How to Quit Smoking Cigarettes

how to quit cigarettes

Twenty minutes. That’s all it takes. The health benefits that come from quitting smoking begin just 20 minutes after you quit. That’s because the moment you stop, your body starts repairing damage caused by smoking. These repairs continue each day that you don’t smoke. Pretty amazing, right?

Here’s the biology going on behind the scenes when you stop smoking:¹

20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate drops to a normal level.
12-24 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal. And your risk of heart attack significantly drops.
2-3 weeks after quitting: Your lung function starts improving.
1-9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
1 year after quitting: Your risk of coronary heart disease is now half that of a smoker’s.

And that’s just in the first year! As the non-smoking years add up, so do the benefits. Your risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease continue to drop.

So how can you start reaping these benefits? Create a plan to quit, then tap into valuable supports to help you carry it out. You’ll find everything you need here.

Understanding Nicotine Addiction

cigarette smoke Before you create your quit plan, it’s important to understand what’s going on in your body. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a stimulant drug. It is psychoactive, meaning it affects the mind.² The nicotine alters your brain chemistry, producing pleasing effects in the brain that cause you to crave another cigarette. And the more you smoke, the more nicotine you need to feel the same effects.

Because of these effects, using any amount of tobacco can quickly lead to physical and psychological dependence on nicotine. That means, when you quit, your body and mind will react to the absence of nicotine. This is called withdrawal.

Withdrawal symptoms are common during the first few weeks after quitting.

Common withdrawal symptoms include:³

Trouble sleeping
Difficulty concentrating
Feeling anxious or depressed
Feeling irritable or grouchy

Withdrawal symptoms lessen with time and typically disappear entirely as you adjust to your new smoke-free life. If withdrawal symptoms are a concern, your healthcare provider may be able to prescribe quit-smoking medication to help with those.

How to Create a Plan to Quit Smoking

Once you’re ready to quit smoking, you need to create a quit plan. This personalized plan will help you stay on track. Your plan should include three key elements.

Quit date. Choose a day in the next two weeks to start your quit process.
Quit resources. Put supportive resources in place that will help you on your quitting journey.
Quit method. Many methods have been developed for how to quit nicotine. Consider the various methods and choose what works best for you.

Quit Smoking Methods

Cold turkey: If you decide to go “cold turkey,” you’ll choose a day to quit, then stop smoking entirely on that day, without the aid of nicotine replacement therapy.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT): NRT is a family of quit-smoking medications. They provide a small dose of nicotine to satisfy cravings and reduce your urge to smoke. But they don’t contain the other dangerous chemicals that are in cigarettes. The goal of NRT is to slowly wean you off nicotine to break the addiction. NRT products include patches, gum, and lozenges, which can be purchased over the counter, and inhalers and nasal sprays, which require a prescription.

Quit Smoking Resources

Counseling: Sessions with a counselor who specializes in behavioral health can help you on your journey to quit smoking. This expert can provide interventions such as motivational interviewing to help you stay on track. Group sessions may also be helpful for mutual support and encouragement.
Apps: You can download a free SmokeFree.gov app to get 24/7 support on your phone. You can personalize the app tools based on your smoking patterns and quitting goals.
Quit-lines: These CDC call and text lines offer free coaching over the phone to help you quit.

Keep in mind these options aren’t exclusive. Often, the best approach is a combination of methods that can provide comprehensive treatment and support.

Coping With Withdrawal

Nicotine withdrawal comes with two pieces of good news: it’s not life-threatening, and it’s predictable. You know it’s coming, so you can plan for it and successfully manage it.

Explore alternative activities and distractions to replace smoking. Combine this with stress management techniques and relaxation exercises. Try these strategies:
Avoid triggers: What makes you crave a cigarette? Find your triggers and make a plan to avoid them or manage them without smoking. This might involve changing your regular lunch spot or altering other habits. For example, if you usually smoke after drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, switch to orange juice or a smoothie so the coffee doesn’t trigger a craving.
Distract yourself: If you can distract yourself for just 10 minutes when a craving hits, it will pass. Decide ahead of time what you will do when you crave a cigarette. You might go for a short walk, chew gum, or journal. Simple things can work great. For example, if you are used to smoking while you talk on the phone, make it a habit to doodle while you talk instead. (There are multiple doodle apps available for iPhone and Android.)
Hang out in public. You can’t smoke in most public places, so head to the store, go to a movie, read at the library, or visit any other place that doesn’t allow smoking. If there are certain times of day that are hardest for you to resist the urge to smoke, start hanging out in public during those times.
De-stress: Stress is a common trigger, so it’s good to know some relaxation techniques you can use when stress hits. Deep breathing exercises, yoga, massage, and listening to calming music are great techniques.

To manage specific withdrawal symptoms that may occur, try these tips:

Trouble sleeping: Avoid caffeine later in the day, and if you’re using a nicotine patch, take it off at least an hour before bedtime. It’s also helpful to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark, and don’t watch any type of screen in bed.
Difficulty concentrating: This is common during your first smoke-free days. If possible, try to limit activities that require intense concentration.
Feeling anxious or depressed: Mood changes are common after quitting smoking. Stay physically active and connect with other people to lift your mood. Stay busy, with a structured day that gets you out of the house.
Feeling irritable or grouchy: Keep in mind this is normal. Remind yourself that this is temporary while your body is getting used to being nicotine-free. Take extra time to relax and de-stress. Take deep breaths, and remind yourself why you decided to quit.

Finding Support to Quit Smoking

you can stop smoking This is not a solo journey. Social support is a key part of how to quit smoking cigarettes. Let family and friends know about your decision and ask for support. They can help by holding you accountable to your decision, offering a lifeline when you need to talk to someone, and providing company when you need to distract yourself during withdrawal.

Beyond family and friends, an entire community is available to provide support. Groups such as Nicotine Anonymous and online networks such as Reddit’s r/stopsmoking offer communities that can provide mutual support and encouragement.

Tap into these resources to hear other people’s success stories, struggles, and helpful tips they’ve learned from their own experiences. Find people you can relate to because they’re on the same quit-journey you are. These supports let you know you’re not alone and encourage you to press on when it gets tough.

Tips to Stay Smoke-Free for Good

Once you’ve started down your smoke-free path, you can remain a nonsmoker for life.

Use these recovery tips for how to quit nicotine for good.

Create new habits. Change your routine so you make new habits that don’t involve smoking. For example, you may need to change how and where you take work breaks, or start chewing gum after meals instead of lighting a cigarette.
Remain aware of triggers. Don’t set yourself up for temptation. If certain situations or places make you want a cigarette, avoid them if possible.
Stay busy. Keep your mind and hands engaged. Choose tasks such as gardening, knitting, playing an instrument, cleaning, or painting.
Stay active. Exercise serves several purposes. It helps fill your time, it helps you de-stress, and it helps keep your body healthy. You don’t have to join a gym or become a body builder. Simple walking is a great place to start.
Reward yourself. You might be surprised at the extra money you have on hand when you quit smoking. On average, quitting smoking saves more than $2,000 a year. With the extra cash you don’t spend on cigarettes each week, you can treat yourself to a nice dinner out or a day at the spa. Or save up and take a well-deserved vacation! These rewards will help keep you motivated to stay smoke-free.

Start Enjoying the Smoke-Free Benefits

Ready to start reaping the benefits of quitting smoking? Create a quit-plan and put these supports in place:

Family and friends
Healthcare providers
Online communities
Apps
Medications
Counselors

With so many resources available, you can do this. Make the decision now to choose your quit date. Then tell someone about your decision. Congratulations in advance on becoming smoke-free!