After Quitting

After your cessation program has been successful, you need to take strict measures to avoid smoking again.

•	After you quit smoking, try to spend as much of your time in places where smoking is prohibited like churches, museums, libraries and theatres.
•	Try to avoid drinking sodas which contain caffeine. Try water and fruit juice instead.
•	Develop and maintain a very clean and smoke free environment at your home and your workplace.
•	In case you feel like holding a cigarette in your hands, try to hold something similar in shape like a pencil.
•	Avoid any kinds of drinks that contain alcohol, coffee and others which entice you to have a puff again.
•	If you spend a long time in driving, make sure you keep your mind busy all the time by listening to your favorite songs or radio channels.
•	Avoid sitting in your favorite chair and cocktails before dinner as they will increase the temptation for smoking.
•	Keep your hands busy. Try solving puzzles or do some gardening or housework, start writing something and also try to ride your bike when you are free.
•	Always keep oral substitutes for cigarette ready with yourself, like sugarless gum, raisins, carrots and apples.
•	Relax quite often and visualize something which soothes your mind and keeps you busy and cheerful. It will take you farther away from smoking.

It is also very important for you to understand the importance of the unwanted after-effects of cessation. These effects however are only temporary and will allow you to begin a new journey towards a healthier life. You are bound to gain a few extra pounds of weight but it will also allow you to start exercising on a regular basis which will keep your body healthy in the long run. Do not think that smoking cessation program has hindered your lifestyle. In fact, you are able to give yourself a better chance of living now, and add a good number of productive and healthy years to your life. The diseases associated with smoking like heart stroke, bronchitis and lung cancer will remain at bay.

We have stated seven ways to cope with the urge to smoke again once you have quit smoking.

•	Reason for Quitting - Try to retrospect and think about the reasons that made you quit smoking. Prepare yourself a list and stick it somewhere so that you can see it very frequently. Read that list at least five times everyday and especially when you have a very strong feeling towards smoking. More often than not, the most vital reasons which lead to give up smoking turn out to be personal ones. Therefore, these reasons are also the best ones for being smoke-free even after you have quit.
•	Rationalize - It is not a very difficult job to convince yourself to start smoking once more. Make sure you do not talk yourself into smoking all over again. Various thoughts will come into your mind and you will feel that one cigarette will not do you much harm. But try to rationalize with yourself and make up your mind to resist such temptations, do some breathing exercises or go for a short walk instead. You should not worry about the weight gain that is an after effect of cessation. A slight gain in weight is not as bad as the diseases which will put your life into danger.
•	Identify temptations - Once you have quit smoking, you are in a position to anticipate the causes that act as triggers for smoking. By this time, you will be able to make out which people, situations and feelings will tempt you to smoke again. Keep yourself well prepared to handle these issues and cope with them. Try to avoid alcohol and related drinks as much as possible, as these will make you feel strongly towards smoking.
•	Relax yourself - Whenever you are feeling restless and feel like having a smoke, try some breathing exercises which help in reducing the tension. Take deep breaths and keep repeating the procedure for some minutes. You will feel a lot more relaxed and the urge to smoke will gradually diminish.
•	Reward yourself - Whenever you spend an entire day without touching a cigarette, reward yourself. Buy some of your favorite records or treat yourself to a movie. Rewarding oneself depends on person to person but make sure you do it in the way that suits you the most. It will make you realize that whatever you are doing is very important and needs to be continued.
•	Think positively - Be an optimist and try to wash away all the feelings that make you feel defeated. Remind yourself time and again that you are now a non smoker. You had very good reasons to quit smoking and want to live the rest of life without smoking. Keep yourself in high esteem and think that whatever you are doing is the right thing to do.
•	Interact socially - Try to be a part of non smoking social groups and societies. Also tell your close friends and family members to keep reminding you about being a non smoker. Tell them to congratulate you regularly and do not get disappointed whenever you have an urge to smoke. They should be with you throughout this stage and help you stay off cigarettes.