Just because you went back to smoking, it doesn’t mean that all is lost. There is a real tendency to feel as though you have failed, that quitting is just too hard and that you don’t have what it takes. It’s important that you put slips and relapses in perspective and see them for what they really are: opportunities to learn.

Here are some specific steps for handling any slip or relapse:

1. Get rid of them – remove any further temptations by throwing out all cigarettes. Better yet, pour water over them so there is no way you can smoke them.
   
   
2. Talk to yourself – decide if it’s worth giving it another try. Was this relapse just a temporary detour, or was it a sign that you really aren’t ready yet. Think about all of your reasons for quitting and decide if they are till important to you.
   
   
3. Let it go – let go of your relapse and view it as a quit smoking tool that sheds light on what you need to focus on.
   
   
4. Commend yourself – give yourself credit for trying to quit in the first place.
   
   
5. Play detective – try to uncover exactly what caused the relapse. Some of the mot common reasons are feeling isolated, feeling lonely, getting stressed out, getting angry, drinking alcohol, and feeling depressed or going to a party.
   
   
6. Break it down and make a plan– after uncovering what led to the relapse or slip, break it down into steps and decide where you could have done things differently.
   
   For example, say you were having a stressful day at work. Your boss asked you to complete a task without giving you enough time to do so. Then, one of your coworkers was upset and made a really nasty comment about the quality of work you do. On top of all that, you just found out that the time off you requested was denied. So, during your lunch break you are outside and someone offers you a cigarette and you smoke it.

   Breaking this down into steps, you can see how the stress level kept on rising and rising. What could you have done differently? Perhaps you could have asked your boss for more time, explaining that you take pride in your work and want to do a good job. Or, perhaps you could have asked a co-worker for some help. With respect to the nasty co-worker, maybe you could have approached that person and asked to discuss the statement further when they weren’t so upset. Or, maybe you could have gone outside for a minute or two to cool off yourself. Most important of all, maybe during the lunch break, knowing that you were stressed out and at risk for relapsing, you could have gone to a location where there would be no chance of anyone offering you a cigarette.

   The point is that it takes time and experience to learn the steps that lead up to a relapse. But as you do, you will be able to make a plan that helps you avoid them.