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For former smokers, coping with the holiday season is not an easy task. Among friends and family, this festive period is for many synonymous with relapse. Here are 5 tips to avoid falling back into the habit of smoking.
As the new year approaches, it’s time for many to adopt good resolutions. And among them, quitting smoking ranks high. But keeping this commitment during the end-of-year festivities is a real challenge! Alexia Adda, ambassador of French Care, member of the MentalTech collective and co-founder of Klava Innovation, shares her best advice with you to avoid falling back into this addiction during this festive period.
Keep the triggers away
The first advice mentioned by Alexia Adda is to avoid all temptation by keeping potential triggers away. These are all the things that might make you think about cigarettes again.
Triggers are unique to everyone, so you need to identify yours. It could be a person with whom you used to smoke but also a place, an emotion, an activity, a smell or even a time of the day during which you liked to light a cigarette.
After identifying them, you can put in place strategies to move away from them. For example, if a place reminds you of cigarettes, avoid it if possible.
Find alternatives
When you quit smoking, it can be difficult to remember activities you previously enjoyed because of nicotine’s impact on the reward centers of the brain.
When you feel like smoking, occupy yourself differently by finding other distractions. When you are alone, read, take a walk, meditate… If you are out in the evening with friends, satisfy this desire by participating in a game, helping to prepare something or even going dancing.
Ask for support from those close to you
Sometimes it is the social circle that encourages people to be tempted again by cigarettes. Conversely, your loved ones can also be a real support to help you in this process. Do not hesitate to share your concerns with them and accept their help. They will know to be careful not to offer you cigarettes and will make sure to smoke away from you. Do not neglect their help which can be very valuable in your fight against tobacco!
Choose the people who will best support you in your approach. Former smokers can advise you on the methods that work best to quit smoking and give you peace of mind. Conversely, stay away from people who might encourage you to light up again and distract you from your goals.
Be sure you will succeed
Another important point: you must be sure that you will succeed! Put aside any thoughts that would call into question that you’re going to make it. It is by believing in yourself that you will be able to completely stop smoking. Even though the process is sometimes hard, remember that you are capable of resisting temptation.
Alexia Adda suggests creating a journal and writing down all your harmful thoughts. By rereading them, you will be able to transform them in a benevolent way and thus motivate yourself to pursue your goal.
Set achievable goals
Today’s small efforts are tomorrow’s big successes. Remember that to succeed, every bit of progress counts. Small daily changes that you think are insignificant contribute to significant long-term results.
So, don’t try to quit smoking overnight. This would surely lead you to failure. Instead, start by reducing your consumption of two cigarettes per day, opting for those that seem least necessary for the day. This is already a great step forward.
As the saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait for”. Indeed, quitting cigarettes is not a sprint but a marathon. So take the time to think about your strategy before implementing it and don’t be too hard on yourself, otherwise you risk not achieving your goals.
By combining these tips, you will be able to face the holidays without falling back into the cigarette trap.
Slide: Our solutions for stopping smoking naturally