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Week 3
You may have noticed that smokers sometimes find themselves smoking without even being aware of lighting up. Over time most smokers build up many habits (even rituals) around smoking. After years of practice, these habits become automatic, and the situations associated with them become triggers for smoking.
Get Your Finger on Your Triggers
It's a good idea to make a list of your smoking triggers. One way to do this is to notice what’s going on when you have urges to smoke. As you identify your triggers, you can make effective plans to manage them. Common triggers include:
Emotions
especially negative ones, like: anger or irritation; depression, sadness or loneliness; anxiety or nervousness; guilt or embarrassment; and boredom.
Places
like being in your car; working at your desk; or sitting in a favorite chair.
Times
when you first wake up; when you finish eating a meal; or during breaks.
Events
like celebrating with friends; drinking coffee or alcohol; talking on the phone; working (do you smoke to concentrate?); or even being intimate.
Taming Your Triggers
There are three general approaches. Be creative as you find solutions that will work for you.
Avoid Unnecessary Exposure
There is no need to place yourself in a position where you are likely to have urges and will have to use willpower or take other actions to keep from smoking. If possible, stay away from triggers, especially at the beginning of your efforts to quit.
Change Locations
This kind of action will start to form a new habit and will eventually break the link between the trigger and the automatic urge to smoke.
Do Something Different... Anything!
Take a shower; listen to music; read a favorite book; eat a piece of fruit; use your product (especially in the beginning). Again, you will be forming a new habit in response to the trigger.
Be sure that you don't run out of your product. It's as close as your nearest store!