Addiction Nicotine Use How to Quit Smoking The 5 Ds for Smoking Cessation These Tips Will Help You Manage Most Cravings to Smoke By Terry Martin facebook twitter Terry Martin quit smoking after 26 years and is now an advocate for those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction. Learn about our editorial process Terry Martin Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD on January 20, 2020 Sanja Jelic, MD, is board-certified in sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine. Learn about our Review Board Sanja Jelic, MD on January 20, 2020 Print Guido Mieth / Taxi / Getty Images Nicotine withdrawal is an intense phase of smoking cessation. It can include everything from physical symptoms that mimic illness to feelings of sadness and seemingly nonstop thoughts of smoking. Understanding what to expect when you quit smoking and having a plan to manage the discomforts that come with early smoking cessation keep you in control and headed for long-term success. The Five Ds of Smoking Cessation The five Ds is a set of tools that will help you quickly respond to the majority of smoking urges you'll encounter in a healthy way. Memorize them and get in the habit of checking to see whether your cravings that come along fit into any of them. The five Ds are: Delay Distract Drink water Deep breathing Discuss 1. Delay Delay until the craving to smoke passes. Cravings are difficult, but they usually pass fairly quickly. Most urges to smoke come and go within three to five minutes. It may feel like your day is one long craving when you first quit, but the truth is that smoking urges really are relatively short in duration. They come often during the first several days after you stop smoking, but with practice at choosing other ways to deal with them rather than smoking, they'll begin to fade. 2. Distract Distract yourself. Shift your attention away from thoughts of smoking—go for a walk around the block or work on a crossword puzzle. Distraction effectively stops the unhealthy mindset that enables thoughts of smoking. Left unchecked, those thoughts can cause you to spiral downward, so try to stay busy. 101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking 3. Drink Water Drink water to beat cravings to smoke. It works surprisingly well. Nicotine withdrawal is hard on your body, and good hydration will help to ease the negative effects. You'll feel better both physically and mentally. 4. Deep Breathing Deep breathing is a quick and effective way to reduce the stress that comes with early smoking cessation. Close your eyes and breathe in slowly for a count of three, then exhale for a count of three. Repeat and you'll begin to feel your body release the tension it's holding. Stress is a bit of a double-edged sword for new ex-smokers. We used cigarettes to deal with the stress in our lives, so when we quit, stress causes strong urges to smoke for most of us. At the same time, the early days of quitting create their own stress as well. Learning how to manage stress on the spot is critical, and deep breathing does just that. 5. Discuss Discuss your feelings with someone close to you or with other ex-smokers in an online smoking cessation support forum. There's nothing better for your resolve than connecting with those who are walking the path alongside you or hearing from those who have navigated smoking cessation successfully. Knowing What to Expect Helps Success When you know what to expect from nicotine withdrawal and recovery from nicotine addiction in general, you can develop a plan of attack to tide you over when the going gets tough. The five Ds should be a part of that plan. Take your quit program one day at a time and trust that you'll find your way through recovery from nicotine addiction, just as others have before you. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! So you're ready to finally quit smoking? Our free guide can help you get on the right track. Sign up and get yours today. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Speak to a Therapist Online Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.