Strategies for being smoke free on campus

  • 30 August 2021

SAIT is smoke-free campus. That doesn't mean you have to quit smoking but you may be wondering how you'll adjust. Here are some tips that might help.

SAIT is a smoke-free campus. While you don’t have to quit smoking, you may be wondering how you’ll adjust.

Don’t panic. Here are some tips to help you get through the day.

 

A nicotine craving only lasts a few minutes

If you can distract yourself that long, you’ll have beaten it. Try this:

  • Chew gum — this will give your mouth something to focus on. A fresh minty taste actually reduces the desire to smoke.
  • Take a few deep breaths — this simulates the type of breath you take while inhaling smoke or vapour.
  • Keep your hands busy — they’re used to holding a cigarette, so try squeezing a stress ball, twirling a pen between your fingers or playing with a rubber band.

Break your smoker’s habits and practice new ones

By practicing the habits of a non-smoker, your day on campus will be easier. These new habits don’t have to be forever, but after a few weeks, they’ll help the cravings fade.

  • Don’t have a smoke with coffee — teach yourself to have your morning java without a craving to smoke.
  • Don’t smoke in your car or at a bus stop — make not doing it the norm, and eventually you won’t be looking for that cigarette.
  • Try not to smoke right after you eat something — keep those cravings after breaks or at lunch time at bay.

Avoid replacing cigarettes with snacks

Especially the sweet kind. Instead, drink a glass of water or have a veggie break.

Work it out

A short burst of exercise releases the same feel-good chemical in the brain that is triggered by nicotine. Climb a flight of stairs, walk around the block, or try doing star jumps or crunches for one minute.

Looking to quit smoking?