Once you've quit smoking, encountering smoking triggers in your day to day life is something that is inadvertent. After all, there is no dearth of examples pointing to trigger situations leading to ex-smokers lighting up again. As a result, if you expect to remain smoke free for the remainder of your life, it becomes crucial that you identify trigger situations that can cause you to light up, and things you can do to tide over such instances.
Start Before You Quit:
A good way to combat trigger situations is by addressing them even before you actually quit smoking. Here's how you can make this work. First, start by identifying situations which make you like up. This could be lighting up as soon as you get up, smoking whilst in the loo, smoking with your morning tea, smoking whilst driving, etc. The next step is to wilfully avoid smoking in such situations, and since you are still smoking, this disassociation really shouldn't be very hard.
Once you quit smoking, you would already have a fair amount of control in combating these particular trigger situations.
Different Strokes for Different Blokes:
As with most things in life, this age old saying holds true in this aspect of our lives as well. After all, not every smoker gives in to the same trigger situations. This makes it important for you to identity your own trigger situations. A good way of doing this is to make an actual physical list of such situations. With this list in hand, you will know just what can get you to light up again, and you can take appropriate measures to steer clear of such situations as and when possible.
Easier Said than Done:
This, of course, sounds much easier in theory than in practise. After all, if dealing with trigger situations was really easy, there would be hardly any cases of relapses, although that clearly is not the case. This, though, does not mean that you do not prepare yourself for what lies ahead. Know that while combating trigger situations might not really be easy, if you work in preparing yourself accordingly, you do increase your chances of remaining smoke free by a considerable margin.
Common Trigger Situations:
While trigger situations do wary from smoker to smoker, there are certain triggers which have been found to be fairly common, and here's a list.
€ Whilst drinking (tea, coffee, or alcohol)
€ Whilst driving
€ Whilst on the phone
€ After sex
€ Looking at someone else smoke (in real life or on screen)
€ During breaks at work
€ When stressed
Things You can Do:
Once you've identified situations which can trigger you to light up, the next step is to look for alternatives which can help you tide through your momentary cravings (yes, the cravings, more often than not, pass quite quickly). These alternatives could include taking a small walk, eating a healthy snack, and even going through your reasons of wanting to quit smoking in the first place.
In addition, you also have help in the form of various alternatives like nicotine replacement therapy, various medication programs, and alterative means like hypnosis and yoga to help you combat your trigger situations and help you remain smoke free.
Start Before You Quit:
A good way to combat trigger situations is by addressing them even before you actually quit smoking. Here's how you can make this work. First, start by identifying situations which make you like up. This could be lighting up as soon as you get up, smoking whilst in the loo, smoking with your morning tea, smoking whilst driving, etc. The next step is to wilfully avoid smoking in such situations, and since you are still smoking, this disassociation really shouldn't be very hard.
Once you quit smoking, you would already have a fair amount of control in combating these particular trigger situations.
Different Strokes for Different Blokes:
As with most things in life, this age old saying holds true in this aspect of our lives as well. After all, not every smoker gives in to the same trigger situations. This makes it important for you to identity your own trigger situations. A good way of doing this is to make an actual physical list of such situations. With this list in hand, you will know just what can get you to light up again, and you can take appropriate measures to steer clear of such situations as and when possible.
Easier Said than Done:
This, of course, sounds much easier in theory than in practise. After all, if dealing with trigger situations was really easy, there would be hardly any cases of relapses, although that clearly is not the case. This, though, does not mean that you do not prepare yourself for what lies ahead. Know that while combating trigger situations might not really be easy, if you work in preparing yourself accordingly, you do increase your chances of remaining smoke free by a considerable margin.
Common Trigger Situations:
While trigger situations do wary from smoker to smoker, there are certain triggers which have been found to be fairly common, and here's a list.
€ Whilst drinking (tea, coffee, or alcohol)
€ Whilst driving
€ Whilst on the phone
€ After sex
€ Looking at someone else smoke (in real life or on screen)
€ During breaks at work
€ When stressed
Things You can Do:
Once you've identified situations which can trigger you to light up, the next step is to look for alternatives which can help you tide through your momentary cravings (yes, the cravings, more often than not, pass quite quickly). These alternatives could include taking a small walk, eating a healthy snack, and even going through your reasons of wanting to quit smoking in the first place.
In addition, you also have help in the form of various alternatives like nicotine replacement therapy, various medication programs, and alterative means like hypnosis and yoga to help you combat your trigger situations and help you remain smoke free.
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