Quit Tips
If you aren’t ready to quit, just know that there is help for you when you are. The California Smoker’s Helpline is there for you to at least learn more about the kind of habit you have, and to make a solid plan for yourself to use when you are ready.
When you decide to quit, there are some actions you can take to enhance your odds for success.
- Get rid of all your tobacco. Be it cigarettes, cigars, snuff, snus, and/or vape equipment, their presence in your environment tells you, in a weak moment, that it’s okay to use them.
- Clean all the places you use tobacco. Dump your ashtrays, pick cigarette butts up off the balcony, wash clothes you smoke in, etc. If you smoke in your car, clean it out completely. Cigarette litter and tobacco smell will trigger you. (Trust me—it stinks and you’ll be able to smell it fairly soon after your last cigarette.)
- Change your routine. Your brain will really want you to give it some nicotine as you are trying to quit. It’s also pretty easy to distract, if you have a plan. So, if you always smoke first thing in the morning, think about moving your bed to a different part of your room, moving your bedside table to a different place, or sleeping on the other end of the bed. Is your first smoke with your morning coffee? Take that coffee in a different place (e.g., move to the other side of the table, or drink it in another room). Always buy your cigarettes at a convenience store on the way home from work or school? Take a different route home. You get the idea.
- Stock up on cinnamon. Most smokers don’t like the tastes of tobacco and cinnamon together (like orange juice with chocolate cake), so using cinnamon toothpaste or mouthwash, sucking on hard cinnamon candy, using cinnamon toothpicks, etc. can be enough to dissuade you from smoking.
- Drink lots of water. Especially if you are quitting during the summer, staying well hydrated seems to reduce withdrawal symptoms, and putting water in your mouth can help replace the need to put tobacco in your mouth.
- Exercise. It doesn’t have to be a gym membership, either. Walking for 30 minutes a day can go a long way to improve your health and help you fight cravings. Swim. Dance. You decide—it’s all good.
- Avoid alcohol, at least while you are quitting. Alcohol is a well-known trigger for tobacco use. It may mean avoiding situations where drinking is likely, such as parties, bar-b-ques, or game day. Know that you’ll probably only need to avoid it for a few months. Just think of the money you’ll save!
- Prepare for cravings. Cravings only last 10 minutes, whether you ignore them or satisfy them. Prepare for them by thinking of 5 things you can do in your various settings that will last 10 minutes, in order to distract you. Here are some examples: color, do an easy crossword, jumble, Sudoku, or other word game; play with your phone, take a quick walk, pet your cat, watch TV.
- Manage stress. Tobacco users often cite stress as the reason they smoke/started smoking again. Stress is part of life and you will need to put a plan in place to manage your stress without tobacco in order to stay “quit.” Consider exercise, and/or some of the activities you chose to manage your cravings. Other possibilities: Mindfulness (lots of great sites—google it), blow bubbles, call a friend, take a bath, take a nap.
- Tell friends and loved ones. Letting everyone in your life know you are quitting often helps, but beware: smoking buddies can often sabotage your efforts, and loved ones can be overpowering in their support.
- Measure your success. Think of why you want to quit and then develop a way to measure your success. Perhaps you want to save money—keep track of money you save, either on paper or by collecting money you would have spent in a special account or piggy bank. Want to run a mile without stopping? Measure the distance (or time) you run without stopping, and watch it increase each day.
- If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Studies show that most quitters made many attempts before they were successful. Each time you try you learn about roadblocks to prepare for next time. Consider using medications if prior attempts have been unsuccessful. You won’t be using the medications forever, and they really increase your chances for success. See your healthcare provider for details.
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