10 Reasons Smokers Fail To Quit, and How To Avoid Them

If World No Tobacco Day has got you picturing a cigarette-free future, then you’ll want to know the top ten reasons smokers fail to quit and make it stick, and how to avoid these obstacles yourself. Did you know your brain LOVES to run on autopilot, which makes some habits harder to break?

By Nina Sabat

• The 10 common reasons you fail to quit smoking
• What’s a habit?
• ‘Good’ versus ‘bad’ habits - what’s the difference?
• Why your brain is wired to make you a creature of habit
• Ideas and supplements to help you quit smoking

Today we’re sharing 10 reasons why smokers often fail to quit and make healthier new habits that stick. If you’ve tried and failed to give up smoking before, then you’re not alone.  Studies estimate that for some smokers it can take 30 attempts for them to succeed. [1]

What is it about bad habits that makes them so tricky to replace? If your head is set and your heart is full of good intentions surely this should be something that’s pretty easy to do.

Clearly not! So, what else is going on?

Well, there are some peculiar properties of habits that can hold you back or derail your plans for change.

Let’s begin with a look at why you collect all these sticky habits, then dive into ways to change them for the long-term.

There’s no point in pretending it will be a doddle but armed with this insight you might find it easier to build that bridge between knowing better to doing differently, and turn your next effort to quit smoking into a life-long success.

(📸 Image: The Ripple Co @therippleco on IG)

The 10 Common Reasons You Fail to Quit Smoking

Before you consider what makes habits so sticky and hard to change, what are the 10 common reasons smokers fail to quit?

1. Going cold turkey
2. Thinking it will be easy
3. Thinking it will be hard and expecting to fail
4. Not having a support network
5. Not having an accountability buddy
6. Forgetting to replace what smoking has taken out
7. Not having an alternative action
8. Not understanding the reason(s) why you smoke
9. Starting then convincing yourself it wasn’t the perfect moment to begin
10. Not allowing enough time for a healthier new habit to stick

These 10 reasons might be surprisingly familiar to you, which begs the question - if you and Bob and Jacinta and Betty are all tripped up by the same types of obstacles then is there something common amongst human habits, something that everyone shares?

The answer lies in understanding what makes a habit, why you need them, and why they are so satisfying to your subconscious and conscious brain.

The same information is useful if you’re a smoker who is ready to quit.

What’s A Habit?

What’s one thing that you and the next person you meet will have in common? You guessed it – you both have habits. Everyone has a set of behaviours that they slip in to without a second thought.

Many are just mundane parts of your everyday actions.

In the morning, do you brush your teeth as soon as you wake up or only after you’ve had your breakfast? In the evening you’ll probably take out your contact lenses (if you wear them). You might find you always remove the left one first. Or maybe it’s the lens from your right eye?

All of us have a set of habits. Many of us have the same habits and routines, but you will have a personal preference as to how you get yours done.

Good’ vs ‘Bad’ Habits – What’s The Difference?

Every habit that you have runs according to a predictable pattern. First there’s a cue, followed by a craving, then the response, and finally the reward.

Despite this pattern, or habit loop, being common to all habits they can still be categorised as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. This is because although you experience some sort of ‘reward’ it doesn’t automatically mean that it’s positive in terms of your health.

The ‘good’ habits like physical activity and eating green vegetables have positive effects on your wellbeing. ‘Bad’ habits will have a negative impact on your health.

What sorts of habits may be thought of as being ‘bad’?

There’s being physically inactive when you’re capable of exercising and risking your long-term health. Saying yes to please your boss then working till midnight when you really should be sleeping. Or smoking a cigarette because you feel it helps you fit in with your friends.

It’s important to restate that while these habits may be ‘bad’, the reward you get is desirable and something that feels good to you.

All habits run according to predictable loops which include a cue, a craving, a response and a reward. However, while ‘good’ habits are beneficial to your wellbeing, ‘bad’ habits have a negative effect. Understanding the loop and the reward you receive from your habits gives you an advantage when it comes to making a change.

Why Your Brain Is Wired To Make You A Creature Of Habit

As you go through life what makes you collect such a large number of habits?  If you’ve been inspired by World No Tobacco Day to make your bad habit of smoking a thing of the past, you’ll definitely be curious to know.

However, as many people have found, smokers and non-smokers alike, despite deciding to prioritise your well-being and upgrade your actions, it can be a struggle to break a ‘bad’ habit and start to do something different instead.

So why is it so difficult to break ’bad’ habits?

It all comes down to 3 essential factors:

• what feels good
• the safety element
• that when given a choice between doing something new or the same old action, your brain prefers to run through the habit loop.

Let’s take a quick look at each of these in turn. This is important, especially when it comes to avoiding the common obstacles that trip up smokers and make it difficult for them to finally quit.

