Why Do You Smoke?
Identify and understand the reasons why you smoke and you will find it easier to form a personal quit smoking action plan.
Don't underestimate the value of this important step. The process will help you develop practical solutions for combating many of the issues you will face while quitting. For example withdrawal symptoms and coping with stress.
The most common reasons smokers give for smoking are:
- Pleasure: 'I enjoy smoking', 'Relaxation'
- For a boost: Mental or physical
- Habit: The being used to doing things while smoking
- Addiction: to satisfy nicotine cravings
- Peer/Social: Pressure or to feel part of the crowd
- Emotion: Feelings such as stress, anger, upset, anxiety etc.
Beginnings Of Your Quit Smoking Action Plan
To get a good idea of what makes YOU smoke, think about the reasons above every time you light a cigarette for the next couple of days.
It is also useful to rate how much you need each of them e.g
1. I don't really need it
2. I need it
3. I have to have one
Keep records in a notebook and tally how many cigarettes you could have gone without and how many you really needed to smoke. You will begin to see which cigarettes you are likely to miss the most.
Try to picture yourself in the same situations without a cigarette.
With just a little perseverance the cigarettes you rated with a "1" should be quite easy to eliminate. Most likely the cigarettes rated "2" and "3" will also be the ones that will tempt you back to smoking once you have stopped.
Make a note of what specifically makes you want to smoke. Maybe something like:
"The cigarettes I really have to smoke are through habit, first thing in the morning and after meals".
Write it down on the sheet of paper you started in tip 1 and number it 2.
Develop Your Plan
If you want to quit smoking, it will mean life without cigarettes. If you can 'consistently defeat each and every urge to smoke' you will succeed.
The notes you have been making form the basis of your own quitting plan. Notes? You have been making them - right? If not visit: Quit Smoking Tip 1: Do you really want to?.
To develop your plan further let's cover all the bases by identifying the most common problem areas smokers give for not succeeding.
Next > Nicotine Addiction, Cravings & Withdrawal
