You've probably got smoking habits that are strongly tied to different things that happen in your life. Aside from nicotine addiction, here are some of the main reasons you may smoke:
- Emotions: to cope with feeling stressed, upset, angry, frustrated, bored or happy.
- Pleasure: to enjoy something more or to reward yourself.
- Social pressure: to feel part of the crowd and bond with other smokers.
- Habit: feeling like smoking while doing certain things.
After you quit, you might get a craving for a cigarette when you're in these situations.
Think about your own smoking habits. Could any of these habits trigger an urge to smoke? Knowing what makes you want to smoke can help you plan how to cope in trigger situations.
Quit tip
One way to prepare is to make a diary about your smoking habits in the lead up to your quit date.
Download and print our Smoker Diary.
Each time you have a cigarette, or feel a craving, note the:
- date and time
- activity or situation
- what you're feeling
- how much you feel the need for a cigarette, on a scale of 1–5 with 5 being the most needed.
Even after a couple of days, you'll have a good idea about what makes you want to smoke and the importance of each cigarette.
These are your very own personalised smoking triggers, and they can help you understand what times will be hardest for you when you quit. You can start to plan new ways to deal with these trigger situations.