Getting Through a Craving: Practical Tips for Quitting Smoking
If you are trying to quit smoking, the hardest part is often not the big decision. It's the five minutes when a craving hits and you are standing on the porch with your hand halfway to your pocket.
The good news is that a craving is short. Most fade within a few minutes whether or not you give in. Your job is to get through those minutes.
This is general information, not medical advice. Your doctor can talk with you about medications and other help.
Know your triggers
Cravings usually come with something: the first coffee, driving, a break at work, a drink with friends, feeling stressed or bored. For the first week, write down when they hit and what was going on. After a few days you will see a pattern, and a pattern is something you can plan for.
Have a five-minute plan
When the craving comes, do something else for a few minutes and let it pass. Some options that people find helpful:
- Drink a glass of cold water slowly
- Chew gum or eat a crunchy snack
- Walk around the block
- Text a friend
- Take ten slow, deep breaths
- Wash the dishes or do anything with your hands
Pick two or three ahead of time so you don't have to think when it hits. Then set a timer for five minutes. It helps to know there's an end.
Change the routine around the trigger
If coffee means a cigarette, try tea for a week or drink your coffee in a different room. If breaks at work mean smoking, take a walk with a coworker. You are not trying to be perfect. You are making the old habit harder to slide into.
Tell someone
People who tell a friend or family member usually find it easier. You don't need a big announcement. Even one text, "I'm quitting this week, can I check in with you?", helps. Free support is also available at 1-800-QUIT-NOW, which connects you to your state's quit line in the United States.
Talk to a doctor about your options
There are medications and nicotine replacement products that many people use when they quit. Whether they suit you depends on your health and situation, so ask your doctor or pharmacist. Quit Pal does not recommend any medicines or doses.
If you slip
Most people who quit for good tried more than once. A slip is not a failure. Think about what happened, what the trigger was, and what you will do differently. Then get back to it. Being harsh on yourself tends to make the next craving harder.
Watch the progress add up
Small numbers keep you going: hours since your last cigarette, cigarettes not smoked, and money not spent. If you used to smoke a pack a day at $8 a pack, that's about $56 every week. Seeing it stack up can make the next craving easier to turn down.
Where Quit Pal fits
Quit Pal is a free companion for staying off cigarettes. It runs a quit clock with a milestone tape from 20 minutes up to one year, and counts the money and cigarettes you haven't spent or smoked. When a craving hits there's a five-minute craving sit with a place to log intensity and triggers. There's also a slip log with no lecture, and you can restart your clock without deleting your history. The tone is friendly rather than clinical.
Try it at Quit Pal. It is free and supported by ads.