Fall is the time of year that I appreciate the most. I enjoy the cool crispness of the air and the leaves changing color on the trees. Also, it is the time of year where I am more susceptible to falling back to what is familiar and ending up off track. Do you know that feeling?
I know the track that I want to be on; but for some reason there are unconscious thoughts, or just simply the allure, to veer off and jump back on the familiar rails where I know every bump and sound the track makes.
This can happen very easily especially when you have been going along on a positive path for a while and feel you are in the clear. You may say things to yourself like, “I got this, there is no way that I am ever going back to smoking; I can smoke a cigarette here and there and not become a pack a day smoker; I am a new person, and I will be alright going to dinner with my friends that smoke.” It is true that when you practice new behaviors repeatedly, you are less likely to revert to old behaviors.
However, being human means sometimes you take the wrong path, especially when you have been on cruise control for a while, and stop noticing your old thoughts or behaviors that are effortlessly creeping back in. These “old” habits derail your path and put you right back where you started, addicted to tobacco use. It doesn’t take long to stop and wonder, “How did I get here (back on the wrong path)? I want to be on the other path, the right path.”
How to get back on the right track
- Be mindful of urges: Simply notice when you start craving tobacco. It may not take away the urge, but it will open a space for you to make a better choice.
- Pay attention: Notice your subtle behaviors. Are they leading you back to old behaviors by romanticizing your relationship with tobacco? “My friends are meeting people by going outside to smoke, I will go outside with them to get some fresh air.” This type of thinking is like playing with fire - and you may get burned. These behaviors are signs that you may have come off your track.
- Recognize permission-giving: Are you having thoughts that will make you fall backward? Thoughts such as, “I am so stressed that I will just smoke one; I will buy a pack or a tin (just in case); or, I decided to have one with my friends,” will, realistically, lead you right back to a pack or a tin.
- Beware of enablers: The family member or friend that says, “You can have just one; I don’t like to smoke alone; or, I remember when we would sit on the steps, talk, smoke, and solve all the world’s problems.” Some people do not understand addiction and do not recognize the risk involved with certain behaviors. Try to avoid them or have a plan to keep yourself on the right track.
In the end, the most important thing to remember is that the right path is always there and available to you once you decide to jump back on. You might feel discouraged because of being derailed, but don’t let that stop you from hopping back on. You know the path you want to take, so take that first step and hop back on.
What situation is most likely to “derail” your quit plan? And what have you found helpful to keep you on track?
