Sticking to Your Quit

Everyone has a different way to quit, but there’s one thing almost everyone has in common: hitting a few bumps along the way. And those bumps? They’re perfectly okay. If you slip up and use commercial tobacco during your quit, the most important thing to do is keep trying. Here are some helpful tips you can use to stick to your quit when the going gets tough.

Find Healthy Ways to Deal with Stress

Think back to the reason you started using commercial tobacco. For a lot of people, it has to do with relieving stress. However, now that you’re working on quitting, it’s important to find other ways to manage stress without using commercial tobacco. Here are a few ways to get started.

Keep Trying

Everyone has one thing in common: hitting a few bumps along the way. Keep trying; it takes most people several attempts to quit.

Stay Positive

Focus on the benefits of quitting and what you’re gaining instead of what you’re giving up. Write these down to remind yourself.

Reach Out

Connect with friends and family to share your goals—and your struggles. They can help you stay strong and remind you of your reasons for quitting. You don’t have to go it alone.

Relax

Relaxing may be more difficult these days if you’re out of your typical routine or not able to see friends and family as often. Try reading, talking on the phone, taking deep breaths, getting outside or practicing yoga.

Stay Active

You may be sticking around the house more these days, but that doesn’t mean you have to be inactive—try going for a walk, riding your bike, or doing an at-home workout. Doing something that gets you moving helps clear your mind and makes it easier to deal with new challenges. Start small and keep moving until you feel better.

Fuel Your Body

Find the right mix of foods—including treats—to keep yourself full of energy. Try different recipes to find something that’s both healthy and tasty.

Slip Up? Don’t Give Up!

If you’re quitting and have a puff or dip, don’t worry. Almost everyone slips up at some point during their quit. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Think about what happened, and make a plan to keep using less and less until eventually you get to none.

Here are some things to keep track of when you slip up. Writing down your answers to these questions will help you learn about yourself and what you need to do to keep quitting.

What caused me to slip up?
What time of day did it happen?
Where did it happen?
What will you do in the same situation next time?

Treat Yourself

Go ahead! Give yourself a pat on the back. Rewards are key to quitting. You can set your own milestones and rewards, but here are some examples to help get you thinking.

Milestone	Reward
One day without commercial tobacco	Reading or video game time by yourself
Five days in a row without commercial tobacco	Digging into your favorite dessert
Two weeks without commercial tobacco	Taking a bike ride with friends

1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669)