HOW TO KICK YOUR SMOKING HABIT
Chances are you have been down this road before, or maybe this is your first time, either way there is no getting around the truth that quitting smoking is one of the most challenging habits to break. Nicotine has been found to be as addictive as heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines, and over time the body develops not only a physical dependence but also a psychological or emotional dependence on cigarettes. Know that your struggle is completely justified.
However, there is hope. The good news is that smoking is like any other habit, it can be changed overtime. In fact, there are more former smokers in the world than current smokers (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014).
Below are strategies for how to kick the habit of smoking using behavioral psychology. Hopefully they can get you started and remember you can always meet with a behavioral psychologist for a more intensive and tailored treatment approach to help you meet your goal of quitting, or cutting back on your cigarettes use.
STEP 1: Discover and augment your desire to quit
Ask yourself why you want to quit smoking and maybe you will find yourself moving beyond the obvious “health reasons” to really connect with the values that are driving your decision to consider quitting or cutting back. During times when your motivation wears thin, you need to be able to answer the simple but crucial question, “Why am I bothering?” Maybe it is to set a good example for a family member, to improve your smile, to save money for something important, and so on. Connecting any change to a personal value will increase the likelihood that you will stay committed. Make the source of your motivation easily accessible by carrying a reminder of it around on your phone, having a picture, writing messages around your home- anything that can activate your motivation.
Next, take a moment and visualize your future. Imagine two paths, one in which you continue to smoke, and the other in which you have quit or cut down substantially. Project out 5 years. Consider all aspect of your life. What is different? How about 10 years from now? 20? 30? Consider the path you want to take and visualize yourself as a non-smoker.
When making any health change, you need to feel as if your efforts will make a difference, otherwise, there is little incentive to break the habit. People who have smoked for many years often wonder if it is worth the effort since “the damage is done.” Good news, your health improves substantially even within minutes of quitting. Consider this: 20 minutes after quitting your heart rate and blood pressure drop; 12 hours after quitting the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal; 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting your circulation improves and your lung function increases, and so on. The bottom line is: It is never too late to quit! Now that you can answer why you might quit and your motivation has been fortified, it is time for step 2.
STEP 2: Increasing Awareness of Triggers
Pay attention to what triggers you to smoke. Consider the following:
– Places where you are likely to smoke
– People with whom you are likely to smoke
– Times of the day when you are likely to smoke
– Activities that make it likely that you will smoke (including drinking alcohol or caffeine)
– Emotions or feelings that can trigger smoking
Also take note of what has helped you quit or cut back in the past, and what may have been the trigger that got you smoking again. All of this information is vital for creating a thoughtful quit plan that focuses on developing strategies for avoiding these triggers whenever possible.
STEP 3: The preparation stage
In order to help you quit, there are a few behavioral strategies that will increase your likelihood
of success:
1. Break the automaticity of smoking by tallying your cigarette use prior to smoking. Keep a small pencil in your cigarette pack and simply make a tally prior to smoking any of your cigarettes. This momentarily pause will do the following: 1. Break the mindless act of lighting up, which will start to chip away at the habit, 2. Give you a moment to consider what might be triggering you to reach for a cigarette at that particular moment, and 3. give yourself an opportunity to choose not to smoke.
- Prepare substitutions for cigarettes. The action of smoking can be difficult to break and so consider the following healthy substitutes for cigarettes: sugar-free candy or gum, carrot or celery sticks, sipping water, cinnamon sticks, straws, and toothpicks. Satisfy the oral fixation without lighting up.
- Consider Nicotine replacement therapy, this includes patches, lozenges, gums, etc. Using medication has been found to be very effective in helping people wean off of nicotine and prevent unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Consult with your doctor if you would like to explore this option.
- Set up a strong support system. You may want to inform family and friends of your desire to quit so that they can support your efforts and increase your accountability. Ask family and friends who still smoke not to smoke around you, not to leave cigarettes out where you can see them, and not to offer you a smoke.
- In preparation for quitting you will also want to eliminate all reminders of smoking in your home, such as cigarette cartons, ashtrays, lighters, or other triggers. Try to limit temptation whenever possible so that you are not triggered to light up.
- Minimize stress. Many people claim that they have trouble quitting because smoking is a stress reliever. First, it is important to note that this is a false perception. Studies show people who smoke have higher stress levels than non-smokers and there is a reported decrease in stress once people quit smoking (Parrott, 1999). However, this does not mean that smoking is not still psychologically associated with decreased stress, and so an important aspect of quitting will involve stress management. If smoking is your “go to” stress reliever then you will need to build alternative strategies. Please see my article on Preventing Burn Out for more tips on stress management.
And of course, you will want to set a QUIT DATE. Put it on your calendar and set into action the preparation stages above so that you will be ready for the big day. Of course not everyone is ready to quit “cold turkey.” In fact, you may just want to cut back. Regardless of your goal, the steps in this article can serve as a guide.
Quitting
The big day has arrived. Whenever possible, avoid all triggers to smoke. Don’t increase temptation and make quitting even harder. It is especially important that you avoid triggers within the first two weeks. The first 48 hours are the most challenging from a biological addiction standpoint since the nicotine is leaving the body. Psychologically, the first 1-2 weeks are the most challenging. During this critical period, be extra kind to yourself and avoid triggers whenever possible!
Urge Surfing
In the real world, it is not always possible to avoid triggers to smoke, even for the span of two weeks. And so, URGE SURFING is required. Think of a craving like a wave crashing into shore. It quickly surges skyward, has a brief plateau, and then crashes into shore. When most of us have cravings, it feels like they will go on forever, and typically that idea is reinforced because we grab a cigarette right when the wave is about to reach its peak and cravings are at their strongest. Then the craving instantly disappears the moment we light up and so we don’t have the opportunity to bear witness to the fact that if the craving was not satisfied, it would eventually peak and pass, just like a wave. Your job is to ride the wave out and not give in to the craving. Know that our bodies cannot sustain that physiological craving surge for more than 10 minutes at a time. And so, if you are able to distract yourself, the craving will eventually pass. Experiment with this concept the next time you have a craving. Notice what happens if you delay your cigarettes use for ten minutes. Here is the key though, you have to be thoughtful not to retrigger the craving. If you stare at your cigarettes waiting for the craving to pass, you will activate another surge of craving. And so, have a plan for when cravings hit: play on your phone, talk to a friend, play with a pet, go for a walk, pick up a book, and generally be prepared to surf the urge at any time!
Reward Yourself
It is not always easy to make a change and so give yourself some incentives. For example, set aside the money that would have gone towards buying cigarettes and buy yourself a gift. You can see a movie, get a massage, give back to others, start a new hobby, and so on. Have a reward prepared for your first day of quitting, for when you reach 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and so on. You deserve it!
Final Words
Just reading this article is a first step in preparing to make a change. Remember that this is a journey, fueled by your personal values and desires. And like any journey, there may be challenges. If you have a lapse, know that that is part of the journey and you are only gathering more information on how to successfully reach your final destination. Also, know that you don’t need to navigate this journey alone. Please do not hesitate to reach out for a full course of treatment, or even one or two sessions to create a plan and address any barriers in your path.