Schedule Change – Craving Management

When life changes, such as job loss, divorce or death of a loved one, cause increased stress, it may throw a wrench in your quit plan. Even positive life changes, such as a birth of a child, can produce an unusual amount of stress, giving you one more reason to give in to the urge to smoke.

For instance, there was a woman who was going through retirement. This should be a happy time, but she faced an immense amount of free time that she struggled to fill. This left her smoking constantly and she eventually got up to three packs a day. She was about to try the drug Chantix and she implored her readers to support her in her latest attempt to quit. Her story shows how sometimes a positive life change can have negative health effects. In this case, it was not so much the change in lifestyle that increased this woman’s nicotine usage. It was most likely the drastic change in schedule that caused her to increase her usage.

A change in schedule oftentimes upsets our inner clock, and as our body and brain adjust stress is felt. Until we mentally recognize the new schedule as “normal,” we may feel uneasy. One of the best ways to combat schedule change stress is to schedule regular exercise and relaxation time into your day. Just 20 minutes of exercise can raise endorphins and help mood. It is equally important to schedule in specific relaxation time. This can be as simple as a weekly trip to the library, or lunch date with a friend. Just be sure you don’t go to a place you used to smoke. ;)