Nicotine Withdrawal Advice From Successful Ex-Smokers

There is no better teacher than the voice of experience, and when it comes nicotine withdrawal, there are no better teachers than members of our own community. They are an important resource for new ex-smokers. 

When you're done reading this, bookmark it to refer to it when you've having a bad day. Next thing you know, you'll be the one sharing the tips that helped you most—with smoking solidly in your past.

• Drink plenty of water. Water is one of nature's best quit aids and will help you beat back cravings to smoke. You'll be well-hydrated, which in turn keeps you at your best to deal with the discomforts of the first few weeks of smoking cessation. Water can help control snacking, and flush the toxins from cigarettes out of your body more quickly.
• I stayed home and avoided all smokers for the first week. Climbing the walls was necessary, but I did manage it. Sipping on ice water and deep breathing kept me sane. 
• Chewing on spicy things like cinnamon candies and whole cloves helped a lot. . 
• Arm yourself with sugar-free bubble gum, mints and candy at all times, and cutting out alcohol can help. 
• I do not fight the cravings and urges to smoke, because it only makes me more tense. I try to accept, if not welcome them as a natural part of my addiction recovery. I let them wash over me, take deep breaths and just ride them out. 
• Take hot baths and showers. It wasn't possible to crave smoking in the shower, for some reason.  

• Change your routines. For instance, take a different route to work. Have your morning coffee and meals in a different room than you usually do.  
• I recognized, after the initial physical withdrawal from nicotine, that I was breaking a habit. So I thought about how I could replace that habit with something healthy. For instance, I used to smoke on my porch. I started taking herbal tea to the porch, and before long I didn't feel comfortable going out there without my tea. I had replaced that habit.  
• I look past the desire for a cigarette to the bigger meaning. The only thing smoking a cigarette would accomplish (besides making me feel bad) would be to make me want another cigarette. Even if it satisfied me, how long would that satisfaction last? How long before I'd want another one?  
• When you learn to identify the source of your discomfort, you can react with a better choice than smoking. If you're tired - rest, hungry, eat, etc.  

• Exercise! I make it a practice to get in at least 30-40 minutes of brisk walking daily.
• The thing which helped me most for the first weeks/months was to write in a diary each day. I actually wrote Day 1, Day 2 etc., and under each heading described how I felt and how I dealt with various situations.  
• Pamper yourself during the early stages of your quit. I tend to be very critical of myself, so I told myself it was okay if I had a few days where I did nothing but rest and relax. It made nicotine withdrawal a lot easier because I didn't expect too much of myself during the first few days. That was a good thing, because I didn't have much to give!  
• Breathe! Use meditation techniques, circular breathing, following the breath... whatever works. Most of what makes a crave "bad" is panic. Breathing calms you down. 
• I found a quit buddy -- someone who quit the same day I did. No way was I going to smoke and let her have more free time than me! That really was a good incentive.
• I used a stress ball. It is a 2" cloth covered gel ball.

• I choose to work it just for today. I don't worry about tomorrow. If I keep my focus on staying smoke-free just for today; it becomes less overwhelming.  
• Never give up even if you don't feel well. See your doctor if need be. Remember quitting isn't an event, it is a process. Everyone's process is different. It does get better for some earlier, and for others (like me) later.  
• Recite NOPE (not one puff ever) as often as you need, make a song out of it and chant it when you have a craving—this helped me immensely in the beginning.  
• Knowledge is power. Understanding this addiction and our internal junkie goes a long way toward beating it. 
• When I see a smoker "enjoying" a cigarette, I remind myself that they probably wish that they could quit like I have. I know that's how I felt as a smoker whenever someone I knew had quit.  
• I remind myself that nicotine withdrawal takes a lot of work and I will just have to start at the beginning again should I relapse. I also remind myself that there is no such thing as having just one cigarette. I know from personal experience and have made that mistake too many times before. It never works. 

Thankfully, nicotine withdrawal is a short-lived phase of smoking cessation, but it can be intense while it lasts. The more you understand about what to expect when you quit smoking, the better prepared you'll be to plan for and successfully navigate the challenges that may present themselves along the way.

Be patient with yourself and willing to devote full attention to your quit program. Cast off any preconceived notions you might have about how long the recovery process should take. Rather, relax into your quit and take it one simple day at a time. The difficulties of nicotine withdrawal pale in comparison to the strength and empowerment that comes from beating nicotine addiction.