Smoking Triggers

After years of smoking it becomes one of those activities that is put on auto pilot. Not much thought is given to lighting up. With the exception of nicotine cravings there are other reasons we smoke, they are called triggers. Smoking triggers are those things that make a person want to smoke. Common triggers include:

• Eating
• Drinking alcohol
• Feeling depressed
• Being stressed
• Driving
• Being around other smokers
• Talking on the phone
• Watching TV
• Relaxing
• Drinking coffee
• Seeing someone else smoke

Triggers can be moods, feelings, places, and things you do. When quitting smoking it is important to know what causes you to smoke. After quitting you are going to need to deal with these triggers as they come and the better you understand them the better you will be able to plan for them and have a contingency plan. When looking at these triggers you will want to determine which ones are the most powerful in your life. Often times dealing with stress is a huge trigger for smokers, in fact stress is the number one cause of relapse after quitting. There are many healthy ways to deal with stress and other triggers other than smoking you just need to find them. Having a plan in order is the type of help you need to succeed so know your triggers and how you are going to cope when you finally kick the habit.