First off, I applaud you for finally coming to terms with the fact that you have an issue with smoking and that you want to face it head on. I believe that smoking, though a little less intense, is like any other form of addiction. The fact that smoking is not actually considered a drug makes it harder for people to put an end to it. But if you’re reading this, it means that you were brave enough to say no!
Relapsing is highly common, especially if you’re faced with situations, conditions, or activities that usually evoke you to light up a cigarette. Since smoking has become tolerable in certain workplaces, it could act as a considerable impediment for people who wish to stay clean. Therefore, I have delved into the matter and asked several quitters on their methods to constrain their need for cigarettes, whilst being surrounded by smokers in the workplace.
Here are four ways to keep you on track:
Tell Your Co-Workers About You Quitting
It is better to start telling your co-workers that you have decided to quit smoking and that you’re dead serious about it. Encouragingly, most of them will feel compelled to help you out by distancing themselves from you while smoking.
It Is Your Right to Have a Smoke-Free Room
Smelling cigarette smoke can be a very dangerous trigger. Don’t feel embarrassed to gently ask your co-workers to keep your work zone free of it. You can ask them to smoke anywhere other than the place you are working from.
Have Plans for the Things You’re Going to Do on Your Lunch Break
Lunch breaks are the perfect way for you to mingle and socialize with your co-workers, but it also means smoke! So, what you can do is, before heading to work, write down the things you can do whilst others are chit-chatting and smoking. You can try grabbing lunch from a nearby shop, calling a friend on the phone whilst eating, starting off a conversation with co-workers who do not smoke or read an article online.
Keep Your Goal Alive
Whenever you feel like you’re losing your will, remember why you’re doing this in the first place. Write it down and stick it on your desk or on your stick-on whiteboard if you need to.
