First of all, if you don't yet understand the mechanics of how nicotine affects our system, there are nicotinic pleasure receptors in part of our brain and when they are stimulated they become highly sensitized to getting or not getting it. That's what makes us keep coming back to smoking during our waking hours.
So, in order to successfully quit smoking, we must find other ways to get that dopamine or we will feel something is lacking and may go back to smoking.
Did you know that when you think of something pleasurable dopamine is released before you even do what caused the dopamine release in the first place?
Example:
You can think of something you enjoy eating or look at pictures of that food and you will get the dopamine release without the calories.
Music is great for releasing dopamine and it can be any kind, happy or sad.
Exercise is wonderful for dopamine.
Cooking and Baking can be great if you enjoy doing either or both. You could take some to a neighbor or a shut in if you can afford the ingredients and give someone else pleasure too.
Cleaning. Cleaning never gave me a dopamine release but there is a pleasure after accomplishing it. 🙂