The feel-good factor reinforces ‘bad’ habits

Our brains are set up so that we notice and pay attention to the things that we find pleasing to do. Every time we do them, a bit of dopamine gets released and we get a feel-good hit.

When you think back to the very first cigarette you smoked, it probably didn’t taste that great. Nevertheless, there was some satisfaction and reward which stimulated a dopamine surge. Your brain thought ‘oh that’s interesting’, and immediately you were more prepared to try it again.

The perception of safety makes ‘bad’ habits hard to break

Another important thing to know about your brain is that psychologically it’s designed to keep you safe. As far as your subconscious is concerned, if an action is known and familiar it’s less risky, and therefore much safer than something ‘new’ that needs to be explored.

This is another reason why old habits can be hard to break. You could even find yourself giving endless excuses why you shouldn’t even try.

Saving energy keeps you stuck in the ‘bad’ habit loop

There’s also an energy-conservation element to repeating the same old habit loop.

Your brain is an energy hungry organ, and each time you think about completing an action and run through the processes to get it done you need to fuel your brain. Habits are there as a shortcut. They become so familiar that your brain can do them on autopilot. The benefit is that you conserve resources which become available for other organs to use.

However, this can be a trap that is hard to escape. It takes effort, energy and attention to interrupt a habit loop. Similarly, it takes a conscious push to practice alternative actions and start to build a new habit instead.

Habits are created for a variety of purposes. There’s the pleasure principle where completing the action releases a spurt of the feel-good hormone dopamine. Coupled to that, a familiar habit reassures your subconscious mind that you’re safe. Habits also let your brain slip into autopilot, so you conserve energy for other organs to use. However, all of this means that it takes extra effort and intention to break a bad habit and create something new.

Ideas and Supplements to Help You Quit Smoking

If you’re planning to quit smoking for good, what might you now bear in mind?

1. Understand your habit loop and the cues and rewards within

What sorts of cues are your trigger to smoke? Do you smoke when you have a drink, or with a particular circle of friends. Perhaps it’s a reason to have a break from work?

What about the rewards you get? Maybe smoking makes you feel more mature, or more rebellious or more at ease socially. On deeper reflection you might find that smoking is a tool that lessens your stress and helps you to fit in.

2. Be prepared to replicate the feel-good factor without having a cigarette

Going cold turkey or not exploring an alternative action can leave you feeling underwhelmed when you cut out your regular dopamine hit. So, it makes sense to plan ahead and spend time working out how you can healthily replace it. Some people switch to nicotine-gum or patches so they have the nicotine without the chemical nasties.

Another alternative is to choose a nicotine-free option, that lets you retain that familiar hand to mouth action.

For nicotine-free, chemical-free, natural alternatives there are ranges of flavoured vapes to try

• Hyla Disposable Vapes 
• Ripple+ Diffusers

3. Promote a sense of calm and have a supportive network to take the anxiety out of giving up smoking

Your subconscious brain is a powerful thing, which means even thinking about quitting smoking could send you into a bit of a spin. Start by taking time to acknowledge and explore these feelings. Then when you do finally quit you’ll be better prepared to handle them whenever they come up. This is where your support network and a buddy that keeps you accountable could really help you out.

For extra support and to calm anxiety consider a natural remedy for occasional use.

• Birch & Wilde Ashwagandha 
• Vogel Stress Relief Daytime
• Higher Nature Worry Not

4. Don’t wait for the ‘perfect’ moment, just find the ‘best’ moment to begin

Waiting for that elusive ‘perfect’ moment may mean that you procrastinate and never begin. Another possibility is that you fear failing or getting it wrong – if you’re a self-critical perfectionist you’ll know exactly what I mean!

There may not be a ‘perfect’ moment to start but it’s worth bearing in mind the extra mental energy making changes demands. Don’t give up smoking when you’re in the middle of moving house or starting a new job!

Support your energy and overcome the mental fatigue that comes from creating habits with a well-chosen supplement

• Revive Active Mastermind 
• Aguulp for Brain

Summary

Deciding to quit smoking might feel like a risky business especially when you consider the number of people who frequently fail. However, an understanding about your habits and what makes them so sticky gives you insights that could lead to greater success.

Before starting it can be useful to know your particular cues and rewards that helped you create the habit of smoking in the first place. It can also be useful to plan ahead and have a tobacco-free vape to hand.  Combined with nutrients to give you more mental energy or keep the added stress from quitting under control you’ll be in a better place to turn your best intentions into action, and be one step closer to reaching your cigarette-free goal.

References

 [1] Chaiton et al (2016) Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers

About Nina

Nina Sabat is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and a nutrition and wellness consultant for Revital. She is focused on improving everyday wellbeing and loves exploring Revital’s extensive supplement range with clients and customers, helping them find the ideal solution for their current needs.