rationalization, remind yourself why you want to quit chewing in the first place. Review your reasons. Write them down and carry them in your pocket, if need be. Studies show that regular exercise can reduce the negative effects of nicotine withdrawal. Working out will blunt your cravings and release feel-good endorphins, but also focus your mind on the activity and away from the gum. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise.  Do exercises you enjoy. This might be walking, running, swimming, cycling, or weight training. Consider joining an exercise class, like yoga, pilates, or aerobic dance. You might even take up a team sport in a rec league, like basketball, hockey, or softball. Everyone who’s hooked on nicotine knows that they have weak moments — things, experiences, places, or people that will trigger your craving for nicotine. And certain times and places are worse than others. Do you have more cravings when you’re with smoker friends, for example, or socializing at a bar? These are your high-risk situations.  These triggers could cause you not only to chew gum when you're trying to quit, but even start smoking again. Avoid, avoid, avoid. Spend your work breaks somewhere else if you get cravings while your friends smoke. If you get cravings at bars, go out less frequently or find alternate venues like coffee shops. Do you have the urge to chew after meals? Since you still have to eat, consider chewing on a toothpick instead. If you find you want to chew or smoke when you're stressed, bored, or anxious, it is important you find more productive ways to relieve these feelings. Try journaling about how you are feeling to relieve anxiety. Pick up a new hobby to prevent boredom and keep your brain occupied so you don't have time to think about cravings.

summary: Wait out cravings. Find a substitute for gum. Learn to spot and reject rationalizations. Exercise regularly. Avoid high-risk situations.


Summarize the following:
Calculating EOL assumes first that there are two or more events that may happen, and, for each event, two or more possible courses of action that you could take. You need to begin by listing each event and each course of action that you could choose. For this first step, simply make two columns, headed “Events” and “Actions,” and write your options under each one. For example, suppose you are the head of a marketing department and you must choose between two advertising campaigns for a new product. One is a gradual introduction into the market and the other is a more extreme approach. These are your two “Actions,” which can be designated algebraically as A1 and A2. You do not know whether demand will be high or low. These represent the two “Events,” which can be designated algebraically as E1 and E2. A payoff table is a grid that schematically illustrates your events and actions. Across the top row, labeled “Alternative Courses of Action,” write down the names of your two actions. In a column on the right, label it “Events” and list the events that could occur.  For the marketing example, your top row will have two columns labeled “Gradual” and “Extreme.” The first column of your payoff table will have the heading “Events.” Under this heading, fill in the labels “High demand” and “Low demand.” Because this particular payoff table had two events and two actions, there should be four blank spaces in the table. You will fill these with data as you proceed. You will need to make some assumptions or otherwise provide data for the calculations to come. These data will need to come from your knowledge of the field, from marketing research, or any other reliable sources that you use. For the marketing example, assume that research informs you that a gradual marketing campaign in a low demand market will generate a profit of $1 million, while an extreme marketing campaign in a low demand market will create a loss of $5 million. Additionally, you predict that if demand is high, a gradual campaign will create a profit of $4 million, while an extreme campaign in a high demand market will general a profit of $10 million. These assumptions or predictions represent the data that you will use to continue calculating the EOL. Notice that each of the four blank spaces in the table correspond to some combination of events and actions. Use your predicted or assumed values to complete the blank table. Given the marketing example, the upper left space represents a gradual campaign in a low demand market. Fill in this space with the corresponding value of 1 (you can count in millions for this problem). The second space on the top row represents an extreme campaign in a low demand, with a value of -5. The negative number represents a predicted financial loss.  The bottom row should be filled in with 4 and 10, respectively. This completed grid is your payoff table for this problem.
summary: Make a list of possible events and courses of action. Create a payoff table. Gather data from research. Enter the data into the table.