If you should slip
Don't fall into all-or-nothing thinking. So, you couldn't resist smoking "just one cigarette." You didn't commit a crime! Don't let one cigarette be an excuse for going back to smoking. You're not doomed to be a smoker again. Remember when you learned something new, like riding a bike. What happened when you fell off? Right! You picked yourself up again. What should you do now? Pick yourself up again. The important thing is to learn from the slip.
Dr. Alan Marlatt, a psychologist who's helped thousands of smokers quit, says you should:
1. Treat the slip as an emergency. You've got to act right away.
2. Remember, a slip is not a relapse. You don't have to go back to smoking.
3. Renew your decision to quit.
4. Review the actions that led to the slip so you won't repeat them.
5. Make a plan for recovery. Decide what you'll do next time to avoid smoking.
6. Ask someone for help.
Do not think that you lack what it takes to succeed. You made a mistake. But it's not the end of the world. Learn from the slip. You'll have more confidence next time you face temptation.