How to Cope with Cravings After You Quit Smoking

by Dan

Congratulations! You have quit smoking, or are getting ready to quit smoking, and your biggest concern is how to deal with cravings so you don’t have a relapse.

Did you know that studies have shown that “crave episodes” only last three minutes or less? And that the average person who quits smoking only experiences six of these daily episodes by the third day? Think of it; only 18 minutes or less of serious challenge per day.

What if, at first, you were faced with 20 of these episodes per day instead of six? That’s only an hour or less of dealing with anxiety during those first few days. Isn’t it worth the effort to master those 3-minute episodes in order to take back control of your life and health? Of course it is!

When confronting these brief episodes, enjoy the sense of power as you win each battle, knowing that there will be fewer and fewer battles to fight as time goes on. Eventually you will win the war against your smoking addiction.

While it’s true that these brief episodes seem to last a very long time, they don’t. Here are some techniques to help you cope with cravings.

Remember that what you focus on increases in your life. For example, if you are in pain and all you talk and think about is the pain, the pain will actually intensify because that’s what you are focusing on. On the other hand, if you focus on how wonderful it is that your body is healthy and knows how to heal itself, you will be more relaxed and your body will be able to contribute to the healing process.

Similarly, when you have the urge to pick up a cigarette (even though you don’t want to because you’ve made a decision to quit smoking), don’t focus on the craving but rather on the end result that you want: a happy, healthy life.

For example, instead of fighting the smoking craving, turn your attention to the lifestyle you crave. See yourself enjoying your grandchildren or getting married or having the energy to run a marathon. See yourself on a cruise or a tropical island. Have fun visualizing the way you want your life to be. This “creative daydreaming” will be fun, and it works!

In your imagination, you can also count sheep, see and feel yourself being hugged by your favorite person, dine at an expensive restaurant, or anything else that is positive and keeps your mind focused elsewhere.

Another technique is to face each craving head-on. Don’t just analyze what triggered it, but laugh at the trigger and treat it as a big joke, knowing that it can’t hurt you unless you let it. Or be defiant and see the trigger withering and dying because it can’t live without your permission.

The BestWayToQuitSmoking.com Program e-book, which is available in both English and Spanish for only $29.95, incorporates a potent coping technique in its “7-day all-natural way to quit smoking forever.”

The journey to becoming a permanent ex-smoker begins with the first step, making the decision to quit; and then dealing with each small challenge at a time. In AA they say to take one day at a time. But it’s my opinion that you must take and conquer one craving at a time. They will become fewer and fewer and easier to handle as time goes on.

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