How to stop smoking?
Find what is best for you
There isn’t a one-size-fits all way to stop smoking. It’s important that you find what is best for you.
We have a range of FREE support and guidance to help you stop for good.
Refer into Feel Good Suffolk’s Stop Smoking support
Feel Good Suffolk advisor support
Our trained advisers can help you explore what is best for you, keep you motivated, and guide you through all the bends on the road.
Using Vapes to 'Swap to Stop'
Vapes or e-cigarettes are another way that may help you stop smoking. We have information on vaping on our website and if you refer for support from our Advisors we can refer you to the Swap to Stop scheme where you will be given a free 12 week vape starter kit to get you going.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) on Prescription
Allan Carr Stop Smoking sessions
Prescription medication via your GP only
There are some prescription medications available to help you if you decide this is best for you. Unfortunately Feel Good Suffolk Advisors can’t prescribe these for you. You will need to make an appointment with your GP and discuss your options with them.
Downloadable Guide
A downloadable and printable guide with information and tracking support to help you in your journey.
Universal online information
Combine Different Types of Support
While everyone is different and its important to find a way of managing nicotine cravings that works for you.
Many ex-smokers recommend using more than one type of nicotine replacement product.
A patch to give a long slow release of nicotine throughout the day and a faster-acting method, such as gum or lozenges to deal with cravings when they come on.
Cravings and Triggers
Smoking when bored
Boredom is an emotional trigger, which means that when you get that bored feeling, your brain immediately craves a cigarette. Smoking when bored is often because it’s what we’re used to. You sit down on the sofa with nothing to do, so you smoke… It becomes a habit.
Smoking and alcohol
Drinking alcohol can weaken your resolve to not smoke. We can help you enjoy a smoke free night out with some handy quit smoking tools that can help you curb your cravings.
Smoking and Stress
Smoking doesn’t help you deal with tension and stressful feelings. In fact, nicotine addiction can increase your stress levels. A big part of why you feel stressed is because of nicotine cravings caused by smoking.
Smoking in the morning
Social Smoking
Whether it’s a night out or a break at work, social smoking is one of the triggers people struggle with the most. Being a social smoker might seem harmless, but every cigarette contains thousands of toxic chemicals and tar.
Nicotine and Anxiety
Planning for problems
If you know you are going to be tempted to smoke, it is a good idea to have a plan to help you resist the urge.
Little tips for day to day
Use your nicotine replacement therapy products or vape
Keep busy to distract yourself – try a new hobby
Big tips for social situations
Ask your friends and family to support you in your journey. If they still smoke, they mustn’t offer you one.
Try switching to non-alcoholic drinks and avoid home-drinking or going to places where you used to smoke and drink.
Keep on eye on alcohol intake when you are socialising – it can reduce inhibitions and self-control.
Tips for when you slip
- If you fall off the wagon, don’t worry. Just see it as a step back. The best time to try to quit again is straight away.
- Don’t finish the rest of the pack before trying to quit again – throw it away.
- Take a deep breath, drink some water, or go for a walk.
- Ask yourself if you really want to be a smoker again.
- Remember why you wanted to stop.
- Try a different way of stopping, and there is support to do this, contact Feel Good Suffolk.
- Remind yourself you are a non-smoker.
Nicotine dependency
Nicotine is a stimulant that causes a hormonal release of dopamine in the brain making you feel pleasure and calmness.
When nicotine levels drop, this can cause you to feel agitated, stressed, and restless. To reduce withdrawal symptoms, there are a variety of products which will help reduce cravings and allow you to focus on breaking the habit.
Nicotine causes stress. Nicotine is a stimulant, so you are likely to feel more stressed by continuing to smoke. If you’ve not had a cigarette for a while, you may start to feel irritable and tense – this is because your body is craving a cigarette.
Did you know?
Many people report feeling less stressed and having an improved mood once they have quit completely.
Nicotine and Dopamine
- Smoking releases nicotine
- Nicotine travels quickly into the brain
- Dopamine is released leading to a short-lived feeling of pleasure and calmness
- Then the drop in dopamine leads to withdrawal symptoms of irritability and restlessness.
- Desire for another cigarette. To release more dopamine to relieve symptoms.
Stopping smoking improves your mental health
Dealing with stress when you are quitting smoking can seem hard. So, it’s important to understand that stopping smoking is positive for your mental health. Anxiety, depression, and stress levels are lower.
- Your quality of life and positive mood will improve.
- The dosage of some mental health medications can be reduced.
