Look at the following list of typical triggers. Does any of them ring a bell with you? Check off those that might trigger an urge to smoke, and add any others you can think of:

• Working under pressure

• Feeling blue

• Talking on the telephone

• Having a drink

• Watching television

• Driving your car

• Finishing a meal

• Playing cards

• Drinking coffee

• Watching someone else smoke

If you're like many new nonsmokers, the most difficult place to resist the urge to smoke is the most familiar: home. The activities most closely associated with smoking urges are eating, partying, and drinking. And, not surprisingly, most urges occur when a smoker is present.

How to dampen that urge

There are seven major coping skills to help you fight the urge to smoke. These tips are designed for you, the new nonsmoker, to help you nurture the nonsmoking habit.

1. Think about why you quit - Go back to your list of reasons for quitting. Look at this list several times a day - especially when you're hit with an urge to smoke. The best reasons you could have for quitting are very personally yours, and these are also your best reasons for staying a nonsmoker.

2. Know when you're rationalizing - It's easy to rationalize yourself back into smoking (see "Common Rationalizations"). Don't talk yourself into smoking again. A new nonsmoker in a tense situation may think, "I'll just have one cigarette to calm myself down." If thoughts like this pop into your head, stop and think again! You know better ways to relax - nonsmokers' ways, such as taking a walk or doing breathing exercises.
   
   Concern about gaining weight may also lead to rationalizations. Learn to counter thoughts such as "I'd rather be thin, even if it means smoking." Remember that a slight weight gain is not likely to endanger your health as much as smoking would (cigarette smokers have about a 70-percent higher rate of premature death than nonsmokers). And review the list of healthy, low-calorie snacks that you used when quitting.

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