I see so many new quitters and have been reminiscing about those days for me and how rough some of them were. The suck needs to be embraced and remembered.
You don't have to be at the mercy of your tobacco cravings. When an urge to use strikes, remember that although it may be intense, it will be short-lived, and it probably will pass within a few minutes rather you take a dip or not. Each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to quitting for good. It can be difficult, but here are 10 ways I've taken from others and used myself to help resist the urge when craving strikes, no matter where you are. Of course these follow the 2 critical steps of POSTING ROLL and KEEPING YOUR WORD:
1. Delay-- If you feel like you're going to give in to your craving, tell yourself that you must first wait 10 more minutes and repeat as often as needed.
2. Don't have 'just one.'--You might be tempted to have just one dip to satisfy your craving. But don't fool yourself into believing that you can stop at just one. Having just one leads to another, then another.
3. Avoid triggers--Urges for tobacco are likely to be strongest in the situations where you chewed most often, such as at parties or bars, in the car or while watching television. Identify your trigger situations and have a plan in place so that you can avoid them entirely or get through them without using tobacco. Don't set yourself up for failure.
4. Get physical--Physical activity can help distract you from cravings and reduce the intensity of cravings. Physical activity can make a craving go away. If you can't do physical activity find another distraction.
5. Practice relaxation techniques-- Take the edge off stress by practicing relaxation techniques including deep-breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, yoga, visualization, hypnosis and massage.
6. Call reinforcements--Touch base with one of your group or other KTC support member, family member or friend for moral support as you struggle to resist a craving. Go to Chat, go for a walk or simply share a few laughs — or get together to commiserate about your cravings with another quitter.
7. Remember the benefits of quitting--Write down or say out loud the reasons you want to quit.
8. post encouraging thoughts for someone else who might be struggling with cravings.
9. Read others posts- Learn from how others have handled their cravings.
10. Give your mouth something to do.--Chew on sugarless gum or hard candy fake dip or munch on raw carrots, celery, nuts or sunflower seeds — something crunchy and satisfying.
Remember, trying something to beat the urge is always better than doing nothing. And each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to being totally tobacco-free.
