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Smoking And Triggers That Cause People To Smoke

Smoking is a tough habit to beat and one of the biggest things smokers who are trying to quit have to deal with are the triggers which trigger their habit.

Recognizing these triggers and how to avoid them in addition to what we can replace smoking with is the first step to becoming and staying smoke-free.  A lot of smoking triggers are really just about habit, which means we can re-train our bodies to develop new habits.

You have to first know your smoking triggers in order to understand and combat them

Hunger is the number one smoking trigger for many people and they don’t even realize it.  A lot of folks are aware of the fact that some smokers gain weight after they quit, but they don’t necessarily put two and two together and understand that often times their body is needing food consumption rather than cigarette smoke. 

When a smoker gets angry, his or her mind automatically says that the body needs a smoke.  Part of quitting smoking is teaching your body and mind that it doesn’t need cigarettes to cope with anger and stress. 

Many people smoke because they’re lonely.  Statistics have proven that many smokers these days do it in groups as a social activity.  The social aspect of smoking can be one of the hardest things to get past for someone who is trying to quit smoking.

When people are tired they generally become more easily irritated and when a smoker is irritated, what is the first thing he or she wants to do?  Smoke!  Additionally, being tired can be especially difficult when you’re trying to quit smoking because your resistance will likely be lower. 

Other common smoking triggers:

 -After sex
 -While drinking alcohol
 -Stressful situations at work
 -Social functions and activities
 -Boredom
 -With coffee
 -While driving
 -At the end of the work day
 -When they accomplish something
 -During family crisis
 -After finishing a meal
 -When they first get out of bed in the morning
 -While playing cards
 -While they are reading a book or magazine
 -When they’re talking on the phone
 -While they’re waiting for someone or something
 -While they’re watching television or movies
 -During work breaks
 -Last, but not least, for no particular reason at all; just because they feel like it

The first step in understanding your smoking triggers is to pay attention to times when you feel like smoking.  What were you going through at the time?  Were you feeling or thinking anything in particular? 

Here are a few suggestions for substitutions which may help you cope with your smoking triggers:

 -Drink orange juice for breakfast instead of coffee – vitamin C fights against nicotine addiction
 -Eat breakfast before you shower – keep yourself busy with general activities
 -Chew minty gum – peppermint is a natural nicotine fighter
 -Keep your hands busy – carry toothpicks around with you to keep your mouth busy too
 -Learn to take a walk to blow off steam
 -Concentrate on listening to the radio while you’re driving
 -Avoid stressful situations and remove yourself from stressful situations whenever possible
 -Avoid hanging out with smokers
 -Journal before you begin quitting.  Use the journal to keep track of your smoking triggers and keep track of what you’re doing in order to quit smoking and your successes and failures.

Tags: nicotine addiction, quit smoking, smoking, smoking cessation, smoking triggers, stop smoking, tobacco, withdrawal symptoms

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