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How to conquer your cigarette cravings

Approved by our Clinical team | Sep 16, 2022

When you first stop smoking, your cigarette cravings may be pretty powerful. Understanding your cravings is essential for overcoming them and breaking free from smoking. We’re here to help! We have compiled some tips for avoiding cravings and relieving those withdrawal symptoms.

Tip 1: Identify what makes you crave a cigarette

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Write down all the things and situations that make you want to smoke – these are your triggers! You can strengthen your willpower and increase your chances of quitting for good by limiting or skipping these triggers. For example, if you usually have a cigarette with your morning coffee, then your morning coffee is one of your triggers.

Try drinking something else instead, like tea or juice!

Tip 2: Avoid your smoking triggers by breaking the habit

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Do you smoke on your work break? When you’re out drinking with friends? When you are feeling stressed?

Forming a habit takes time and breaking it doesn’t happen instantly. In any situation where your normal response would be to reach for a cigarette, do something new.
Rather than going out for drinks at your usual spot, try going somewhere that you don’t associate with smoking. Maybe this is the cinema, or out shopping?
Alcohol is a common smoking trigger so try to avoid it where you can, especially in the first week where your cravings may be the toughest.

If you crave a cigarette when you are stressed, then find other ways to relax. Try calling a friend, listen to your favourite song or go for a walk (exercise is a great stress reliever too!). If you normally smoke after dinner, get up and take a short walk instead.

Tip 3: Be prepared

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Coping around other smokers often means staying smoke-free around your smoking friends and colleagues. We understand this can be difficult but there’s no need to cut social ties – just be prepared!

If you are on a work break and surrounded by smokers, try chewing Nicorette® Gum to relieve the urge to smoke.

Nicorette® products can fight cravings to help support your willpower and help you cope with the desire to smoke a cigarette by relieving nicotine withdrawal symptoms. In order to help cope with a craving in a social situation, try chewing Nicorette® Gum or using Nicorette® Cools Lozenge or Nicorette® Fruit Lozenge.

Tip 4: Stay positive

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Always stay focused on the positives of quitting smoking – like how you can improve your health and appearance, how much money you’ll save, and how happy your loved ones will be when they find out that you no longer smoke.

Play out these positive thoughts in your head. Better yet, make a list of them and hang it somewhere where you’ll see it often, like the fridge. This optimism comes in handy when you need to say "no" to another cigarette.

Tip 5: Relieve the cravings

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For fast-acting relief, Nicorette® QuickMist Mouthspray can start relieve cravings and withdrawal symptoms after just 30 seconds so you can carry on with your day

Nicorette QuickMist Mouthspray, Nicorette 2mg/4mg Gum, Nicorette Cools 2mg/4mg Lozenge, Nicorette Fruit 2mg/4mg Lozenge contains nicotine. Stop smoking Aid. Requires willpower. Always read the label. UK-NI-2200769