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Where to get help ...
Trying to quit?
Here's help.
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E Cards
Send a tobacco-free message.
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Message Boards
Share stories and opinions.
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Gear
Tobacco-free rewards.
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III. TAKING CONTROL
WHEN YOU QUIT: SIX THINGS TO DO
WHEN OTHERS SMOKE AROUND YOU
IF YOU DRINK ALCOHOL
MANAGING STRESS
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Evaluate how well your strategies are working, and revise them as needed.
At least once a day in the first week, take a good look at your plan. Did the triggers you predicted come up? If so, did you use our strategies? Ask yourself how well they're working and whether you need to change them. For some situations, you may need to add new strategies. If so, write them into your plan.
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Try to predict any new triggers, and plan strategies for them.
Look ahead at the days to come. Are any new situations coming up that might make you want to smoke? If so, plan strategies for them, as you did for the other triggers. Write them into you plan, too.
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Use your new strategies.
As the trigger situations come up, put your new or revised strategies into action, along with the old strategies that are still working.
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Remind yourself why you're quitting.
When you're dealing with triggers and withdrawal symptoms, it's easy to lose sight of why you're quitting. Keep your motivation up by repeating your main reason, over and over.
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Reward yourself!
Give yourself a reward for each milestone you pass. It can be big or small - it just needs to be meaningful to you. What kind of reward will help you feel proud of yourself for quitting? Treat yourself well so you don't feel deprived.
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When you're quitting, being around others who are smoking can be a big trigger - especially if they're people you used to smoke with. Realistically, your quitting may not be as important to them as it is to you. They may not even realize that they're making it harder for you. Seeing them smoke, finding their pack lying around, being offered a cigarette - these common situations that can trip you up. But having a plan will help you get through these situations without smoking. Here are some suggestions to try:
- Have something for you hands and mouth to do. Chew on something - gum, a toothpick, or a straw. Drink water. Fiddle with something.
- Avoid people who smoke. Stay away from people who smoke whenever possible, especially for the first few weeks.
- Picture success. If you can't avoid being where others are smoking, picture the scene ahead of time. Visualize yourself doing the things that nonsmokers do.
- Make agreements. Ask your family and friends not to smoke around you, not to leave their cigarettes out, and not to give you any, even if you ask.
- Create a no-smoking zone. If you live with people who smoke, make smoking off-limits inside the home. If that's not possible, create at least one smoke-free area for yourself.
- Remind yourself why you're quitting. Tell others. Say it over and over in your head. Carry a reminder with you - a note, a picture, or something else that will help you stay motivated.
- Assert yourself. Stand by your decision not to smoke, and don't let others debate it. Say "No" like you mean it.
- Walk away. If you get caught in a place with smokers and find yourself craving a cigarette, excuse yourself until the urge passes. Go outside or to another room.
Drinking alcohol when you're quitting smoking can be a big challenge, for two reasons:
- Alcohol is a trigger.
- For many, drinking and smoking just seem to go together.
Alcohol lowers your inhibitions. It makes you more likely to ignore the strategies you planned. And, it makes you more likely to do something impulsive, like bum a cigarette.
For these reasons, it's best to avoid alcohol for the first few weeks of quitting. Even afterward, be careful when you're drinking alcohol, especially where others are smoking.
Like anything else that is harmful to the body, smoking causes stress. But, like all lifestyle changes, quitting smoking can also cause stress, at least for the first few weeks. Stress can be a big trigger when you're quitting, so it's important to know how to handle it.
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What can you do to manage stress? |
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Get plenty of sleep. |
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Do something you enjoy every day. |
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Set realistic goals. |
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Don't put things off. |
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Ask for help. |
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Don't take on more responsibilities than you can handle. |
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Enjoy the small pleasures in life, like a nice sunset. |
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Avoid long lines, heavy traffic, and other stressful situations. |
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Choose to be around supportive people. |
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Take time to laugh. |
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Eat well and drink lots of water. |
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Talk with others about your problems - don't keep you feelings bottled up. |
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Close your eyes and do some deep breathing. |
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Keep a journal. |
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Get some physical activity every day. |
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Take a long bath or shower. |
You may not be able to control all the sources of stress in your life. But you can control how you respond to them.
Continue to Staying in Control
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