In the coming months, several SCA locations will be going
tobacco-free. If you use tobacco, this
might be an ideal time to start thinking about cutting back or quitting. As the date approaches, SCA will be providing
information and resources to assist you.
If you’ve tried to quit before and have been unsuccessful,
there is good news. It takes most people
several tries to quit for life. An
attempt that didn’t stick does not mean you can’t quit. It might just mean that you weren't ready or
didn’t use a method that was a good fit for you at the time.
If you’ve never tried to quit before, there is also good
news. Some people are able to quit for
life on the very first try! There are a
variety of ways to quit and support available to assist you with any of them.
BEFORE YOU QUIT
When people start using tobacco after months or years of
being tobacco-free, it is usually during one of two situations:
1)
Stressful life events
2)
Situations associated with
using tobacco in the past
Whatever your circumstances in life, there are two
guarantees: 1) You will experience stressful life events at some point; 2) You
will be in situations that remind you of using tobacco. Before you even choose your method and set a
quit date, give some thought to how you will respond when these two inevitable
circumstances occur.
MAKE A LIST
I suggest making a list with pen and paper, or print out a
document, so you can put it in a visible place.
When life gets difficult, what could you do instead of relying on
tobacco? Could you take a walk? Call a friend? What helps you to blow off steam? Try not to rely on food as a replacement for
tobacco because trading the risks of tobacco for the risks of obesity is not
ideal.
Think about the ways that tobacco may be helping you to
relieve stress. If you smoke, you might
be using the cigarettes as an excuse to walk away from situations (work, family
events) and take a break. Give yourself
permission to walk away and take a break even if you don’t need a
cigarette. When you smoke a cigarette,
you are also taking a long, slow breath.
This relaxes the nervous system and helps to manage stress. Try taking a few long, slow breaths without
the cigarette and notice how you feel.
If you chew tobacco, you may be relying on that activity to
relieve nervous energy. What else could
you do with that energy?
Also, think about what you will do when you are in a place
that you usually use tobacco, or with other people who haven’t decided to quit
yet. Imagine yourself successfully
handling these situations and sticking with your commitment to be tobacco-free.
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION?
Do you want to breathe easier? Smell better?
Set an example for your children?
Live longer for your grandchildren?
What are the most powerful reasons you can think of for quitting? Hold those reasons in your mind, post them on
the fridge, and type them on your computer screensaver. Remind yourself every day why this is
important to you, and why you will succeed.
BUILD YOUR MINDFULNESS MUSCLES
Even if you plan to quit when your location officially goes
tobacco-free, you don’t have to wait to start thinking about your habits. Every time you decide not to use tobacco, you
are giving your body a break from the burden that tobacco puts on all of your
organs. When you reach for the package,
think about whether you truly need it this time, or whether you can wait a
little while longer. Aside from allowing
your organs some recovery time, you are practicing the art of mindfulness and
self-awareness. These skills are like
muscles that get strengthened with use and improve your ability to move toward
a tobacco-free life.
REACH OUT FOR HELP
As you prepare to reduce or stop your tobacco use, don’t
hesitate to use all of the resources that SCA is making available to you. Contact HealthNEXT or your Employee
Assistance Program to talk about how and when you want to start.
No comments:
Post a Comment