‘I Can Quit Smoking’: Addressing the Challenges

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I can quit smoking, no problem,” like it’s the easiest thing in the world? 

Or maybe you’re one of those lucky few who don’t even think about a cigarette for an entire day without breaking a sweat? 

Well, for most of us, it’s the second day that really hits hard. 

That’s when the anxiety kicks in, the stress builds up, and suddenly your hand’s instinctively reaching for your pocket, desperate to light up.

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The truth is, anyone can say they want to quit smoking, but actually doing it? That’s a whole different story. 

It takes real determination to push through the cravings and battle the withdrawal symptoms. 

The key to success is realising how important it is to quit—even when it feels like the struggle is just too much.

Read on as we discuss the biggest challenges of quitting smoking, even if it’s just for a few days.

The Start of Your Quitting Journey 

You know how it is with trying to kick any bad habit—the hardest part is always taking that first step.

Sometimes, even something as small as a friendly bet can be enough to get you started, and before you know it, you’re feeling the benefits, even if it’s just for a day or a week. 

The trick is not to overthink it; just take that leap. 

Every attempt, whether you succeed or stumble, teaches you more about what triggers your cravings and gets you one step closer to quitting for good.

Psychological Barriers to Overcome

Quitting smoking is a bit of a mind game. Those cravings and triggers can make it feel impossible to stop yourself from lighting up. 

And let’s be honest, the cravings are no joke—they can leave you irritable, moody, and even feeling physically off with things like nausea, uncomfortable bowel movements, as well as hot and cold flushes.

It’s all because your body’s crying out for nicotine, the chemical that gives you that quick dopamine buzz and makes you feel good.

When your brain notices the nicotine levels drop, it starts disrupting your mood and makes it even harder to say no to smoke. 

But here’s the good news: no matter how grim those withdrawal symptoms are, they do start to ease up after the first week, and things get even better after a month.

If you want to make life a bit easier, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or nicotine vaping products (NVPs) from pharmacies can help take the edge off those cravings.

Developing Coping Strategies

Aside from NRT products, you can stop smoking for good with sustainable and repeatable coping strategies. To avoid feeling stressed, irritable, and annoyed during strong withdrawal episodes, you can try a number of activities that can keep you from feeling the extreme craving for a cigarette.

Here are some helpful activities you can try to keep yourself busy and cope better with your withdrawal symptoms:

• Meditation
• Exercise
• Creative Activities
• Joining a Support Group
• Writing/Journaling
• Talking to a quit mate

Social Pressures and Support Systems

At this point, you’re confident you can handle your withdrawals and cravings as long as nothing triggers them. Unfortunately, you’re more likely to smoke again – even after a year of stopping – if you’re in an environment and social group that keeps on smoking.

If the people you work or are friends with are still smoking, any progress you’ve made is in significant trouble as you’ll keep on craving cigarettes. Any understanding colleagues or friends will support your decision to quit, and may even join you in doing so. 

Having a quit mate is always a great help in any effort to quit smoking and raises both motivated smokers’ chances of succeeding in each attempt.

The bottom line is, who you hang out with dictates the success of your quit attempt, even if it’s just for one day. Even two friends having a friendly banter as to who can stop smoking the longest may have a better chance of quitting for good than people actively quitting but are with friends who still smoke in front of them.

Exploring Nicotine Replacement Therapies

One of the best ways to quit smoking is to know more about how you can manage your nicotine intake without smoking (and eventually wean off from it). Let’s learn more about them below.

Go Through First-Line Solutions First

Some motivated smokers can handle cold turkey just fine and see success within a few tries, but oftentimes, smokers have strong withdrawals that can draw them back to lighting a stick.

That’s where nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products come in. These are readily available and stocked at your local pharmacy.

NRT products are the most trusted quitting option available for motivated smokers. They might not imitate cigarettes, but they contain a small dose of nicotine that may be enough to alleviate your withdrawals. These come in the form of patches and gums for easy and convenient nicotine delivery.

While NRTs can be effective, they don’t work for everyone. If these haven’t done the trick for you, you may now be eligible for a nicotine prescription to use nicotine vaping products (NVPs).

Chat to a GP

As mentioned, NRT products have worked for many successful ex-smokers. But, you might have ingrained behaviours and triggers that only something that mimics a cigarette can successfully address, such as the hand-to-mouth motion, and needing something to use while having a drink with friends. 

That is where NVPs become very handy in helping you fight the urge to consume tobacco.

You need a nicotine prescription before you can purchase NVPs, so you’ll need to consult with a GP to help you on your smoking cessation journey. 

And, if your GP deems it necessary, they can write you a nicotine prescription for NVPs. You can chat to your usual GP more about this.

Visit Your Local Pharmacy

Once you have your nicotine prescription, you can pop down to your local pharmacy. Over 2,200 pharmacies across Australia hold these products in-store, but any pharmacy can order these in for you if they don’t currently stock them.

Both your pharmacist and GP can advise you on how best to use the product, such as the initial setup, and the number of puffs to take when you feel withdrawals.

Celebrating Success and Staying Motivated

No matter how small a victory might seem, don’t forget to celebrate it. Quit successfully for one day? Reward yourself with a treat – maybe a small cupcake or a little amount going towards a vacation. For every small victory, make it monumental to keep yourself motivated throughout your smoking cessation journey.

The rewards should be proportional to the accomplishments you achieve. If you’ve quit for one whole year, that deserves a vacation or something you’ve always wanted for a long time. You can ask your family or friends to celebrate with you as you achieve your goals from baby steps to big accomplishments.

Summary

‘I can quit smoking’ is a great challenge to set for yourself. Even if you fail after one day, you can proudly say you’ve tried, and you’ve experienced the joy of not smoking for at least one day and lessons that will help you quit for longer in each of your future attempts. 

Now, whether you’re quitting just for one day or for the rest of your life, we can help you.

Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around! 

If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to friendly Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good, including using responsible vaping products where appropriate.