Think about Your habits

Smoking can be linked to certain activities, places or people. For example, maybe you have a habit of having a smoke with your morning coffee, during a break with mates at work, or after a meal. Being in these situations can make you want a smoke.

Think about when you smoke.

Fill out the smoking diary and you’ll see what times and in what situations you have a smoke. Once you know what your smoking habits are, you can work out ways to change them.

Changing your habits

There are lots of simple things you can do to break your habit:

Smoking habit	Quit strategy
First thing in the morning	Jump in the shower first thing to start your day
With coffee or tea	Change what you drink and where you drink it
At morning tea	Read a magazine or book, sit in a different place or with different people
At the computer at home	Shift your desk around, have something there you can play with like a stress ball or keys
After meals	Drink water, brush your teeth or go for a walk
At afternoon tea	Try a herbal tea, read the paper, wash your hands and face
Straight after work	Do some exercise or meditation
Just before dinner	Eat earlier or later
With alcohol	Change to a different drink and hold it in the hand you smoke with
As you plan your next task	Breathe deeply or try a relaxation exercise
As a reward e.g. completing a task	Listen to music, have a piece of fruit
When you’re with others that smoke	Chew gum, bring a water bottle
At night in front of the TV	Change the furniture around, hold a stress ball, do some stretches
Just before bed	Have a warm drink or herbal tea, read a book

Think You’re Ready to Quit?