Online Guide to Quitting
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Managing Cravings
When you really crave a cigarette
Remember: The urge to smoke will come and go. Try to wait it out. Or look at the plan you made last week. You wrote down steps to take at a time like this. Try them! You can also try these tips:
- Keep other things around instead of cigarettes. Try carrots, pickles,
sunflower seeds, apples, celery, raisins, or sugarfree gum.
- Wash your hands or the dishes when you want a cigarette very badly.
Or take a shower.
- Learn to relax quickly by taking deep breaths.
- Take 10 slow, deep breaths and hold the last one.
- Then breathe out slowly.
- Relax all of your muscles.
- Picture a soothing, pleasant scene.
- Just get away from it all for a moment.
- Think only about that peaceful image and nothing else.
- Light incense or a candle instead of a cigarette.
- Where you are and what is going on can make you crave a cigarette. A
change of scene can really help. Go outside, or go to a different room.
You can also try changing what you are doing.
- No matter what, don't think, "Just one won't hurt." It will
hurt. It will undo your work so far.
- Remember: Trying something to beat the urge is always better
than trying nothing.
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