Dealing with Smoking Cravings

Here are some ideas to help you cope with cravings for a cigarette:

• Call a friend
• Chew some gum or eat something healthy
• Take a walk
• Brush your teeth
• Take a shower
• Write a letter, do a crossword or other puzzle
• Occupy your hands by doing something such as sewing, knitting or another craft
• Keep healthy snacks around, nibble on apples, raisins, carrot or celery sticks
• Light a candle or incense instead of a cigarette
• Take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and exhale as if you had just taken your first puff on a cigarette. Part of the feeling you get from smoking is a direct result of taking a deep breath. A deep breath allows you to take in a maximum amount of oxygen, and exhaling lets out large quantities of carbon dioxide. This results in a feeling of relaxation. Try it, you’ll see.
• Take a sip of water several times during this five minute period. It can help to diminish the need to smoke, and gives you something to do with your hands. The extra water will also help to flush the nicotine out of your body.
• Put something in your mouth that has no calories, such as a stirrer, toothpick, or another substitute for a cigarette.
• Get busy with something, anything, to keep you busy for the next five minutes.
• As long as it does not lead to a craving, chew a piece of gum or a piece of hard candy. Life Savers work well.
• Get up and move around for five minutes. It will help the urge to smoke to pass.
• Use a nicotine patch as replacement therapy.
  

You may use one, all, or a combination of several to achieve your goal. The urge to smoke is immediate, and usually lasts for five minutes. If you can resist for that period of time, you reduce the urge.
 

How long does it take before I can expect cravings disappear?

The desire for a cigarette will get less after just a few days and for some people, it may completely vanish after just two to four weeks.

The strength and frequency of cravings varies from person to person, and even from quit to quit, but it will take some time before you start to feel comfortable without cigarettes.

For most people these cravings and other withdrawal symptoms decrease after about three to four weeks. There will still be times when you want to smoke but you will find yourself going for longer periods without thinking about cigarettes: first this will be days, then weeks and months, and eventually years.

Always focus on the positive

Making the decision to stop smoking is an achievement in itself. If you find yourself struggling in the early days of quitting remind yourself of all the positive changes quitting will bring to your life.

Remind yourself of the instant rewards of quitting, the immediate improvements you have made to your health after just 20 minutes to 8 hours of going without a cigarette.

Also remind yourself of the long-term rewards you will achieve by quitting smoking. Remember all those nasty health risks you are exposing yourself to if you continue to smoke.