< Ready to Quit Smoking?
If you are like many smokers, lighting up may be the first thing you do each day. The morning can set the tone for the rest of the day. Smoking that first cigarette may be the first step toward a daily routine built mostly on making opportunities to smoke.
You wake up in the morning. You start your normal routine. Already, you've probably run into plenty of triggers that tempt you to light up. Once you know what these triggers are, you can start to handle them. Before you go to sleep, make a list of things you need to avoid in the morning that will make you want to smoke. Place this list where you used to place your cigarettes.
Did you know?
If you have the urge to smoke first thing in the morning, your body is probably addicted to nicotine. After 6 to 8 hours of sleep, your nicotine level drops and your body develops a need for a quick boost of nicotine when you wake up. You must be ready to overcome this physical need.
We're here to help you
Your health coach can help you to identify your triggers. He or she can also help you develop a quit plan that's right for you. Please call the MyHealth Ready to Quit Line at 1-800-807-0751 for information about quitting or to learn about our tobacco cessation services.
Fight the urge
- Think about using medication to help reduce cravings. You and your doctor can decide which medication may be best for you. Using a 24-hour nicotine patch may weaken your first-thing-in-the-morning urge to smoke.
- Make a list of early morning triggers and avoid them.
- Move your cigarettes so they are not easily available.
- Begin each day with deep breathing and one or more glasses of water.
- Start your day with a preplanned activity that will keep you busy for an hour or more. Consider taking a walk first thing in the morning.
- Put something else, like sugar-free gum, in your mouth.
- REMEMBER, an urge to smoke usually lasts only 3 to 5 minutes.
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< Ready to Quit Smoking?
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