Magnificent 7
Have a plan
Refer to our Feel Good Suffolk Stop Smoking support for help to create a free, personalised quit plan.
Talk Support
Talk to your family and friends about your feelings and your plans to stop smoking. If you can it’s a good idea to get a quit buddy. And if you are having a bad day – talk and get support. Don’t do it alone, ask for help. You’re three times as likely to quit successfully with help.
Get a good night's sleep
Sleep disturbances are a common side effect of nicotine withdrawal. Lack of sleep can make everything, including quitting smoking, feel so much harder. Wellbeing Suffolk has a free webinar ‘Improving Your Sleep’ to help you learn how to get the rest you need.
Exercise
Exercising for 30 minutes a day is a great self-care practice to get endorphins flowing and to boost energy. The NHS have the Couch to 5K app or the Active 10 app to get you started. Also, check out the Be Active pages of this website for more ideas and support to get you moving.
Reduce caffeine in your diet
Stimulants like caffeine keep you awake, alert and tense. Cut back on your coffee, tea and energy drinks or use caffeine free products instead.
Focus on the moment
When you start to feel anxious, don’t reach for a cigarette. Try practicing some mindfulness to help with stress, anxiety, and low mood. Mindfulness is using our breath to stay calm and in the present moment. Wellbeing Suffolk have a range of webinars and a whole mindfulness course on their website for free with downloadable guided mindful moments to take out and about with you.
Cut back on alcohol
Alcohol can make you feel anxious and increase the likelihood of smoking when drinking. Give up alcohol completely for a few weeks when you first stop smoking or limit your intake of alcoholic drinks.
Helping someone quit smoking
Helping someone you care about quit smoking can be a long and difficult road. Here are our top ten tips to help you support your loved one in their quit journey.
It’s hard to quit
Smoking cigarettes is a serious and complicated addiction. Quitting smoking can be one of the biggest challenges a person can ever face. It takes time for cravings to fade. It can take more than one try to successfully quit. Most people who quit don’t do it on their own. That’s why your support is so important.
Ask questions
Asking open ended questions can help you both to understand why quitting is important. What made you want to start smoking? what things make you crave a cigarette? what things have you been stressing you out lately? what could I do to help make quitting easier for you? what made you decide to quit smoking?
Listen
Quitting smoking is about them not you. Listen to what they have to say. If you ask a question, be quiet and give them time to answer. Resist the urge to insert your own comments.
Don’t lecture
It might just put you on their bad side, and they may not come to you for help when they really need it. Don’t count the number of cigarettes they smoked today, ask them if they smoked, nag them about why smoking is bad, getting upset if they smoke a cigarette, arguing with them about being irritable when they’re going through withdrawal, giving them a hard time if they have a bigger appetite from withdrawal.
Offer distractions
Plan smoke free activities. Triggers and cravings are a normal part of the quitting process. Talk about it and plan for different situations. Put together a smoke free quit kit to deal with cravings in the moment.
Be patient, be positive
Don’t give up on them. Your support is important. Supporting someone who is trying to quit smoking can be frustrating and exhausting. Don’t take their moods personally, tell them it was easier to put up with them when they smoked, suggest it would be easier for them to just go back to smoking. Don’t let them lose confidence in quitting. Check in on them and let them know if you support them.
Don’t be hard on them if they slip
They can still quit. Remind them of all the progress they have made. Help them figure out what triggered the craving that led to the slip. Help them come up with a plan for dealing with the craving if it happens again. Ask if there is anything else you can do to help.
Celebrate success, big and small
Staying smoke free for one day, one week or one year are all reasons to celebrate. So are throwing out all of the ashtrays in the house, ditching any reminder of cigarettes, and passing on an offer of a dinner cigarette. A compliment can go a long way to recognise the positive changes they’ve made.
Help them de-stress
If you notice they are stressed help them break the cycle by finding healthier ways to destress.
Be there for the long haul
Cravings can pop up in weeks, or even months later. It’s not uncommon for ex-smokers to start smoking again within the first three months of quitting. Let your friend or family member know you are there for the long haul. Keep celebrating their smoke free anniversaries and offer distractions to help them deal with cravings. Your ongoing support could be all they need make this quit attempt be their last.
Need help to stop smoking? Find support local to you
Feel Good Suffolk Advisors are there to offer support and advice on stopping smoking, healthy weight and being more active. They will tell you about the services available, tell you about what other options there are in your local area and community and guide you through on-line self-help.
They can also advise you on the eligibility criteria for more intensive levels of support around managing a healthy weight, stopping smoking and being more active.
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