Managing Cravings

When you have a craving to smoke, you arrive at a fork in the road. There are many paths forward. You can either choose to smoke, or you can choose a different path. There are lots of ways to deal with cravings. We're committed to helping you find the ones that work for you.

Why do cravings happen?

Cigarettes deliver high doses of nicotine, which changes your brain. Your brain links smoking to specific activities, social situations, needs, feelings, and times of day. These are known as triggers. When a trigger happens, your brain expects a dose of nicotine. These triggers then cause an urge or craving to smoke.

The more you smoke, the more your brain links smoking with good feelings. So, the more you smoke, the harder it becomes to quit.

This cycle is one of the reasons why quitting smoking can be so tough. Learning how to beat your cravings is an important part of quitting.

When you're ready, set your quit date. Setting a quit date gives you time to get ready, and gives you something to work toward.

Tips for picking a good quit date
  • Today
  • Recommended
  • Quit Date

You've selected a quit date that's in the past

If you have already quit, you can use your My EX Plan page to help stay on track.

If you’ve selected ~DATE1~ by mistake, adjust it to a date in the future. We recommend somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks from today. This will give you time to prepare for your upcoming quit.

Choose Another Date Confirm Quit Date

You've selected a quit date that's within the next two weeks…

Are you sure you're ready? Don’t forget that you’ll need time to re-learn life without cigarettes and prepare before the big day. To make sure you can get everything done, we recommend choosing this date 2-4 weeks from now, ~DATE1~.

If you still want to go with a Quit Date of ~DATE2~, click the button below. Otherwise, close this box and choose another date.

Choose Another Date Confirm Quit Date

You've selected a quit date that's more than four weeks from now.

Are you sure you want to wait that long? If you think it’s going to take you that long to re-learn life without cigarettes and prepare for the big day, then keep it. But in general we’ve found that having a quit date that’s more than four weeks away can give you too much time to change your mind about quitting. So we recommend choosing a date 2-4 weeks from now, ~DATE1~.

If you still want to go with a Quit Date of ~DATE2~, click the button below. Otherwise, close this box and choose another date.

Choose Another Date Confirm Quit Date

You're all ready to quit

Now that you’ve set your quit date, you’ll move to the My EX Plan page. The My EX Plan page will be your home base as you re-learn life without cigarettes and quit smoking.

Ok

Your Cravings Toolbox

Track Your Cigarettes and Identify Your Triggers

Use this tool to figure out when and why you smoke. Once you know when you smoke, and what your cravings are, it will be easier to figure out strategies to beat them.

 Plan Ahead to Beat Your Triggers

Now that you know what your triggers are, come up with a plan to beat them. Having a plan ahead of time will help you once a craving comes.

 Learn How to Let a Craving Pass

Cravings are just thoughts that come into your mind. Don't deny their existence. Let them come in, sit down and complain for a minute and then let them go. Learn how to get mindful and let cravings pass.

 Try a Stress Relief Technique

Try out a relaxation strategy. These techniques can help you feel calm, relaxed, and grounded

 Learn From the EX Community

The EX Community is full of great ideas for dealing with cravings. Take a look at what others have done to cope with their own triggers.

Read More

Conquer the Craving - in one minute or less

NDC_Team | June 5, 2019

Cravings to smoke can hijack your brain, and in that moment the desire to smoke can feel stronger than anything else.

What is a strategy that might help?...

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What's in YOUR Tool Box?

SkyGirl | October 6, 2015

It would be great if you could walk into a hardware store and say, "I'd like to buy some Quit Smoking tools, please."  You can't.  But if you COULD...here's what you'd walk out of the store with: ...

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