“I’m starting out pretty seriously, but for some reason I just can’t get through and quit smoking.” Sound familiar?
Future quitters always start with the best of intentions, especially as the New Year begins. Some opt for a cold turkey or hypnosis to quit smoking, while others try nicotine patches or another method. In fact, some studies have shown that less than 5% of people who try to quit make it for an entire year – while most fail within the first few weeks. Here we’re going to share three main reasons people can stop quitting and offer some ideas on how to address each issue in order to stay on the wagon.
In the past, what circumstances led to slip-ups ending?
Let’s start by examining common situations that have caused people to fail in their attempt to quit smoking.
A fairly common one is “after you eat”. In particular, there is a tendency for people to feel the urge to smoke after breakfast. All too often, even if they’re able to put aside the initial temptation to smoke when they wake up, it can be difficult to instantly change a habit that has formed over a decade or two and cause a slip .
Another very common situation that slackers can slip in is when they are suffering from stress or discomfort. If a smoker was irritated by something up to the point of giving up cigarettes or encountered a stressful situation in some other way, he could go straight to a smoking place and “decompress” with a cigarette. When you stop, however, this outlet is no longer present and stress can accumulate, which ultimately leads to slipping.
In addition, many people seem to have not quit smoking in the following situations:
- After breakfast / lunch / dinner
- If you feel stressed or unwell
- After waking up / getting up
- If you wanna change my mood
- When you see others smoke
- When a little free time has been created
- When you come across the smell of cigarettes
- When a friend offers a cigarette
When I was a smoker, it was precisely these situations that drew me to cigarettes. But in and of themselves these weren’t that Reasons give in to temptation. Let’s look at some more specific reasons for smoking cessation failures.
Reason 1 – There are many smokers and things remind you to quit smoking
You decided to quit smoking a few weeks ago and although the first few days were difficult, things seem to be on the right track. You haven’t changed any aspect of your environment. And now you’ve suddenly become more aware of the smokers around you: on the street, at the bar and the familiar smell of cigarette smoke on a colleague’s clothes.
When you are surrounded by smoke from other smokers, it can be easy to be reminded – and maybe even a little jealous – of the smoking life, which leads you to ask, “Why do I quit? Should I just smoke again? “When you see the intimate groups of smokers who have gathered it can also lead to a feeling of loneliness as there is no one on your side and you need to change. Self-doubt can creep in at this point as well, causing you to Reconsider your determination.
Many tend to recommend taking a clean break from smoking and everything associated with it – the people, the places, and related products – in order to stay on track. Of course, this isn’t necessarily practical, or even possible for everyone, but being more aware of a situation before you encounter it can potentially help you plan how to deal with it. We will discuss this point a little later.
Reason 2 – friends give you a cigarette
As a first step in quitting smoking, many will say to themselves: “I will not buy cigarettes anymore”. This is a very positive first decision and will soon be backed up by a positive result: money that would otherwise have been spent on cigarettes adds up. After all, smoking is an expensive habit, and quitting can help you save money at the same time. However, when you notice have you given up cigarettes completely or do you sometimes smoke someone around you?
Not buying cigarettes yourself is a big step forward. Note, however, that the idea of ”you can quit smoking if you don’t buy cigarettes” sometimes creates an internal mental rule that “it is okay to only smoke cigarettes that others share with you”. Stop negotiating with yourself and try to take that extra step toward complete termination.
Reason 3 – You feel like it is difficult to socialize without smoking
This is perhaps the hardest reason why people fail in their decision to quit smoking. Many smokers have a network of friends who also smoke. They hang out and share dinner and laugh together. If you run into strangers in a smoking area, smoking is already a common issue for everyone and it can be a lot easier to have a conversation. There may even be times when you share a smoke break with your boss, co-worker or subordinate and smoking forms some bond between you.
There is a community of smokers, and adjusting to life with the majority of non-smokers can be a hurdle. If you decide to quit smoking, you may need to maintain a certain amount of distance from the smoking community and be more active in finding new relationships and friendships with non-smokers. It seems that the cigarette is sometimes essential for communication in the workplace. If you can’t break that link, the more likely you won’t stop.
Use of this information
If you do decide to quit smoking, the first thing you should do is make a plan without sounding overly simple. For many people a End plan Most of the time, it’s about quitting quitting. However, we recommend actively thinking about your current smoking patterns and considering alternative behaviors. This can be as simple as keeping a smoking diary for a week, recording when and where and how you are feeling each time you smoke, to clarify exactly what situations you are smoking in and to identify possible pitfalls.
Next, devising a plan to deal with each situation can be helpful in achieving your goal. On a piece of paper, write a typical day for you using your smoking journal. Provide approximate times and locations (ex. after breakfast, At home) Where you smoke. For each of these practices, think of alternative behavior and write it down in case you are tempted to smoke (e.g. After breakfast / chew on mint gum or sunflower seeds).
Finding the right way to express and say your determination No smoking / cigarettes is also important. A study published in 2012 in the Journal of Consumer Research found that when people are exposed to temptation, say I not X. can greatly improve the chances of making healthier choices. For example, if someone offers you a cigarette instead of saying “No thanks”, try saying, “Thank you, but I don’t smoke.” The same study found that the saying “I don’t have an X” had a much higher success rate than just saying it over a longer period of time thanks but no or I can’t X.. Worth a try.
Last word
This time around, we’ve shared some of the reasons why people who start quitting smoking fail. If you would like to quit smoking from now on, please consider some of the tips above. Quitting smoking is not only about quitting smoking, but also about changing your lifestyle and habits, such as: B. Relationships and customs previously established through tobacco. In order to make your next attempt to quit smoking a success, certain behavioral alternatives may need to be considered and implemented.
