Quitting Cigarettes
Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health. EX and the EX Community can help you succeed whether you are ready to stop now, or if you plan to be smoke-free in the future.
No matter why you started, how long you have been smoking, or why you’re here, EX is here to help you create your own quit plan. Your plan is different from anyone else’s. Your triggers are unique to you. You are in the best position to figure out the best ways to handle each type of craving. There are many tools available here to help you develop your own plan to quit. These include My EX Plan and the EX Community.
How do I quit smoking?
Imagine that quitting smoking is like going on a hike. You’d want to do some training, wear the right clothing, take the best equipment, and have up-to-date maps. It’s possible to enjoy your hike using only two or three of those things. But you’ll be more successful if you use all four. It’s the same for smoking. You’ll want to use all four of the strategies below:
-
Know your smoking patterns
Become more aware of when - and why - you smoke. What are the specific activities, situations, feelings, and times of day that make you want to smoke? The more you know about your own patterns, the easier it will be to make a plan to change them.
-
Use new tools
Create your own personal strategies for new ways to think and act to break the “hold” that smoking has on your life.
-
Decide which medications to use (or not)
Using FDA-approved quitting medications (like nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges) can definitely make it easier to quit. This is a personal choice. Make sure you use the best type of medication for cigarette smokers. Take into account how much of different types of tobacco you use. Also think about past quit attempts and worked and what didn’t.
-
Get the right support for you
Getting the right support to quit and stay quit can often make or break a quit attempt. Some of your friends and family may be very supportive. Others will be less supportive. It is important to figure that out.
The EX Community has thousands of current and former smokers (real people!) who are there to pat you on the back, and give you a hand when you need it. The experts at the Mayo Clinic can answer your questions and have useful advice in their regular blog posts.
How have other people quit smoking cigarettes?
Members of our EX Community have used exactly these tools to help them quit successfully. They’ve also gotten pretty creative with their strategies to beat cravings!
- Read the best advice from real smokers about their strategies
- Getting ready for quit day
- Day 1 strategies to stay busy
- Getting back in the groove after a slip
- Need a distraction? Try these laughs…
- …or a game with friends
- See how these people add exercise into their quit
What should I do next to quit smoking?
- Track your cigarettes. Use this tool to figure out when and why you smoke.
- Plan to beat your triggers. Once you know what causes your cravings, figure out how to beat them.
- Build your support team. Who are the people in your life who can help you quit and stay quit?
- Visit the EX Community. The EX Community is available 24/7 to provide any kind of support you can imagine. There’s tough love, warm reassurance, quick pointers, answers to your burning questions, and lots of celebrating!