I've Started Smoking Again
After quitting smoking you did okay for a while. You probably resisted dozens of
temptations to smoke. But then for whatever reason - stress, frustration,
desire, really strong cravings or guilt - you started smoking again.
Perhaps you started gradually, just sneaking a few puffs. Maybe you returned to
your old habit quickly. Maybe you made a conscious decision to start again, or
maybe one day you just found yourself with a cigarette in your hand. Whatever
the case, you should know relapses are very common. Instead of feeling bad
about it, put it behind you and move on.
As you move forward be sure to congratulate yourself for the success you’ve had
so far. Staying smoke-free for any length of time is a BIG accomplishment.
Look at it this way; a person who smoked a pack a day before quitting has to
resist at least 20 urges to smoke each day after quitting. This takes skill,
self-control, and motivation. Once a few smoke-free months pass you’ll begin to
see the benefits of being a non-smoker.
You’ve proven to yourself that you can quit, so don’t give up
Now the question is, are you ready to quit again?
How confident are you that you could attempt to quit smoking in the next
one to two months?
At this point, would you say that your BENEFITS of Quitting are (Your BENEFITS
OF QUITTING can be: more money, better health, living longer, etc.):
More
important than your HARDSHIPS of Quitting (Hardships are: withdrawal symptoms,
cravings, not using a cigarette to relax, etc.)
About
the same importance as your HARDSHIPS of Quitting (Hardships are: withdrawal
symptoms, cravings, not using a cigarette to relax, etc.)
Less
important than your HARDSHIPS of Quitting (Hardships are: withdrawal
symptoms, cravings, not using a cigarette to relax, etc.)