How do you cope with a smoking relapse?

Woman smoking, close up on smoke and mouth

Quitting smoking is one of the most difficult challenges you will ever face and it can take smokers multiple attempts before they are completely smoke and nicotine-free. Despite these struggles, it’s important to be easy on yourself if you happen to relapse. While some people can simplistically quit smoking on a dime, others struggle physically, mentally, and emotionally to overcome their habitual routine. So, if your quitting journey has turned into an endless loop of smoking on and off, it’s time to overcome your burdensome feat and achieve your objective. 

Determine your triggers

A moment of weakness shouldn’t be considered a monumental setback, so when an unexpected urge to smoke comes knocking at your door, you need to be prepared to combat the persuasion. 

Relapses can be dangerous to your progress, so if there are triggers, events, or circumstances that you know generate an urge to want to smoke, it’s best to avoid them as much as possible during your transition. Common triggers may include:

  • Leisurely being around other people who smoke. 
  • When you consume large quantities of alcohol.
  • When you’re feeling under-confident. 
  • When you isolate yourself from loved ones. 
  • When you aren’t giving your mind and body enough sleep.
  • When you’re encountering stressful situations on a frequent basis. 
  • When you’re in the first few weeks of adapting to your new lifestyle.
  • When you’re angry. 

When you avert activities in your day-to-day that may cause any of the above triggers, you’re setting yourself up for success. We aren’t saying that you can’t experience anger or frustration, but doing your best to prevent an escalation in your mood will improve your likelihood of feeling triggered. Also, relieving stresses can help to boost your quitting efforts and also assist you in developing new ways to cope with the physical and mental pressures of life. Since you once used cigarettes to combat the overextension and intensities of your routine, it’s important to find other means to crunch these afflictions. 

What are some ways to overcome your triggers?

Finding outlets that eliminate stressful triggers in your life can be daunting, however, things like exercise, taking a warm bath, experimenting with meditation, having a good diet, and even spending more time around animals are common ways that smokers can progress forward. Quitting smoking can be a lengthier process for some ex-smokers, so remember to not compare your progress to those around you. 

However, if you’re struggling to keep your momentum going, we recommend trying one or all of the following suggestions to help keep you on track: 

  • Surround yourself with people who support you. This could include friends, family or even acquaintances that are former smokers. 
  • Consider using a Logic e-cig starter kit so that your physical addiction to nicotine can be fulfilled while you’re working on your mental dependency with tobacco. Logic e-cig starter kits will also allow you to slowly decrease your nicotine levels at a pace that works for you. 
  • Consult with your doctor about medications that can help with smoking cessation. 
  • Test out some over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy products such as nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nicotine lozenges, and Logic e-cig starter kits

Have you ever slipped up and gone back to smoking? Share some advice on what worked well for you to effectively quit combustibles for good.

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