Many smokers struggle with withdrawal and cravings when they quit, but there are ways to deal with these temporary challenges. Learn more about cravings and slips, and get tips for coping with them. Even challenges like stress and weight gain can be managed if you are prepared.
Managing Withdrawal
Nicotine withdrawal is different for every smoker. Every smoker feels different during withdrawal.
The most common symptoms include:
- Having cravings for cigarettes
- Feeling down or sad
- Having trouble sleeping
- Feeling irritable‚ on edge‚ or grouchy
- Having trouble thinking clearly and concentrating
- Feeling restless and jumpy
- Having a slower heart rate
- Feeling more hungry or gaining weight
You may have tough days and easy days with these symptoms. Over time, the symptoms and cravings will fade as long as you stay smokefree. Medications and changing the things you do can help you manage withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine Cravings
For many smokers, cravings for a cigarette last much longer than other symptoms of withdrawal. Many people are surprised when cravings sometimes happen without warning. Cravings can be set off by reminders of smoking. These reminders are often called triggers. People, places, and things can trigger a craving. This means it’s important to have a plan for how you’ll handle a craving when it hits.
The good news is that every craving will pass if you give it time and keep yourself busy. Finding ways to get through that period of time is a key way to deal with cravings. Anything that can distract you and keep you busy can be helpful. Getting active also can work. A short walk can help you distract yourself until the craving passes. Most smokers who try nicotine replacement therapy find it helpful for getting through withdrawal and managing cravings.
Nicotine Withdrawal Isn’t Dangerous
Withdrawal can be uncomfortable and some people may feel high levels of symptoms. But there is no health danger from nicotine withdrawal. In fact‚ quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health. Even extreme withdrawal symptoms will fade over time.
Some people feel increased sadness after they quit smoking. Watch for this, especially if you’ve ever had depression. Take a quick quiz to find out if you have signs of depression. If you become depressed or are having extreme sadness, let a friend or family member know, and think about talking to your doctor.
Know Your Triggers
Triggers are the things that make you want to smoke. Different people have different triggers, like a stressful situation, sipping coffee, going to a party, or smelling cigarette smoke.
Most triggers fall into one of these four categories:
- Emotional
- Pattern
- Social
- Withdrawal
Knowing your triggers and understanding the best way to deal with them is your first line of defense.
Emotional Triggers
Many people smoke when they have intense emotions. An emotional trigger reminds you how you felt when you used smoking to enhance a good mood or escape a bad one, like when you were:
- Stressed
- Anxious
- Excited
- Bored
- Down
- Happy
- Lonely
- Satisfied
- Cooled off after a fight
How to deal with emotional triggers. You can learn how to cope with your feelings without leaning on cigarettes. Try these ways to deal with emotional triggers:
- Talk about your emotions. Telling a friend or family member how you feel can help.
- Take some slow, deep breaths. Deep breathing will slow down your body, quiet your mind, and reduce cravings. This is also a great way to manage stress and anxiety.
- Exercise. Physical activity is a great way to handle emotions. When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals in the brain that make you feel good.
- Listen to calming music. Music can relax you by slowing your heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing stress hormones.
Find out more ways to conquer stress and emotions without smoking.
Pattern Triggers
A pattern trigger is an activity that you connect with smoking. Some examples of these activities include:
- Talking on the phone
- Drinking alcohol
- Watching TV
- Driving
- Finishing a meal
- Drinking coffee
- Taking a work break
- After having sex
- Before going to bed
How to deal with pattern triggers. One way to beat pattern triggers is to break the association with the trigger and transfer the feeling to another activity.
- Find a replacement. Chew gum. Eat sugar-free candy. Suck on a straw.
- Try activities that keep your hands busy. Squeeze a handball. Do beading or needlework. Hold on to a silver dollar or “worry stone.”
- Get moving. Go for a walk. Ride a bike. Go swimming. Exercising can distract you from smoking.
