Quitting using tobacco: ten approaches to resist tobacco cravings

Tobacco cravings can wear you down when you’re attempting to quit. Use these strategies to lower and resist cravings.

By Mayo Clinic Team

For most tobacco customers, tobacco cravings or urges to smoke can be effective. But you’re not at the mercy of these cravings.

When an urge to use tobacco strikes, bear in mind that even though it could be rigorous, it will most likely pass within just five to ten minutes whether or not or not you smoke a cigarette or just take a dip of chewing tobacco. Every single time you resist a tobacco craving, you’re one particular stage nearer to halting tobacco use for excellent.

Below are ten approaches to enable you resist the urge to smoke or use tobacco when a tobacco craving strikes.

1.Consider nicotine substitute remedy

Question your doctor about nicotine substitute remedy. The selections consist of:

  • Prescription nicotine in a nasal spray or inhaler
  • More than-the-counter nicotine patches, gum and lozenges
  • Prescription non-nicotine end-using tobacco medicines these kinds of as bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix)

Small-performing nicotine substitute therapies — these kinds of as nicotine gum, lozenges, nasal sprays or inhalers — can enable you triumph over rigorous cravings. These limited-performing therapies are generally secure to use in mixture with extended-performing nicotine patches or one particular of the non-nicotine medicines.

Digital cigarettes have had a large amount of attention not too long ago as an alternate to using tobacco regular cigarettes. However, additional studies are necessary to establish the performance of digital cigarettes for using tobacco cessation and the extended-expression security of these devices.

2.Prevent triggers

Urges for tobacco are likely to be strongest in the conditions in which you smoked or chewed tobacco most frequently, these kinds of as at events or bars, or while feeling pressured or sipping espresso. Recognize your bring about conditions and have a strategy in spot to stay clear of them totally or get as a result of them devoid of employing tobacco.

Will not established your self up for a using tobacco relapse. If you normally smoked while you talked on the cellphone, for instance, retain a pen and paper nearby to occupy your self with doodling relatively than using tobacco.

3.Hold off

If you truly feel like you’re likely to give in to your tobacco craving, inform your self that you will have to first wait around ten additional minutes — and then do something to distract your self for that interval of time. Consider likely to a public, smoke-free zone. These basic tips could be more than enough to derail your tobacco craving.

four.Chew on it

Give your mouth something to do to fight a tobacco craving. Chew on sugarless gum or tough candy, or munch on raw carrots, celery, nuts or sunflower seeds — something crunchy and enjoyable.

5.Will not have ‘just one’

You may possibly be tempted to have just one particular cigarette to fulfill a tobacco craving. But never idiot your self into believing that you can end there. A lot more frequently than not, obtaining just one particular sales opportunities to another— and you could stop up employing tobacco yet again.

six.Get actual physical

Physical exercise can enable distract you from tobacco cravings and lower their intensity. Even limited burst of actual physical exercise — these kinds of as working up and down the stairs a number of situations — can make a tobacco craving go absent. Get out for a wander or jog.

If you’re trapped at residence or the business, test squats, deep knee bends, pushups, working in spot, or strolling up and down a established of stairs. If actual physical exercise doesn’t curiosity you, test prayer, needlework, woodwork or journaling. Or do chores for distraction, these kinds of as vacuuming or filing paperwork.

seven.Apply leisure strategies

Cigarette smoking could have been your way to offer with tension. Resisting a tobacco craving can itself be annoying. Get the edge off tension by working towards leisure strategies, these kinds of as deep-respiration workout routines, muscle mass leisure, yoga, visualization, massage or listening to calming audio.

8.Connect with for reinforcements

Contact base with a family members member, friend or aid team member for enable in your work to resist a tobacco craving. Chat on the cellphone, go for a wander alongside one another, share a number of laughs, or get alongside one another to commiserate about your cravings. A free phone quit line — 800-Stop-NOW (800-784-8669) — gives aid and counseling

9.Go online for aid

Be part of an online end-using tobacco plan. Or read a quitter’s blog and put up encouraging ideas for a person else who may possibly be struggling with tobacco cravings. Understand from how others have dealt with their tobacco cravings.

ten.Remind your self of the added benefits

Produce down or say out loud the factors you want to end using tobacco and resist tobacco cravings. These may possibly consist of:

  • Sensation better
  • Getting more healthy
  • Sparing your liked ones from secondhand smoke
  • Saving funds

Don’t forget, attempting something to beat the urge is generally better than performing absolutely nothing. And just about every time you resist a tobacco craving, you’re one particular stage nearer to becoming entirely tobacco-free.