So you’ve made it through Quit Day, survived Hell Week, and now it’s time to focus on the future.  Congratulations!  For the most part, the main challenge in this phase of quitting is using everything you’ve already learned.  There are a few additional strategies that can be particularly helpful in staying smoke-free.

Rewards and Positive Reinforcement
Be sure to reward yourself for all your non-smoking achievements, no matter how small they might be. Celebrate every step along the way. The members of QuitNet taught us how important this is by creating their own celebrations and special recognitions for important milestones. Celebrate each cigarette you pass up, and each day and week you are smoke free!  Rewards don’t have to be expensive, or cost anything at all for that matter.  They just need to make you feel good about quitting.

Identify High Risk Situations
This is a skill that takes some creativity and brainstorming.  You probably have a pretty good idea of your more obvious high risk situations… times when you know for sure that you’ll have a strong urge to smoke.  The challenge is to think of other times when the urge to smoke may take you by surprise.  Special occasions, anniversaries, seasons of the year, smells, and emotions can all be powerful triggers that you should plan for.   Practice what you might do in high risk situations.  Having a number of coping strategies in mind will make it more likely that you are able to handle tough situations successfully.

The three most common situations when smokers relapse are:

• Negative moods (anger, stress, frustration, sadness, boredom, loneliness)
  
• Positive moods (excitement, happiness, wanting to celebrate)
  
• Social situations where others are smoking and drinking
  

Keep Your Guard Up
The key to staying quit long term is to keep your guard up.  It’s common for newly quit smokers to feel overconfident after making it through a few days or weeks.  Some people even purposely put themselves in potential trigger situations to “test” their resolve.  Don’t get cocky yet; until you are without any withdrawal symptoms and notice that your urges to smoke have become less frequent, it’s a good idea to be cautious.

Keep in Touch
You have a lot of valuable information and experience to share with other people who are either thinking about quitting or trying to quit right now.  Sharing your experience with them may make a big difference in their decision to quit.  It will also help you develop a strong, non-smoking self-image, making it more likely you’ll stay a nonsmoker.  As some Q Elders have said: ‘You can’t keep it unless you give it away!’  Keep visiting us here at QuitNet and let us know how you’re doing.  And spread the word to other smokers that they, too, can quit!

Table of Contents
Making the Decision | Getting Ready
Hell Week & Beyond | Staying Quit
Footnotes