Your role as sponsor
Your role as a sponsor
- Listen to your partner, offer encouragement and support during difficult moments.
- Show your partner that you are confident he/she can succeed in taking up the Challenge.
- Remind your partner about his/her motivations for quitting smoking if determination wavers.
- Remain patient and understanding during your partner’s mood shifts and moments of impatience.
- Learn about smoking cessation. Visit the " I quit " section on the quitchallenge.ca website.
«In my case I waited for my boyfriend, who’s also my sponsor, to go on vacation before I quit. I knew he’d be there all the time to help me not to smoke.
That really made it easier to get through the first week. Withdrawal can sometimes turn you into a bit of a pit bull, but this time I managed to not get too aggressive. Thanks, sweetheart!»
Johanne, ex-smoker since January 15, 2007
To help your partner
- Recognize your partner’s efforts with congratulatory messages. Whether by phone, email, text messaging or in person, the encouragement will help him/her to stay on track.
- Encourage your partner to be physically active, to relax and to think of things other than smoking. Why not propose an outing together (a walk, hockey, a movie, restaurant, etc.)?
- Suggest that your partner share his/her experience with the on-line community at quitchallenge.ca and on the Challenge Facebook page.
- If your partner lives with smokers, encourage him/her to ask them to smoke outside. Living in a smoke-free environment increases the chances to succeed in quitting smoking and diminishes the risk of relapse. For more information, visit smokefreefamily.ca.
- If your partner is using a pharmacological aid to quit smoking, remind him/her to follow the treatment as prescribed and to ask a doctor or pharmacist should any questions arise.
What to do in case of relapse?
- Avoid judging your partner. In general, it takes more than one attempt to quit smoking for good.
- Remind your partner that it’s possible to lose one battle and yet win the war! Encourage him/her to try again when ready.
- Invite your partner to reflect on the reasons for the relapse, in order to be better prepared for next time.
- Keep in mind that it is YOUR PARTNER’S motivation that counts. Don’t push too much.
Keep these ideas handy by downloading the Sponsor’s Guide which you’ll find in our «Tools to download» section.
