A lot of people state that force of habit is among the most difficult obstacles to conquer whenever you get started on a programme of smoking cessation. We are all creatures of habit to one extent or another and when you are a smoker, the probability is that smoking is an element of several different facets of your daily routine. Quite a few people have to smoke as soon as they cease eating, as an example. Others can not drink any alcohol with out a cigarette in the other hand. Others have got to smoke if they are driving, whilst still others find that they can only get through some difficult work-related task if they’ve got some nicotine to help them pull through.
If you find that your habits are making you consider a cigarette in this way, then see what you can do to wean yourself off these habitual situations.
For instance, how important is alcohol consumption for you? Can it be simply something you engage in social situations and if so, you may have tried going “on the wagon” for any period of time? It may not be a good idea to give up drinking and attempt to quit smoking at exactly the same time, particularly if you drink a little bit more alcohol than you perhaps should. However, understanding that a bar or club can be a trigger area for your smoking habit, try and avoid these locations if at all possible.
Inactivity may be another of one’s enemies when you\’re first starting off on a programme to stop smoking. If you have got too much time to think about things, then you might start to focus on nicotine and start to rationalise why you should have a cigarette right now. Try and engage a new hobby or pastime to coincide with your earlier days here and see if you can occupy your hands by doing something creative or constructive.
Temptation can be very powerful for many people. If you see others smoking it can be too much. Often the smell of nicotine or tar can be a powerful trigger causing you to lose an element of control and light up once again. Understand that you are best advised to avoid people who smoke altogether. If this is simply impractical or impossible, especially if they are another family member or someone in a workplace for example, try and engage them in your project. They will almost certainly understand where you’re coming from and go out of their way to indulge their own habit in a place or situation where it will not affect you.
In the final analysis, only you alone are going to be the one who dictates whether you’ll be successful here. The power of your own mind must be harnessed and you have to understand that your own willpower is definitely more than enough to make you succeed. However, it is certainly going to be advantageous that you should set some ground rules and, when possible, remove some of those temptations and potential pitfalls to help make your journey to success easier.