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Watching TV
What to Expect
TV programs may provide you with many “triggers” to smoke (movies that show smoking, re-runs of old detective shows, etc.).
The time of day that you watch TV may also be a smoking “trigger.” For example, you may be used to smoking when watching a morning news program or a late night talk show.
Frequency
When smoking in the house, you may be used to smoking whenever you watch TV.
You may also be more likely to smoke only while watching specific programs.
Self-Management
Get rid of cigarettes, ashtrays, and lighters.
Sit in a different place.
Practice relaxation—take a minute and, with your eyes closed, pay attention to your breathing pattern. Breathe in deeply through your nose and breath out through your mouth.
If you fall asleep—enjoy it.
Have low fat snacks handy.
Channel surf away from high trigger content shows—change the channel when you see smoking!
Try watching at different times of the day.
Nicotine and Your Body and Mind
When you quit smoking, you may feel deprived of the increased stimulation and positive mood that is brought on by tobacco use.
Something as simple as a smell, a sound, a color or a voice can remind you of cigarettes and of the feelings brought on by smoking—television provides many such “cues!”
You may have also come to associate both TV and smoking with relaxing. Now that you have given up smoking, something may feel out of place.