- Change your routine. For example, try drinking your coffee at a different time or brushing your teeth right after you eat a meal.
Social Triggers
Social triggers are occasions that usually include other people who smoke. Here are some examples:
- Going to a bar
- Going to a party or other social event
- Going to a concert
- Seeing someone else smoke
- Being with friends who smoke
- Celebrating a big event
How to deal with social triggers. Once you’ve made the decision to quit, it is best to avoid places where people smoke and ask your friends not to smoke around you. Over time, it will get easier. Tell your friends and family that you have quit. Ask them for their support.
Withdrawal Triggers
If you’ve been a long-time smoker, your body is used to getting a regular dose of nicotine. When you quit, withdrawal symptoms will produce cravings for nicotine. Withdrawal triggers include:
- Craving the taste of a cigarette
- Smelling cigarette smoke
- Handling cigarettes, lighters, and matches
- Needing to do something with your hands or mouth
- Feeling restless or having other withdrawal symptoms
How to deal with withdrawal triggers. Distract yourself. Find something to take your mind off the craving. See if nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is right for you – it can reduce withdrawal symptoms. Teens, women who are pregnant, and people with severe medical conditions should talk to their doctor before using NRT.
Now that you better understand triggers, identify the ones that you want to control, and make a plan to manage your cravings.
Fight Cravings with Exercise
Having cravings for a cigarette is one of the most common symptoms of nicotine withdrawal when you quit smoking. It helps to have a plan to manage cravings when they hit. Including exercise in your plan can help you get past cravings.
Exercise can distract you and keep you busy until the craving passes.
Exercise has other benefits too:
- Studies show that even short periods of physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, reduce the urge to smoke. Aerobic exercise is physical activity that makes you sweat, causes you to breathe harder, and gets your heart beating faster. It strengthens your heart and lungs. Walking, swimming, running, dancing, cycling, and boxing are a few types of aerobic exercise.
- Withdrawal symptoms and cravings for cigarettes decrease during exercise and up to 50 minutes after exercising.
- Exercise decreases appetite and helps limit the weight gain some people have when they quit smoking.
- Exercise helps you cope with stress and have more energy.
- Exercise can improve your mood. If you’re feeling low, take a walk, jump rope, or run up and down the stairs.
Get Physical!
Here are some tips to get you started with exercise and help you ride out cravings:
- Try to set aside a regular time for exercise that works with your schedule.
- Try for 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Don’t have 30 minutes? Studies show that exercising for 10 minutes three times a day gives the same benefits as 30 minutes of non-stop exercise.
- Do activities you enjoy. Walking is one way of getting more physical activity. You might also think about biking, swimming, dancing, or yoga. Even housework or gardening can provide exercise benefits. Playing music while you clean out your closets will help you step up the pace.
- Build exercise into other activities. Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator. At the mall, use the stairs instead of the escalator. Wherever you go, park your car farther away and walk to your destination.
- Plan activities with family, friends, or co-workers that include physical activity. Maybe a hike or volleyball game.
- Change your exercise routine or try a new activity from time to time so you don’t get bored.
Anxiety & Smoking
It is common to think that smoking is a way to calm your nerves and deal with feelings of anxiety. But the truth is, nicotine can cause anxiety symptoms or make them worse.
Nicotine and mood are connected. Researchers know that nicotine in cigarettes affects your brain, including your mood.
Anxiety is feeling frightened, nervous, or panicky. Most people feel anxiety from time to time in difficult situations, but feel better when the situation ends. Anxiety can be a problem if it continues. You might feel sad or depressed and have trouble sleeping or concentrating. Your heart might race or you could feel faint or have stomach problems.
Some regular smokers believe smoking eases anxiety and they report this is a reason they continue to smoke. However, that’s because smoking relieves their nicotine withdrawal symptoms. This relief is only temporary. Unless they deal with what’s bothering them, anxiety is likely to return and the cycle will continue.
There are many smokefree ways to handle stress and anxiety. Explore these ways to find one or more that works for you.