Keeping On Track

The average smoker attempts to quit multiple times before quitting for good. It may feel like smoking is an addiction you cannot overcome but you can stay quit, no matter what your quit smoking journey throws at you. Here are a few more tips and tricks to help you stay on track.

Distraction

Distraction can be a powerful tool to help keep your nicotine cravings at bay. The key to distraction is to become so absorbed in a task that you no longer think about your nicotine craving. Some of these may include:

• Enjoy healthy snacks like carrot, celery, a piece of fruit or sugar-free snacks
• Drink plenty of water and take water with you when you’re on the go
• Take some deep breathes to calm yourself if stressed or anxious
• Keep your hands and mouth occupied e.g. with a ball or straw
• Chat to a friend
• Add some extra physical activity to your day to distract you, like joining a gym or going for a walk with friends
• Chew gum or mints
• Listen to music

See yourself as a non-smoker

If you are about to quit smoking, or you have just quit smoking, one big change is to see yourself as a non-smoker. It can really help to take on this view right from the beginning of your quitting process. When you call yourself a non-smoker , you begin to think and feel like a non-smoker. It might feel strange to do this after many years being a smoker but that's OK, the process takes time.

A great benefit of this strategy is that it may influence not just how you see yourself, but also how other people see you. If you respond to someone who offers you a cigarette by saying “No thanks, I don’t smoke”, it confirms that position to you and to those around you that you are a non-smoker.

Change your routines

One way to stay on track is to try and avoid situations that are likely to trigger a nicotine craving e.g. avoiding hanging around friends while they're smoking, or skipping after work drinks for a while.

Any small changes to your routine can have a beneficial effect as your body learns that smoking is no longer associated with a particular situation or event. Some examples may include taking a walk after dinner, or call a friend while drinking your coffee instead of smoking.

Reward yourself

When you smoke, nicotine activates the reward pathways in your brain, which is why so many smokers say they enjoy smoking.

As a smoker, you have practised activating your reward pathways with nicotine, and have also associated smoking with many other enjoyable activities too. Smoking often goes hand in hand with breaks and occasions of socialising and celebration. Many smokers will say that they typically smoke while drinking coffee, tea or alcohol, having fun socialising, after a meal, and when taking a break from work or study.

When you first begin your attempt to quit smoking, it might seem that the same activities will never be as enjoyable as a non-smoker. But in time, they will. 

In the meantime, it’s a great idea to reward yourself as you progress in your quitting journey.

For example, you can  treat yourself with the money you are saving by not buying cigarettes. You might consider trying a new activity or buying yourself something special.

Quick reference tips

For those times when you need a quick tip, you can print out the following 4Ds to refer to