Managing your triggers

When quitting smoking, most people have common triggers, which cause cravings to come back. By understanding your cravings and the triggers that cause them, you can make a plan to overcome them. Below is a list of the most common smoking triggers and suggestions for managing them.

Trigger	Ideas to help
First thing in the morning	Clean your teeth and think of the taste of stale cigarettes.
On the way to work	Take a different route.
Work breaks	Go for a quick walk outside if you can. Or sip slowly on a glass of water.
Lunchtime	Go somewhere or eat something different. Do some exercise. Go for a walk with your colleagues.
After finishing a meal	Find other ways to close a meal. Play a tape or CD, eat a piece of fruit, get up and make a phone call. Get up from the table and clean teeth, or do something else- even if it’s the washing up! Change the daily schedule. Eat at different times, sit in a different chair, rearrange the furniture.
Coffee	Change any drinks you associate with smoking. Try a fruit tea or water instead.
Alcohol	If at all possible, don’t drink alcohol for the first week or 2 of stopping, and if you do, try to make it a smoke-free environment. Change your usual drink. This way you lessen the association between the situation and having a cigarette.
Pub/party	Avoid for the first couple of weeks if you can - watch videos, go to the cinema. The Island’s pubs and restaurants are now smoke-free which should help.
Being with other smokers	If there are certain friends you always smoke with, warn them in advance that you’re stopping. Ask them not to offer you a cigarette and encourage them to think about stopping too. Stay in a smoke-free environment as much as possible. Spend more time with your non-smoking friends or friends who are supportive of you quitting. Or you may want to ask smoking friends not to smoke around you.
Reading	Have a pen or pencil to hand to fiddle with and try chewing sugar-free gum.
In the car	Have your car cleaned inside, empty out the ashtrays, and get an air freshener. It’ll put you off the idea of polluting it with cigarette smoke. If you normally smoke while driving, try taking the bus instead, or sing!
On the phone	Have a notebook and pen to hand and doodle. Hold a straw or an inhalator.
Waiting for a bus/train	Keep a book or newspaper on you and read it. Knit!
Stress and anxiety	Although smokers believe that a cigarette relieves stress, the opposite is actually true. Nicotine is a stimulant and makes the heart beat faster. However it can seem as though it relieves stress, partly because each cigarette is actually relieving a withdrawal symptom and partly because smoking involves taking longer, deeper breaths, and taking some ‘time out’. Try simple relaxation techniques, such as counting slowly to ten, stretching, taking deep breaths. Ask your advisor for a sheet on relaxation/stress.
Feeling down	Exercise releases ‘feel good’ chemicals in the brain, which can help lift black feelings and make you feel more optimistic. It has also been shown to help people quit. Try to be more active and keep busy, even if it’s a short walk. Try other things such as massage, aromatherapy, sleep, yoga.