15. Starting a Daily Journal
Start a daily journal to keep a record about when you smoke, where you smoke most, with whom and why.
Write down everything from big to small, and leave some space to add more to it. In addition to inserting the information about your smoking behavior, add other useful information such as the names and phone numbers of the people who support you and include a list reasons of why you want to quit, preferably in the beginning of your daily journal.
This kind of smoking journal will be helpful to you, both while preparing to quit and even after you have stopped smoking.
Prepare your journal prior to your quit date. Write down the record for four days, which should include two weekdays and one weekend.
Enter:
• The time, place, and situation (what you were doing at the time of an urge for a cigarette) for each time you smoke.
• The level of your cravings for a cigarette
Analyze your data for the four days to determine when it will be hardest for you to refrain from smoking. Think of the ways you can shun these situations.
If you cannot, think of what other things you can do rather than smoking.
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