Share your quitting journey
As an ex-smoker, you’ll have urges to smoke. Sometimes the urges are physical, as if your body needs a cigarette. At other times, they’ll be mental — feeling like you deserve a cigarette. And sometimes you may want to smoke because it’s a habit.
Physical urges
As a smoker, you became addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. Nicotine can create good feelings that make you want to smoke more. But it also creates bad feelings when you try to cut back. Physical urges are one way your body tells you it wants nicotine. This “craving” for nicotine is part of the withdrawal process, along with symptoms such as headaches and feeling tired or lightheaded. These symptoms go away after one or two weeks, but the urges may keep coming for a while. As time passes, you’ll have fewer physical urges to smoke.
Tip: Time your smoking urges. They will probably last a minute or less.
Mental urges
Did you used to reach for a cigarette when you were nervous? Or to help you relax? Or as a reward? If so, you may still want a cigarette at those times.
Habit
Smoking is a habit you can change. You learned to use cigarettes to feel “normal.” Now you must retrain yourself. In time, you’ll feel normal without cigarettes.
Put your plan into action
Review your plans and prepare to use them.
You must be a registered user to add a comment. If you've already registered, sign in. Otherwise, register and sign in.