Quitting smoking can be a great challenge for many smokers. Some people associate smoking with good memories, social gatherings, comfort, entertainment, and companionship. Smokers may sometimes want to quit but relate quitting smoking to pain, misery or sacrifice. These conflicting thoughts and ideas can make quitting smoking even more difficult.
At a Glance
Thinking about smoking can often trigger cravings. Learning how to stop thinking about smoking involves finding ways to change how you feel, find distractions, and deal with urges. Use these tips to help you learn how to recognize thoughts that don’t serve you as you recover from nicotine addiction and reprogram your mind with thoughts that do
Verywell Mind
Here are some helpful ways to battle those thoughts about smoking.
- Evaluate your thoughts about quitting
- Try mindfulness and acceptance
- Create distance from emotions
- Don’t rationalize your behavior
- Practice gratitude
- Deal with your triggers
- Reframe how you think about smoking
- Find distractions
- Ask friends and family for support
- Use mantras to stay on track
If you are struggling with giving up smoking reach out to your health care provider or counselor, they can help find the best cessation methods or treatments for you. Your doctor may recommend Nicotine patches or medecine depending on your specific needs. Cognitive behavioral (CBT) as proven successful for some people as well. Smoking is dangerous and can cause many health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and lung disease. Quitting smoking can be the biggest step in improving your mental and physical health.
Reference: https://www.verywellmind.com/mind-games-go-both-ways-when-you-quit-smoking-2824894
