Make a Change with EX

Wherever you are on your quit journey, EX has tools, resources and support for you. Expert advice and quit techniques by Mayo Clinic clinicians and real tobacco users will help you become your own quit expert.

Can you imagine your life without tobacco? We can. Here's how we'll get there, together.

Focus on Your Goals

Your reasons for quitting are important. It's what got you here. It's also what will make your EX Plan truly yours.

Your motivation for staying tobacco-free may change, and that's okay. Your EX Plan will evolve along with you.

Maybe you want to quit to live a long and healthy life. Maybe you want to feel better about yourself. Maybe you want to save money. Maybe you want to improve your personal relationships.

Whatever your reasons are, your quit goals keep you focused on what really matters.

“27 years ago I started smoking for all the wrong reasons…Now, at 42, I'm quitting for the right reasons.”

JIMMYZ

Understand Why It's Hard

Your challenges quitting tobacco are unique—your stresses, your relationships, your tough situations—but there is one challenge everyone here shares: nicotine addiction.

Nicotine makes it hard to quit because your body is working against you. You work up the mental strength to move forward and quit, and it feels like your body pushes you back.

Quit smoking medications can make quitting easier by reducing the intensity of urges and cravings, or stopping withdrawal before it even starts. Then, you're free to focus on your quit goals without those things holding you down.

"After you inhale smoke from a cigarette, nicotine reaches your brain in five heartbeats."

DR. HURT, FORMER DIRECTOR, MAYO CLINIC NICOTINE DEPENDENCE CENTER

Use What You Know

Whether you've ever quit for a day or over a year, we're going to build on that progress and create a personalized approach that works for you.

There are lots of things that contribute to picking up a cigarette or other tobacco. It might be stress or sadness or drinking with friends. By identifying tobacco triggers in your life, we can begin to create a plan for dealing with them.

To start, we'll help you figure out what coping skills have worked in the past and which ones you should avoid. There are lots of options and everyone is unique, so we'll learn from your experience.

Be Ready to Quit

It's hard to quit, but it's easier when you're prepared and you have the right guides, tools, and expertise to help you along the way.

Tobacco weighs you down with strong urges. EX lightens the load by making it easier to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. We also provide access to supportive people who get what you're going through, and give you space to change your daily routines—without judgment or pressure.

Your smart, interactive EX Plan helps you every step of the way.

Set a quit date to give you the time you need to get ready
Stay focused with reminders about why you want to quit
Identify triggers and track cigarettes
Practice and record techniques to beat cravings
Learn the science behind tobacco addiction and how to beat it
Choose quitting meds that make quitting more comfortable
Keep track of people to go to for help, as well as people to avoid

And if you're not sure what to do next, our experts and the EX Community are there to guide you.

Get Help When You Need It

On your quit journey, you'll have ups and downs, but we'll be with you all the way. Want to vent, celebrate, or do a little bit of both? We've got you covered!

A solid support system makes sure you get what you need, when and where you need it most.

Tobacco addiction requires vigilance, and no one knows that more than people who have been through it themselves. That's why we're here. Let's do it.

"The beauty of this site is that the community offers unconditional love and experiential wisdom from people all over the world from all walks of life. These people have "been there, done that" and know the pitfalls, the excuses and the how to's."

GIULIA