Breaking out of a Smoking Routine

To quit smoking successfully, you need to break your old habits. We know that’s easier said than done – especially if your friends are smokers. We’ve gathered these suggestions together in order to help you break free from smoking for good, and without losing touch with your friends in the process.

•  Change your settings and activities. 
  Coping around other smokers often means being around your smoking friends and colleagues. There’s no need to cut social ties. Just use your imagination, and as a bonus you’ll find yourself doing new and interesting things.
  
  It’ll be easier to visit with your smoking friends if you change where you meet and what you do. For example, if your tradition with them every Friday night was a glass of wine and a cigarette, consider doing something else. Try going out for dinner or to the movies, walk to an exhibition, or go for a hike.
  
  Instead of chatting with colleagues during the usual smoke break, grab a coffee with them at another time.

•  Be prepared. 
  Do not isolate yourself from others when you quit smoking. Of course, you’ll have to deal with cravings in certain situations. But events will happen that you won’t want to miss - like a birthday party. Just make sure that you are prepared.
  
  NICORETTE^® products can support your willpower and help you cope with the desire to smoke a cigarette. In order to cope with a craving in a social situation, try chewing NICORETTE^® Icy Mint Medicated Chewing Gum. Our Invisi Transdermal Patch is another option - it can reduce your urge to smoke for up to 16 hours.

•  Surround yourself with support. 
  Most people will want to support you because they understand that quitting smoking is a great thing to be doing and a difficult test of willpower. Make sure to rely on their support especially when tackling cravings, rather than doing it alone.

•  Stay positive. 
  Always stay focused on the positives of quitting smoking – like how you’ll improve your health and appearance, how much money you’ll save, and how happy your loved ones will be when they find out that you no longer smoke. Play out these positive thoughts in your head. Better yet, make a list of them and hang it somewhere that you’ll see often, like the fridge. This optimism comes in handy when you need to say "no" to another cigarette.