Cravings
During the first few days and weeks of quitting nicotine, it’s normal to experience cravings—strong, sudden urges to smoke or vape. Cravings are a mix of both physical and psychological effects—your body is adjusting to not receiving doses of nicotine, and you’re also coping with all of the changes to your daily life and routines where your brain had learned to expect nicotine (for ex. when socializing or when feeling bored or stressed).
Cravings can hit hard, but the good news is they don’t last long, usually no more than a few minutes.
Tips
- Get rid of all your smoking and vaping items like cigarettes, lighters, vapes, etc.
- Try some of these simple tips to get through cravings to see what works for you.
- Review your reasons for quitting.
- Have a plan for how you can cope with your smoking/vaping triggers – activities that you normally associate with smoking (such as socializing with friends, taking breaks at work, driving in the car, feeling stress).
- Practice the 4 Ds to manage cravings:
- Delay – wait a while before smoking or vaping.
- Deep breathing – take some slow, deep breaths to calm your nervous system.
- Distract yourself – do something different other than vaping or smoking.
- Drink water – use a water bottle to replace the hand-to-mouth habit and enjoy the additional benefits of drinking water (curbs appetite, flushes toxins and soothes cravings).
- Call or text a friend.
- Remind yourself that the cravings will pass.
- Recall past experiences where you successfully adopted desired health behaviours (perhaps becoming more involved in sports or reducing screen time). This will boost your confidence.
- Change your surroundings; get some exercise or go on a walk.
- Spend time with people who do not smoke or vape
- Try snacking on healthy snacks like fruit or veggies. Use sugar-free gum or candy.
- Consider using Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
- Spend time with your family and friends.
- Relaxation strategies can help manage stress, reduce irritability, and prevent relapse. Some examples include: meditation, yoga, guided visualization, watching a movie, reading a book, listening to music or taking a nap.
- Track your progress for accountability and then reward yourself with something meaningful. It could be a purchase made from the money you’ve saved or a self-care day.
- You may feel like you’re missing your favourite vape flavour. To satisfy your taste buds, try some new flavours of sugar-free gum or mints, or flavoured water.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal symptoms are signs that your body is recovering from nicotine addiction. While they may feel unpleasant or distracting, they are generally not severe and usually last just a few weeks.
