Posts Tagged ‘urge to smoke’

7 Steps To Control Your Smoking Urge

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

It is a lengthy process to quit smoking. It can take you everything from a few weeks or months to several years. The exact time it takes you to quit can vary, but no matter what it is important that you have some kind of plan to fight against your urge to smoke.

Sooner or later you will feel a strong urge to smoke when you are in the quitting phase. And the way you handle those situations will decide the success factor. When you are prepared with a plan for the urge to smoke, your willpower will be stronger and you can continue your path towards a life without smoking.

Take the time to decide exactly when you typically smoke. For example, after meals, after a jog around the block, or even after your shower each morning. Knowing when you typically smoke will put you in a good position to create a plan to combat the urge.

Create a plan of attack. This could be something as simple as a stress ball for your hands, or even just a piece of hard candy to keep your mouth busy. If you really enjoy the taste and feeling of a clean mouth you could try brushing your teeth each time you want to smoke, or suck on a mint flavored candy, which will freshen your breath.

Avoid the temptations that lurk. If you go out to eat, make sure you are sitting in the no smoking area. Avoid going into tobacco stores, and also try to limit the amount of time you are around other smokers. If you are continuously around cigarettes, it will be much harder to resist temptation.

All smoking instruments must be removed. This is stuff like matches, lighters and ashtrays. Do also get rid of the smell of cigarettes; either by airing the room or using products like Febreeze. The smell of cigarettes can trigger your urge to smoke.

If you have a place where you typically smoke when you are at home, think about rearranging the area. If you are able to break the routine of the situation, you will be able to resist temptation much better. This works best if you always are in the habit of smoking in the exact same place, such as a living room looking out a window. If you move the chair to a different area of the room, or refocus the center of the room then you can help to avoid the temptation to smoke whenever you are sitting in the chair looking out the window.

Know your goal to quit smoking; and write it down. It might seem like a minor detail, but it can be a major step towards ensuring that you keep your focus on quitting smoking. If you just tell yourself in your head that you want to quit smoking, it will be much easier to cheat and give into the urge to start smoking again. With written goal, you will be more likely to follow them. This advice can also be used if you are trying to lose weight, exercise more etc. Goals on paper can improve responsibility radically.

Do never discount yourself. If you think you can succeed, you will actually be much closer to the success. It is important that you trust you can succeed, because it will help you fight the serious battles against the urge to smoke. It you decide to slip up again and again, you will find it much more difficult to get back on your feet. On the other hand if you hold on to your dedication to stop smoking you will see that each time the urge presents itself, it will be easier to handle.

Martin Elmer is writing about quitting your cigarettes and rygestop. You can also learn how to minimize your nicotine withdrawal symptoms with stop med at ryge products.

categories: quit smoking,stop smoking,smoking cessation,smoking,urge to smoke,cigarettes,withdrawal symptoms,nicotine,tobacco,motivation,willpower,goals,health,illness

Originally posted 2009-12-07 18:38:05.