Top 7 Smoking Triggers

If you are a smoker you need to remember that smoking is not only an addiction, it is a habit as well and needs to be treated as such. A habit is a regularly repeated behavior pattern with actions that are repeated over and over, therefore becomes typical for that persons behavior. Addiction the term "addict" is often used in several contexts and describes a compulsion, obsession, dependency and even psychological dependence. Addiction is often accompanied by deviant behavior in order for the addict to get more.

So in short, before you became addicted to nicotine you first formed behavior patters that became a habit and with any habit, there are triggers that make us desire the cigarette more, therefore eventually making you addicted to the nicotine. Once addicted to the nicotine, you will feel that you cannot live without them. If you do decide to quite smoking your body will go through several changes including being grouchy, short tempered and you may start eating to replace the cigarette. Most people will need assistance with quitting smoking.

What are triggers? Triggers are situations that make us want the cigarette. The following are the most common triggers to a smoker.

Top 7 triggers for smokers

• Being around other smokers, when we find ourselves near other smokers we will tend to follow the lead and smoke more than we normally would.

• Stress, when we go through stressful situations we often smoke more than usual thinking that it will relax us, when in reality introducing an over abundance of nicotine to our blood stream can make you more agitated and keep the stress level up.

• After eating meal, almost all smokers will immediately light up a cigarette after eating.

• Coffee and Alcohol, both of these beverages have stimulating components that either pep us up or give us that euphoric feeling. While a smoker drinks coffee and alcohol they will smoke twice as much as usual and end up the next day with a sore throat.

• Break time at work, this can be a very difficult time for a smoker. You sit at your desk counting the minutes that pass until you can get your next fix of nicotine. Once you get the break you then will smoke twice as much to try to satisfy the craving that was probably driving you crazy.

• Driving in the car, while traveling on long road trips can make smokers want to smoke more than normal because we are bored and are confined to a small space, therefore can tend to chain smoke while in the car.

• Parties, this is another social situation that will make you desire having a cigarette more often. To feel accepted by our pears always makes us feel better, so we tend to follow what others are doing to fit in, this can be detrimental to our health.

Ways to break the habit or addiction to smoking and block the triggers that make you want the cigarette.

Try to avoid situations that put you around other smokers, while at a party find the non-smoking group and hang out with them and this will reduce the desire for the cigarette. When you feel stressed out, try to change to habit of picking up a cigarette during stressful times and instead lean on a family member or friend for comfort. Meditation also can help with stress and can help to focus your mind on other things.

After you finish a meal immediately get up from the table, remaining seated at the table we are more likely to light up. Get up and go for a short walk around the block with your spouse or play a board game with your family to keep your mind focused on something else. During social situations if people are smoking around you, excuse yourself and step outside for a breath of fresh air, but do not smoke! If you are trying to quite smoking, you will need to avoid alcoholic beverages for a while. While we are in social situations we tend to smoke even if we really don't want it. You will also want to change your coffee habits, instead of having that first cup right when you get up, wait until you get to work to have the coffee. By doing this you will ensure that you do not smoke a cigarette because you will be at work and have your mind on something else. To avoid smoking in your car while on long trips, take out the ashtray in your car or fill it with change to avoid using it. You could also put some reasons for you quitting smoking on paper and put them in the ashtray and when you feel like you need a smoke, pull one out and read it.

With any addiction, when trying to quite there will be withdraws that can make you irritable, sweat and make you overall unpleasant to be around. When you commit yourself to quitting smoking these withdraws usually only last for the first 7 days, after the first week the nicotine is out of your blood stream and there should be less craving or need for the cigarette. If one can make it through the first week you will have success in your endeavor to quit.

References for this article came from smoking.com and the truth.com also from my personal experience, I quit smoking 8 years ago.