Overview

Below are some of the most common and helpful strategies people use to get through the tough period of nicotine withdrawal.

• Make a list of your smoking triggers. It is wiser to avoid triggers after you have quit smoking than to tempt yourself too soon. If you cannot avoid them early on, be cautious when they are present.
• Identify areas and activities where you are least likely to smoke, and use them when you have the urge to smoke. Add these alternatives to your smoking tracker.
• Pursue a new hobby, check out a book from the library on a topic that interests you, or take a class at the community college.
• Start some new physical activity. Exercise might help you quit smoking. It doesn't take long after you stop smoking before you will notice that you can breathe more easily when you walk, jog, swim, or ride a bike. For tips on starting an exercise program and eating right, see the topic Fitness: Getting and Staying Active.
• Continue to meet or talk weekly, and then monthly, with one of your support people.
• Reward yourself at special anniversaries of your quit date, such as 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Figure out how much money you have saved by not smoking, and spend that amount, or part of it, on something special for yourself.

Other helpful tips to stay smoke-free: