karen, quit coach
19 posts
Registered:
09 Nov 2022
12 Dec 2022
in reply to
freedomchild
Congrats on your quit! Sounds like you have a couple of strategies already under your belt to keep yourself distracted when the cravings begin. We can look at a number of other ways that people have successfully managed these Urges or Cravings.
There are 3 Categories:
Things you could do,
Things you could think about in your mind, and
Supports you could get
1.Things you could do
- take a walk - do something vigorous, like walk up and down stairs 3 times
- take a shower or hot bath - leave the situation that is triggering you to smoke
- do a routine to relax your muscles - drink water slowly, or decaf coffee, or tea
- munch on low cal snacks like carrots/celery - practice deep breathing
Make a list of the reasons why you quit smoking. Carry it around with you and review that list each time you have a craving. List all the positives that have come and will come from quitting.
2. Things you could think about:
Talk to yourself when you get an urge. You might tell yourself:
"It will only last for a little while. I can get through it."
"My body is repairing itself, and I can handle it."
"If I get through today, I can get through any situation without a cig."
"I have made so much progress so far. I don't want to spoil it now."
Each time you beat an urge, reward yourself by saying something to yourself like: "I've handled it again; it's difficult but I'm getting well; I'm taking back control.
3. Supports you could get
Contact someone close to you and ask for their support
Talk to someone and tell them what you're going through
Things you can say that some people have found helpful:
What I'd like to ask you for is...............
It really helps when you tell me how well I'm doing
It helps when you remind me how far I've come.
It helps just to talk about my struggle. You don't have to do anything.
What do you think would work best for you?