“This time I am going to do it for sure”. How many times have you said this to yourself after you stubbed out that supposedly “last cigarette”? Welcome to reality, it is difficult to quit unless you plan well and stick to the plan steadfastly. However, it is not impossible at all and studies show that in many countries the numbers of ex-smokers outnumber smokers. With a bit of planning and resolve you can work this through. In this article we will be discussing some of the common mistakes to avoid after you have taken the first step towards quitting.
Stop being impatient
Many of us think that the craving will go away instantaneously and grow impatient after only a few days when the craving persists. In fact, the first few days are the most difficult and withdrawal symptoms like irritation, anxiety, nausea, etc. are also the highest during the initial 2-3 days. Smoking is usually a habit we have been carrying over a substantial period of time, at times for decades. Breaking away from such old habits will take time and wishing it to go away in a jiffy will not help.
In such circumstances be patient, sit back and relax. Give yourself some time to think and reflect on why you wanted to quit, remind yourself of all the good things that would be there when you permanently distance yourself from nicotine and its grip.
Stay away from the reward cigarette
In the initial days of the quitting process many of us feel like “rewarding” ourselves after a few hours/days of staying away. We feel now that we have shown such resolve for so long, we deserve a small reward of permitting ourselves just that “one” cigarette before we again go back to the quit plan. Stop. Think. Resist. This “one” slip will spoil all your hard work and restraint for the past so many hours/days. Think of some other rewards like buying a nice book that you have wanted to read for sometime, going for a movie, going to a relaxing spa for a nice massage, etc.
Stay away from alcohol
We all know that alcohol is one of the strongest triggers to the urge to smoke. Try avoiding social gatherings and places where you will be expected to drink for the first few days of the quit plan. The early days are treacherous and with alcohol to weaken your resolve, there are very high chances of you giving up on a plan that you have been working so methodically for so long. If you have an event which involves alcohol that you just can’t avoid, then have a prior plan thought out on how you will manage to go through the event keeping it smoke free. Take heart, though, with passing time it will be much easier to drink without triggering your nicotine cravings and then you can happily go back to your usual social scene.
Avoid going for the smoke break with your colleagues
It was part of your everyday routine, taking a smoke break at work to escape the stress and pressure for sometime. Now that you have stopped smoking, do not accompany your colleagues to the break. With all of them smoking, it will only make your craving more acute and your resolve weaker. Instead, try looking for other activities as a break, like going to the office library to check out on the magazines, or if you were used to multiple smoke breaks, put all of them together for a longer stint at the office gym, if you have one.
Stop thinking that you can smoke one cigarette a day
Many a times we feel that if we cut down and just have one, two cigarettes for the day, we will be able to gradually phase it out. That never happens. Soon enough we allow ourselves three, four up from one and then it is higher with passing days. Remember that if you want to quit, you have to give it up completely. No one cigarette, two cigarette policy will ultimately work. If quitting suddenly is an issue, take time, prepare a quit plan and then give up completely on an appointed day with a strong resolve to stick to your plan.
Don’t let friends convince you that a slip once in a while for old times’ sake is alright
The most common slip that happens for some of us while on a quit plan is when we are with friends who are smokers. Our stories, association and memories are so ingrained with nicotine that we strongly miss it when we are with them and at such times our friends can very easily convince us to allow ourselves the privilege of “one smoke” for old times’ sake. Resist strongly and advocate how the memories and friendship is as strong without the need for nicotine to bind it together. Instead of being convinced with your friends’ logic, impress them with yours and start them on a path towards quitting as well.
Try to avoid circumstances and situations that will aggravate anger, frustration, anxiety, etc. in the initial days
One of the most common circumstances that break down our resolve to quit is when we are angry, frustrated or tensed. Such state of mind acts as a trigger and we look for the comfort of the age old habit as both psychological and physiological cravings for nicotine taking a front seat in our thoughts. As we feel let down, negativity abounds, we let go the resolve to be positive and try to get back at negative with being negative. “All my positive resolve is being rewarded like this, why should I keep my side of the bargain?” thoughts like this take us dangerously close to giving up. The strategy is to avoid and dodge situations that might lead to such anger, frustration, etc. When such situations are not under our control, a good strategy would be to try doing something physical to dissipate the stress and frustration. For example, going to the gym and working out helps a lot to bring down stress levels. You can also think of going for a run or jog or taking a half hour break to do yoga to calm your mind. If you are not really the exercise yoga kind, try taking a walk to your neighborhood café and sipping on some refreshing drink to cool you down. Eventually the “pent up” state will subside and you will be more in control of yourself to help you stick to the plan.
Don’t be negative about past failures to quit
Don’t be a prey to negativity when you are out to prove to yourself that you can. Don’t be too harsh on yourself and start lamenting for those years or months that you kept smoking or the earlier failed attempts at quitting. Think of the failed attempts as learning experiences and avoid the pitfalls that you succumbed to during such earlier attempts. Take heart and be happy about the proactive step that you have taken to bring about a positive change in your life. Keep a list of all the good and positive things about quitting nicotine handy and go through them from time to time to help keep the spirit and resolve high. With time and resolve it will all be yours to feel, experience and live.
Don’t be hesitant to ask for help when you need
Quitting is difficult for most of us smokers, but the degree of difficulty varies from people to people. Some are able to quit without taking help from professional programs, therapy and counseling, while some others need it. Statistics has shown that the long term success rates are much higher when quitting efforts are accompanied by a healthy support system of family, friends, professional help, medication and counseling. However, this doesn’t mean that you will always need professional help since there have been many who have done it by themselves, which again doesn’t make them more “capable” than others who didn’t. Situations and degree of addiction varies widely from one person to the other and so do the needs and processes. You should not hesitate to ask for help if you feel that you are not being able to complete the cycle all by yourself. It is always helpful to be surrounded by people who care, people who know and people who have experience in dealing with the process.
The final say
Quitting smoking is a process that takes time and small but persistent efforts to bring positive change to our life. It is difficult but not unachievable at all. If we make quitting a part of our “habit” and just take this challenge one day at a time, it is only a matter of time before we feel rejuvenated, strong and free again.