Identify Smoking Triggers

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Identify Smoking Triggers

Identify Smoking Triggers

One of the most difficult aspects of quitting smoking is overcoming triggers - certain events or situations that give you the desire to smoke. Identifying these triggers, and determining how to overcome them, is one of the primary keys to quit smoking success.

One common smoking trigger is drinking, whether it is coffee, alcohol, or a soft drink. To help break your self of associating drinking with smoking, try to change something about the situation. Perhaps you always drink your coffee from a certain mug. Try drinking with a different one. Or, maybe you enjoy having a beer sitting outside on the porch. Try having your drink somewhere else in order to change your surroundings. Anything you can do to change the situation will help reduce the trigger effect of drinking and smoking.

You might even consider cutting down on your alcohol consumption, or giving it up altogether while you are trying to quit smoking. Your willpower is weakened when you drink, making it more likely you will slip up and have a cigarette.

Many smokers have the habit of having a cigarette as soon as they finish eating. This then is clearly a smoking trigger. Every time you finish a meal, you feel the desire to have a cigarette.

So try performing a different action after eating, such as going for a walk, or even doing a chore, such as washing the dishes as soon as you get up from the table. Anything to keep your mind and body occupied at that time will be a great help. Ideally, you should find another pleasurable activity to do immediately after eating so it will form a new, less destructive habit.

Riding or driving in a car has become a popular trigger for many smokers, particularly since smoking has been banned in so many other places. This has caused smokers to seek refuge, and a place to smoke, in their cars.

To help remove this trigger, remove all ashtrays from your vehicle. Or, fill the ashtrays with something else, such as potpourri. You might even write several reasons for quitting smoking on pieces of paper and fill your ashtray with them. Try playing your favorite music and singing along instead of smoking while driving in the car. Keep your windows closed while you drive so you're not tempted to simply smoke and throw your ash and butts out the window.

Many smokers get into the habit of having a cigarette while on the phone. If this is a trigger for you, try going to a different room than usual when talking on the phone. If this isn’t a possibility, such as in the workplace, keep small objects nearby to squeeze or play with in order to keep your hands occupied.

Being around other people who are smoking can make it especially difficult to stay away from cigarettes. This is partly due to the nicotine addiction, but it can be largely due to the trigger effect of the camaraderie of smoking with other smokers. So try staying away from designated smoking areas at work or from popular smoking gathering areas. Just taking breaks at work can often trigger a desire for a cigarette. So seek out people who don’t smoke at this time.

Parties and other social events with people who smoke can also make it difficult to quit smoking. Of course, it is ludicrous to expect yourself to avoid these events. But, you should avoid going outside with your friends when they have a cigarette. If smoking is permitted inside, or if it is an outdoor party, try to keep some distance from people who are smoking.

Other common smoking triggers include stress, sex, boredom, end of the workday, crisis, a sense of accomplishment, playing cards, reading, waiting, watching television, and getting out of bed.

If any of these are triggers for you, do whatever you can to change the scenario in some way to lessen the trigger effect. For example, instead of rewarding yourself with a cigarette, try rewarding yourself with a bubble bath or something else that is pleasurable to you.

When going through a stressful situation or a crisis, reach out to friends and family to provide emotional support rather than reaching out for a pack of cigarettes. When watching television, keep your hands busy with something else or chew on something to keep your mind off smoking.

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