Cues
Things in our daily lives can trigger the desire to smoke. These things are often associated with routines and memories of smoking. Memories of who you smoked with, when, where and why can all become triggers or cues to have a cigarette. When you are trying to reduce or quit smoking, cues that lead to cravings can be challenging. To read more about dealing with cravings,
click here. These won’t last forever. The longer you go without smoking, the less you will associate your daily activities with cigarettes.
It can be helpful to identify your own unique cues so that you can plan how you will cope with them when they happen. One way to do this is to keep a smoking diary. Each time you smoke, write down your cues. Here is an example:
| Time | Place | Activity | People | Mood | # Smoked |
| 7:00am | Front porch | Sitting with morning coffee | Alone | Tired | 2 |
| 2:30pm | Picnic table | On break | Coworkers | Social | 1 |
| 9:30pm | Kitchen | Just put kids in bed | Alone | Frustrated | 2 |
To download a blank copy of the cue diary that you can print out and use,
click here. Once you figure out what your cues are, you can strategize how to cope with them.
Here are some examples of common cues, and some tips on how to avoid them:
| Coffee | Change your coffee routine. Drink it in a different place, with a new mug and at a different time. Try switching to tea or hot chocolate for a short time. |
| After meals | Chew gum after meals, get up from the table right away, start a new hobby or activity after meals like walks. |
| Drinking alcohol | If drinking alcohol triggers your smoking, try to avoid drinking when you are first quitting. Sip on something non-alcoholic like cranberry juice and fizzy water. |
| Partner smoking | Women find it harder to quit or cut back when their partner and others who are close to them smoke. If it is possible for you and your partner to quit or cut back on smoking at the same time, this would be ideal. To read more about partner support, click here. |
| Coworkers smoking | Tell your coworkers that you are quitting or cutting back. Avoid the smoking areas at your workplace and seek out people who don’t smoke during breaks. |
| Talking on the phone | Use a phone in a different room when you are at home. Keep your hands busy while you are talking. For example: use stress balls, doodle or knit.
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| In the car | Remove the ash tray from your car or fill it with candies or change. Try taking a different route to work to keep your mind busy with directions. |
| Boredom | When you are bored, do other things you enjoy. Take up a hobby that you enjoy such as knitting, reading, photography, painting or gardening. Do anything to keep your mind and body busy. |
| Watching TV | Like when talking on the phone, keep your hands busy when you are watching TV. Try to cut back on TV at first and do other hobbies for fun.
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| Feeling angry or down | When you are feeling angry or down, try to find other outlets for your emotions. Try writing in a journal or calling a friend to talk. Go for a walk to clear your head and get some quick exercise.
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| Stress | Stress has been identified by many women as the top smoking cue. To read more about stress, click here. |