Quit smoking how should i feel

Touch base with a family member, friend or support group member for help in your effort to resist a tobacco craving. Chat on the phone, go for a walk together, share a few laughs, or get together to commiserate about your cravings. Join an online stop-smoking program. Or read a quitter's blog and post encouraging thoughts for someone else who might be struggling with tobacco cravings.

Learn from how others have handled their tobacco cravings. Write down or say out loud the reasons you want to stop smoking and resist tobacco cravings. These might include:. Remember, trying something to beat the urge is always better than doing nothing. And each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to being totally tobacco-free. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.

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This content does not have an English version. If you don't want to tell your family that you smoke, ask friends to help you quit.

Consider confiding in a counselor or other adult you trust. If it's hard to find people who support you like if your friends smoke and aren't interested in quitting , join an online or in-person support group. Set a quit date. Pick a day that you'll stop smoking. Put it on your calendar and tell friends and family if they know that you'll quit on that day. Think of the day as a dividing line between the smoking you and the new, improved nonsmoker you'll become.

Throw away your cigarettes — all of your cigarettes. People can't stop smoking with cigarettes around to tempt them. So get rid of everything, including ashtrays, lighters, and, yes, even that pack you stashed away for emergencies. Wash all your clothes. Get rid of the smell of cigarettes as much as you can by washing all your clothes and having your coats or sweaters dry-cleaned.

If you smoked in your car, clean that out, too. Think about your triggers. You're probably aware of the times when you tend to smoke, such as after meals, when you're at your best friend's house, while drinking coffee, or as you're driving.

Any situation where it feels automatic to have a cigarette is a trigger. Once you've figured out your triggers, try these tips:. Expect some physical symptoms. If your body is addicted to nicotine, you may go through withdrawal when you quit. Physical feelings of withdrawal can include:. The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal will pass — so be patient.

Try not to give in and sneak a smoke because you'll just have to deal with the withdrawal longer. When you feel a strong urge to use tobacco you may also notice that your mood changes, and your heart rate and blood pressure may go up, too. Try these tips to get through these times, and hang in there — the cravings will get better. You might have a lot of pent-up energy while trying to quit and stay tobacco-free. Do some yardwork or housework.

Organize or clean out a closet, a room, or even the entire basement. Engage friends and family to help distract you from your cravings and keep you motivated. Remember the four Ds : delay acting on the craving for five minutes and it will usually pass do some deep breathing drink water, or do something else.

Routines to help you manage cravings One of the biggest challenges many people face in the early days of quitting is the regular cravings. Here are some ideas for activities to do instead of smoking at those times you usually reach for the cigarettes: First thing in the morning — have a shower. With coffee or tea — change to a different drink, a different cup, or change where you drink it.

At morning tea — sit in a different place or with different people, read a magazine or take a scroll through your social media. At the computer at home — move your desk or redecorate to change the look. After a meal — go for a walk. After work — exercise or meditate. Before dinner — make your dinner time earlier. With alcohol — change to a different type of drink or hold your drink in your smoking hand.

As you plan your next task — breathe deeply. As a reward — listen to music or have a piece of fruit. In front of the television — move the furniture around, hold a stress ball, do some easy stretches. Before bed — have a warm drink or read a book. Here are a few more ideas you can try at any time: Sip a glass of water slowly. Play with a pet. Call a friend. Play a game on your phone. Ask your partner or a friend for a shoulder massage.

Try some gardening. Put on some hand cream. Do a jigsaw puzzle or crossword. Peel an orange. Managing stress when you quit smoking It will take time to settle into new routines and find new ways to deal with stress now that smoking is not an option. Costs of smoking There is no point dwelling on the amount of money you have already spent on smoking. Benefits of quitting smoking Quitting is the best thing you will ever do for your health. Benefits to your health and life from quitting smoking include: Your sense of taste and smell may improve, so you may enjoy your food more.

Exercising to increase your fitness will become easier. You will be free from the hassles of smoking, such as smelling of smoke, or always having to make sure you have enough cigarettes. You will save thousands of dollars a year that you can save or spend on other things.

Your children will be less at risk from bronchitis, pneumonia , asthma , meningitis and ear infections. Help is available to quit If you could do with a hand, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about options to help you quit, or call Quitline for advice and support.

How to reverse the health effects of smoking , Quit, Victoria.