How to Maintain Being Smoke Free

Congratulations on quitting smoking! The hard part is over, but with temptation always lurking around the next corner, quitting doesn't end with breaking the habit. So how do you maintain your smoke-free lifestyle and keep yourself from falling back into that bad habit? Making healthy lifestyle choices, finding new ways to feel good and deal with stress and avoiding situations that tempt you to light up can help you remain smoke-free for good.

Instructions

Stay Positive and Remember Why You Quit

• 1

  Focus on improvements. Write in a journal or on a piece of paper or card all the positive outcomes that have resulted from your quitting or the reasons that you quit.

• 2

  Write down more things each day. Include positives like your renewed sense of taste and smell, how much money you've saved from not buying cigarettes, how much easier you can breathe, the fact you no longer cough, how much whiter your teeth are or how easy it is to get through a workout.

• 3

  Carry your list with you. Keep it in your pocket or purse for when you crave a cigarette, or keep it in your car or a place in your home where you used to keep cigarettes.

Know and Prepare to Cope with Your Triggers

• 4

  Be honest about the times, situations, places and activities that trigger your cigarette cravings. Whether it's drinking coffee or alcohol, eating, driving, talking on the phone, being around other smokers or just plain boredom, knowing what turns on your cravings can help you avoid triggers or prepare to cope with the temptations.

• 5

  Brush your teeth, have a mint or chew a sugar-free, mint-flavored piece of gum after a meal if you crave cigarettes.

• 6

  Get physical. Go for a walk or run, do the dishes, clean your house or apartment, take a shower, organize your closet, exercise or perform any other physical activity to distract yourself.

• 7

  Keep toothpicks, lollipops, hard candy, sugar-free gum, raisins, apples or carrot and celery sticks on you or around your home to replace cigarettes and distract you from cravings.

• 8

  Hold a pencil, marble, water bottle or stress balls to replace the feeling of a cigarette in your hand.

Start New, Healthy Habits

• 9

  Find a physical activity that boosts your mood and distracts you from cravings. Start exercising, walking, running, swimming, bike riding, playing tennis or playing any other sport that interests you.

• 10

  Keep your hands busy. It's a good time to learn cooking, painting, crocheting, filling in crossword puzzles, gardening, photography or any other activity that interests you, or a skill that you've always wanted to acquire.

• 11

  Drink water or fruit juice over beverages containing caffeine or alcohol, which can trigger cravings.

Find New Ways to Deal with Stress and Emotions

• 12

  Practice new techniques to beat stress and relax and to cope with strong emotions, as stress and emotions are tied to cigarette cravings.

• 13

  Practice deep breathing techniques, use yoga or meditation, take a warm bubble bath with candles and soft music.

• 14

  Hit the gym, talk to someone close to you, listen to music, write in a journal or perform any other activity that makes you feel good or allows you to vent when you're angry, sad or feeling any other kind of emotion that triggers a cigarette craving.

Avoid Smokers and Places that Allow Smoking

• 15

  Spend time alone or with friends in places that don't allow smoking. Hanging out in smoke-free places not only will keep you away from temptation but also will make not smoking feel normal.

• 16

  Move to another part of the room or house if you're in a place or situation where people are smoking, such as a party or a bar.

• 17

  Ask people close to you who smoke to not smoke around you. You can even ask them to quit, too, reassuring them that you will support them through it. But don't push them into quitting, as they may not be supportive or comfortable with your decision to quit, let alone quitting themselves.

Avoid Testing Yourself with a Cigarette or Punishing Yourself if You Slip

• 18

  Don't keep a cigarette pack, or even a cigarette or two, around "just in case" or to test your willpower. Keeping even one cigarette within your reach will only tempt you more and make it easier to start smoking again. Remove lighters, matches, ashtrays and any other reminders of cigarettes from your work space, home and car as well.

• 19

  Don't punish yourself if you slip and smoke a cigarette or two. One slip makes you neither a smoker again nor a failure, and criticizing yourself will only make you feel bad, which might make you want to smoke. Instead, figure out what made you smoke and decide how to cope with that trigger the next time you face it.

• 20

  Don't think that just because you slipped and smoked one cigarette, you might as well smoke the rest of the back or go buy a pack. Learn from your slip, stay positive and take back control of your smoke-free lifestyle.

Reward Yourself for Not Smoking

• 21

  Use the money you've saved from not buying cigarettes to buy yourself a reward. However, you don't want to replace a daily cigarette purchase with another daily $6 to $7 purchase, so use your reward money sensibly.

• 22

  Start a money jar, placing your cigarette money in the jar every day that you don't smoke or whenever you find yourself headed out the door to buy cigarettes.

• 23

  Head to the dentist for a teeth cleaning or whiten your teeth to remove smoke stains. Not only have you rewarded yourself with a new, fresh smile, but you'll want to keep your teeth clean and bright by not smoking.