Getting Back on Track

Getting back on track after a small slip is easier than you think. You’ve already made the tough decision to quit, so there’s no reason to take a backward step.

Here are six things you can do to immediately get yourself back on track:

1. Remind yourself that your urge to smoke will not last forever. It will pass in a few minutes if you just wait it out. To be safe, look at your watch and “check in” with your craving level in 15 minutes.
   
2. Change your routine. Control your surroundings. Don’t put yourself in places where people smoke, or places where you used to go to light up.
   
3. Renew your commitment to quitting by getting support from people you trust. Tell them that you are having a tough time and ask for their help and patience.
   
4. Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT’s) may help you overcome the urge to smoke. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your options.
   
5. Don’t just take our word for it! Visit our Support Group and ask people about slipping. There are folks in the group who have slipped in the past but got back on track. They can offer you solutions, advice, and encouragement.
   
6. If you haven’t already, sign up for the interactive quit program on this site – it will help you gain control over your past smoking behavior.

Blocking the urge to smoke

When you get the urge to smoke you may think it’ll never, ever go away. But it will. It definitely goes away – getting there is the tough part.

To make it go away faster, re-think the urge. When you feel it, see it like this

The urge to smoke is like being confined in a small room...

• You're late for work
• You approach a traffic jam, you slow down but you feel anxious
• Slowly, the traffic starts to move forward
• Soon you're breezing along and you leave your anxiety behind

The urge to smoke is like being confined in a small room...

• As the urge increases, the walls start to close in
• You become more and more anxious
• Suddenly, a door opens and you step through
• You take a deep breath of fresh air and you feel in control once again.

The urge to smoke is like a wave...

• Watch the wave coming towards you
• Watch the wave wash over you
• Notice the wave fade away.

Practice an image that works best for you...

When you feel the urge to smoke, you can use an image to overcome it. See the urge as a weak, temporary event that you can handle without giving in.

Removing temptation

As you know, your daily routine and your surroundings can sometimes give you the urge to smoke. If you’re surrounded by reminders about smoking, you’re more likely to have a slip. So, an important part of staying smoke-free is to control your surroundings and get rid of any reminders that tempt you to smoke.

Remember: quitting smoking means changing your behavior!

Example:

1. Problem: I like to have a smoke with my morning coffee.
   behavior Solution: Instead, I'll chew on a stir-stick or straw.
   
   
2. Problem: My colleagues usually offer me a smoke when we take a break.
   behavior Solution: I'll ask them to stop offering me one and for the next three weeks I'll take a walk instead.
   
   
3. Problem: I like to have a smoke after dinner.
   Solution: Instead of smoking, go for a 10 minute walk and enjoy the fresh air.
   
   
4. Problem: I like to have a smoke when I watch T.V.
   Solution: Instead, I'll chew on hard candy, carrot sticks or popcorn.

Think of your own routine and surroundings. Write down four situations that tempt you to smoke, and how you'll deal with them (just like the examples above).

If you haven’t already signed up for our Interactive Quit Program, we urge you to. You can learn more about the program by clicking here.