Still as motivated?

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Still as motivated?

You should receive this e-mail about eleven weeks after your quitting date.

Hello!

We hope you’re still feeling motivated to keep living smoke-free. You should know it’s normal to experience highs and lows when quitting smoking, even two months after D-Day.

Many people who have successfully freed themselves from nicotine say they will always consider themselves as ex-smokers. This observation should not discourage you in any way. It should just encourage you to remain vigilant and to accept that it’s still normal to think about smoking weeks, months and even years after quitting.

Tip of the week

To rev up your motivation, write down in your diary all your reasons for wanting to live smoke-free. You probably made a list when you began the quitting process, but maybe you’ll discover that your motivations have changed somewhat, now that you have first-hand experience of how good it feels to live without cigarettes.

With the help of the "Why do you smoke?" Test (Horn Test), you could also identify reasons that might cause (or have already caused) you to light up again. What needs do they meet? Are there ways other than smoking to satisfy these needs?

Do the scales tip toward life without cigarettes? We sure hope so!

Sticking with it

It’s not always easy to keep the flame burning and continue respecting your decision to live without cigarettes. When you feel your determination backsliding, try to understand why it’s happening. Try also to identify any obstacles, people or situations that might prompt you to relight the “bad” flame.

If you use a pharmacological aid (patch, gum, lozenges, varenicline, bupropion), your treatment is nearing the end. Know that it is always possible to prolong the treatment in certain cases, which would improve your chances of staying a non-smoker for good. Consult your doctor for more information.

You’ve made it this far? Congratulations! Take the time to reflect on what has kept you motivated. It could help you stay on track.

If you’ve had a few little setbacks, try to understand what made you light up again and what helped you regain control over your smoking. You’ll be better equipped to avoid reaching for a cigarette if temptation arises again.

Setbacks

"To fall is human. To rise again is divine."
"A winning attitude: it’s tough, but it’s possible."
"Winners always have a plan. Losers always have an excuse!"

Statements like these have a clear message: if you’ve started smoking again, DON’T GIVE UP AND DON’T GET DISCOURAGED!

Sometimes it takes several tries to successfully quit smoking for good. Be kind to yourself and don’t judge yourself. Try instead to understand what happened and see how you could revive your initial motivation. Were you sufficiently well prepared before embarking on the process? Can you identify events, emotions, people and situations that played a role in your setback? Take things ONE DAY AT A TIME and remember that the only real failure is to give up trying!

Staying motivated

Has your motivation level fluctuated? What influences these fluctuations? To reconnect with the energy you had at the beginning of the process, see the Tip of the week.

The important thing is to always remember the advantages of living smoke-free - and the disadvantages of being hooked on cigarettes. To give your urge to smoke a cold shower, read over the facts and figures about smoking.

Take a look at a few “extreme” sites on smoking:

Need a little help?

LThe on-line community is an invaluable resource to keep in mind:

For personalized advice, call 1-866-527-7383, or visit the Quit Smoking Centre in your region (page available in French).

Don’t forget your personal support network, starting with your sponsor or teammate.

Have a great week!

The Quit to Win! Challenge team
www.quitchallenge.ca

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