Planning to Stay Quit

A Learning Exercise to Help You Develop Strategies to Deal with Various Situations Once You Have Quit Smoking

Imagine you have recently quit and now find yourself in the situation described below. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate how strong the urge to smoke would be for you. Record your rating in the second column. In column 3, jot down a response that would help you avoid reaching for a cigarette. Print this page to complete this exercise.

You have just picked up your car from the mechanic and the bill is twice as much as you expected. Driving home, you realize the problem is still not fixed. The car stalls in rush hour traffic. You feel frustrated and angry. You open the glove box to look at the owner’s manual and discover a forgotten pack of cigarettes. You really want one.

You are sitting on the deck with a few friends on a beautiful summer evening, sipping a cold beer and enjoying the company. One of your friends lights a cigarette and offers you one. It smells wonderful.

You are on your way home from work feeling tired, hungry and depressed. You stop at the supermarket, fill the cart with groceries and then find you have forgotten your money. On your way out you see a new cigarette display offering a free sample.

You are home alone. The house is clean, the laundry caught up, supper will be ready in an hour and the kids are at the park with their dad. You sit down to relax and read the paper. You notice a cigarette package on the shelf.

Planning To Stay Quit - Page 2

You are at a party with friends and have had several drinks. Everyone seems to be smoking. You remember how satisfying it used to be. You still can’t figure what to do with your hands. A friend offers you a cigarette - your old brand.

You have been working under pressure all day. Your boss gave you trouble for something you didn’t do. A co-worker stopped by to share the rumor of impending layoffs. You realize your job may be affected. When you get home, you find that you cannot relax. You think a cigarette could help.

A good friend just lost a child in an auto accident. You are at her house to comfort her. She is a heavy smoker and is chain smoking. You can’t ask her not to smoke in her own house and you can’t leave her. You know if you stay another minute you are going to have a cigarette yourself.

You are out with your best friend for a drive. He complains that since you have quit smoking there is a wedge between the two of you. He feels so guilty when he lights up in front of you and you look uncomfortable. He needs to stop for cigarettes and can’t find a place to park. He asks you to jump out while he drives around the block. You come out with his cigarettes and pack of matches. As you stand waiting, you have an urge to light up one.

The purpose of this worksheet is to help you decide if you may want to seek additional information or help in this area. It is not designed to give you a diagnosis. Only a qualified physician or mental health professional can give a diagnosis after a comprehensive evaluation. If you have any immediate concerns about yourself or someone you know, contact your Employee Assistance Professional, Family Doctor or other trusted professional.

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If you would like any further help in this area, please feel free to post a question to our addiction expert at www.LifeHub.com in the Addiction “Ask the Expert” area.

For additional information within LifeHub™, see the entire series of Worksheets, Articles and Assessments designed to help you improve your health.