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The physical withdrawal symptoms of nicotine are notoriously difficult to overcome, but the psychological cravings for cigarettes can be even worse.

According to addiction medicine specialist Michael Miller, M.D., smoking is hard to shake partly because it’s such a repetitive habit. “Smokers light up so often that they make associations with it—driving, for instance, or talking on the phone or drinking a cup of coffee,” he says.

To successfully quit smoking, it’s important to know the triggers that send you looking for a cigarette and to figure out ways to defuse them.

Trigger #1: Meals

For many smokers, the cigarette after a good meal is the most delicious one of all, and the urge to light up often hits as soon as they put down their fork.

To resist post-meal cravings, get up from the table immediately after eating and do something enjoyable to distract yourself, experts recommend. Go for a brisk walk, play a board game—anything to keep your lungs and hands busy and your mind off smoking.

Trigger #2: Coffee

Cigarettes and coffee go so well together that the combination has inspired movies and songs. A 2007 study even found that coffee seems to enhance the taste of cigarettes.

“The conventional wisdom has been that there’s something about the combination of nicotine and caffeine that smokers like,” says Joseph McClernon, Ph.D., director of the Center for Addiction Science and Technology at the Duke University Medical Center, in North Carolina. “But it may simply be that they taste better together.”

To avoid coffee-related cravings, try changing your routine: find a new coffee shop, have your morning cup a bit later than usual, or switch to soda or water.

Trigger #3: Alcohol

As with coffee, many smokers enjoy pairing cigarettes with a glass of wine or beer. After you stop smoking, holding a glass in one hand will make you want a cigarette in the other—and, to make matters worse, the alcohol will undermine your willpower.

Experts suggest that you scale back your alcohol consumption or even stop drinking altogether right after you quit. After a few months, when the nicotine cravings aren’t as strong, that second glass of wine won’t be as hazardous.

Trigger #4: Stress

Although cigarettes actually increase physical markers of stress, smokers tend to feel more relaxed after lighting up. Thus, it’s not surprising that emotional stress is one of the biggest triggers for smoking.

If you quit smoking, make an effort to reduce the stress in your life, and try to develop strategies other than smoking to cope with stressful situations. If you have an argument with your co-worker or are rushing to meet a tight deadline, try walking around the block or practicing relaxation techniques instead of reaching for a cigarette.

Trigger #5: Driving

For many smokers, cars are a smoking lounge on wheels. You’re bound to have cravings when you’re behind the wheel—especially if you’re late for work and stuck in a traffic jam. While you can’t avoid these cravings altogether, you can make it harder for yourself to sneak a cigarette.

For starters, remove your car’s cigarette lighter and fill the ashtray with hard candy or gum. If you have passengers in the car, ask them not to smoke. Above all, don’t keep cigarettes in the car.

Trigger #6: Smokers

The areas outside office buildings and restaurants where smokers congregate are like quicksand for people trying to quit. If you find yourself walking by a group of co-workers or friends who are merrily puffing away, don’t get sucked in. If possible, use another entrance or tweak your schedule.

The same goes for parties and other social occasions. If people are smoking, move to another room; if your friends head outside for a cigarette, don’t go with them (but resume your conversation when they return).

As previously posted on Health.com