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The First Day You Quit Smoking, Vaping or Chewing

Incorporating tips for quitting smoking, vaping or chewing into your daily routine

Okay, the alarm goes off. It's your first morning tobacco-free...

You've prepared for this. You know when your triggers will be popping up. And you know how to beat triggers when they do. So, don't linger in bed.

Get up! Do things! Attack the day!

Just focus on getting through this ONE day without tobacco. Here are some things for you to do on the day you quit:

  • Put on your nicotine patch or use your other nicotine replacement medication right away. Dress, eat, grab a bottle of water and some candy or toothpicks and just GO.

  • You're going to think a lot about tobacco today. Just be aware of this ahead of time. Let the thoughts come into your mind. Big deal. Don't deny their existence. Let them come in, sit down and complain for a minute and then show them the door. They'll show up a lot at first, and then their visits will become fewer and farther between. Learn more about mindfulness.

  • If the thoughts don't leave right away, get up and do something. Just stay active. Drink tons of water and keep it up all day long. Take a walk. Stay on the move.

  • As you head into the day, remember that life's not going to be different just because you're tobacco-free. Your first day of quitting will bring with it the same surprises and unexpected events like any other day. The bus might not come. Or the boss might be mad. But what you'll discover is that tobacco never got rid of any of these stresses anyway. Not once. Not ever. Tobacco never made the next bus come sooner.

  • Once you get some tobacco-free time under your belt, you'll begin to realize that, yeah, you missed the bus, and work might be stressful and... life goes on. And you'll do it all without smoking, vaping, dipping, or chewing.

As the day goes on, remember your tobacco triggers and be ready for them

Remember all the things we’ve talked about to resist your craving:

  • Use your nicotine replacement medication.
  • Breathe deeply.
  • Drink water.
  • Stay busy.
  • Chew gum.
  • Ride out the urge.
  • Read your list of reasons to quit smoking.
  • And lean on your support team.

You may be surprised at how fast the day flies by, and you'll start to see that quitting really IS possible. You've done what you set out to do. You're getting through one day without tobacco.

Days two and three of quitting will throw some curveballs at you, so maybe it's time to arm yourself with even more tactics. In the relapse section, we spell out some of the common things that cause people to turn to tobacco again (a.k.a. slip-up or relapse), including triggers and "snakes on the path."

We also encourage you to swing by the EX Community to learn more about what this first week will be like, how to deal with common stressors, or just talk with others about your experiences.

Next, check out these quitting tips and techniques.

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