Know Your Smoking Triggers – And Beat Them

You know you need to quit smoking. After all, smoking is linked to a whole host of health problems – from heart disease and stroke to COPD, lung cancer, diabetes and more. Smoking has even been associated with higher rates of depression, insomnia, frequent headaches and chronic pain.

Perhaps you've tried to quit, only to start smoking again. It's understandable. Quitting smoking is difficult. But with the right approach, you can begin a new chapter of life that's tobacco-free.

"There's no other single thing that a person can do to improve their health more than quitting smoking," says Michael Mooney, MD, a board-certified family physician who works with Franciscan Health's Aspire tobacco cessation program. "When my patients are able to stop smoking, they often report back ecstatic about how much better they feel."

Ready to take charge of your smoke-free journey? First, take some time to identify your personal smoking triggers.

What Are Smoking Triggers?

Smoking triggers are settings, feelings or events that make you want to smoke. While everyone's smoking triggers are different, some are widely shared. Many people feel a craving to smoke while:

• Drinking alcohol
• Feeling anxious
• Finishing a meal
• Following a stressful driving commute
• Having a coffee break
• Needing something to occupy their fingers or hands
• Preparing for bed
• Socializing with friends

Learn your smoking triggers by keeping a smoking log for a few weeks. Note each time you smoke, the setting, and how you felt at the time – whether bored, happy, stressed or anxious. With this information in hand, you should be able to identify when, where and why you're most tempted to smoke.

How Can I Overcome My Smoking Triggers?

If you're a smoker, quitting smoking cold turkey is very difficult. Instead, work to tackle your individual smoking triggers one at a time.

"Take two weeks and learn how to have that morning cup of coffee without a cigarette in your hand. And after those two weeks go by and you're able to tackle that, move on to the next trigger," Dr. Mooney said. "When you work through several of these triggers over a few weeks or months, then suddenly you already know how to get through a lot of your day without a cigarette."

Wondering how to start? If you always associate a coffee break with having a cigarette, start by finding ways to avoid smoking in that situation. Perhaps join a non-smoking colleague in conversation on your coffee break or listen to a podcast to help occupy your thoughts while you sip your java, for example.

Once you have an initial trigger under control, move on to a second one and then a third, and so on. In this way, by addressing your triggers one at a time, you can gradually learn to make it through the day with fewer and fewer cigarettes, until you eventually quit altogether.

How Can I Replace My Smoking Triggers?

There may be some trial and error involved in finding how to best redirect your attention from smoking. This is particularly true while navigating your smoking triggers – the specific parts of the day you formerly associated with having a cigarette.

While finding what redirection strategies work for you, try the following:

• Avoiding alcohol or settings where you'll be tempted to drink while trying to quit smoking
• Doing yoga, stretches or other simple exercises before bed rather than reaching for a cigarette
• Going for a walk or bike ride after a meal in place of smoking
• Limiting your exposure to other smokers while trying to quit
• Listening to calming music or a meditation app to deal with anxiety or stress
• Reaching for something healthy to keep your mouth and hands busy, such as carrots, apples or celery sticks
• Taking up a hobby like crochet, cross stitch – or even paint by numbers – to keep your hands busy.

Above all, even if you slip up and smoke, don't give up in your quest to give up tobacco. When it comes to quitting smoking, setbacks may happen. The important thing is to keep trying, taking things one day at a time.

"From working with the Aspire program, I have seen that if patients want to quit smoking and they keep trying to quit smoking, they will get there," Dr. Mooney said.

Where Can I Get Help To Stop Smoking?

Even after identifying and replacing your smoking triggers, your withdrawal symptoms are likely to cause some discomfort. Over time, the symptoms will disappear as long as you avoid smoking. Withdrawal symptoms may include:

• Smoke cravings
• Sense of irritation or grouchiness
• Jumpiness and restlessness
• Sleeping troubles
• Hunger and weight gain
• Anxiousness
• Sadness or depression

Franciscan Health's Aspire tobacco cessation program can help smokers and tobacco users develop a customized plan to quit cigarettes for good. The Aspire program offers group classes, individual coaching sessions and medication management to help you stop smoking and enjoy a healthier life.