How to Prevent Smoking Relaps

When you make the decision to quit smoking, it is very hard to imagine that you can relapse into the habit. However, once you have quit smoking and the withdrawal symptoms set in most people normally fall into the temptation and relapse back to smoking. Therefore, it is important to set up reliable measures that will ensure that you do not relapse once you have quit smoking.

The first thing to do is to pamper yourself, anytime you feel like you want to smoke again. When you are low or depressed, this is the time you will be tempted to start smoking. Therefore, when you need a boost you should do something rewarding for yourself. These include things like going to get a new hairdo or haircut; you can go out partying with friends, go shopping, take a long bath or even watch a movie. The list is endless; you just have to think of something that you really love doing and that will help cheer you up and thus eliminate the need for a cigarette. 

There are times when you may give up trying to stop smoking. These times you could feel like just going back to your old smoking habits. To prevent this you can take a pen and paper and list down some of the achievements you have made since you quit smoking. When you stop smoking you have a sense of achievement and most people keep diaries about the experience, how long they have been clean since their last cigarette and so on. When you are tempted to start smoking again you can think of the amount of time you have been clean from cigarettes and decide that if you go back to smoking then you will lose all those days, months or years that you have been clean. You will lose all your progress and will be forced to start again from scratch. You should think about all the people who are rooting for you in your journey as you quit smoking. This means you have to work hard and avoid cigarettes so that you do not disappoint them. Apart from that, you get improved health, when you stop smoking you greatly reduce your chances of developing lung cancer as well a host of other diseases and health problems. Smoking discolors your teeth and spoils your gums, and once you stop smoking your teeth will be better, much whiter not to mention your breath will be fresher. You have to remind yourself that once you start smoking again you will lose all these things.

Finally, to prevent a relapse you should always remind yourself of what you stand to gain from quitting. Before you start smoking again you should ask yourself if you will be able to quit the next time round, as compared to the first time. When trying to quit smoking, the first phase is the hardest with very serious withdrawal symptoms and once you have gotten through this hurdle, the rest should be relatively easier. This means you do not want to relapse and lose all that progress you have made.

Sarah Wiener is the author of this article on quit smoking. Find more information, about stop smoking here