You may be faced with situations that will trigger the urge to smoke. We call these high-risk situations. Review this emergency coping plan to help you deal with these situations. If you feel the urge, or are tempted to smoke:
AVOID the situation.
Identify the situations when you normally smoke or feel a craving for a cigarette. For most smokers, high-risk situations include work breaks, finishing meals, having coffee or being in a bar. Plan how you will avoid these situations for a few weeks. Plan for alternate activities.
LEAVE the situation.
If you find yourself in one of these high risk situations, leave if you can. And, leave before you get a craving.
DISTRACT yourself from the craving.
If you find yourself in a situation you can't leave and you get a craving, distract yourself from the craving by:
• Thinking about something else, like your benefits of quitting smoking (or how much money you’re saving every week).
• Do something else to distract yourself like drinking water or deep breathing to relax.
• Think about an upcoming event in your life, such as a vacation.
DELAY taking the cigarette.
If you can't keep your mind off it, then make a deal with yourself that you will wait 5 minutes before you give into the craving. The craving will usually pass in a couple of minutes anyway. If you delay, the craving will go away.
Use SELF TALK
A craving may be accompanied by negative thoughts about your ability to resist it. Use positive self talk statements to combat your negative thoughts.
When have you used the emergency quit plan?
Ashley, Health Educator
