The “reason” is why you smoked. In other words, it’s your rationalization as to why you needed or wanted a cigarette at that moment.
If the reason why you smoked is not apparent or clear, you can ask yourself (before taking the first puff): “What would happen if I didn’t smoke right now?”
If your answer is “I would feel stress,” then your reason is stress. If your answer is “I wouldn’t enjoy my friends’ company,” then your reason is socializing. If your answer is “I would feel my hands empty,” then your reason is boredom or something to do with your hands.
The “craving thought” is how that reason sounds or looks like in your mind’s eye. It’s what you’re actually thinking before smoking a cigarette.
For example, the reason for smoking a cigarette may be “stress,” and its corresponding craving thought may sound like “I need one to relax,” or “If I don’t smoke I won’t be able to deal with this,” or even “I can smoke now because I will learn how to better deal with stress later.”
The craving thought does not have to be or sound identical to the reason, though they’re usually related.
You will learn about craving thoughts on days 1, 7, and 8 of the program, so don’t worry if this concept is not crystal clear yet. As you are keeping your smoking notebook, you will notice you’re becoming more and more aware of your craving thoughts.
Related Resources
Where can I find the smoking notebook?
My entries in my smoking notebook are repetitive. Is that a problem?
I didn’t record my smoking today. Can I move on with the program?