Once you quit, you wont miss cigarettes forever.
When you quit smoking, one of the first and longest-lasting symptoms of nicotine withdrawal is craving cigarettes.
Nicotine cravings will stopthey dont last forever.
Jan-Stefan Knick/EyeEm/Getty Images
The longer you go without having a cigarette, the less intense the cravings will be.
Why Do I Miss Smoking?
Quitting smoking is a process.
You have to get through both the physical and mental dependence your body has on nicotine.
Maybe smoking was a way for you to reduce stress or bond with friends.
Or maybe it was just a habit.
Cigarette cravings are usually the worst in the first few days after quitting.
Over the first month of quitting, youll usually start feeling these urges less and less.
The thing about smoking cigarettes is that its not just the dependence on nicotine that ties you to them.
Its also the associations youve made between cigarettes and parts of your life.
You think about it and realize that you always smoked while you were driving.
These associations are powerful.
Replace practice makes perfect with practice makes prepared.
While you might be able to avoid some of these triggers at first, you cant avoid them forever.
Duringyour first smoke-free year, you’ll run into a lot of situations where youll face triggers.
Taking them on is a necessary part of recovery from nicotine addiction.
Changing seasons, especially when theyre linked to activities, can be a big smoking trigger.
If this happens, dont panic.
It doesnt mean youre backsliding.
Its just your body and mind making an old connection.
Will you be taking a vacation next summer or seeing your family at a wedding?
Will you be going back to school or picking up a hobby?
Will you be doing certain chores like shoveling snow or raking your yard?
Just because youve acknowledged that these changescouldtrigger a cigarette craving doesnt mean they will.
Hearing that might freak you outare you really going to miss smoking forever?
Nicotine withdrawal starts as soon as you stub out a cigarette.
This happens many times each day.
Over time, your mind starts to think that smoking is a necessary component of leading a fulfilled life.
When you quit, you have to change your mindset to one that breaks those links.
As a smoker, you might have made a point toavoidthese realities.
In the moment, you might freeze up and feel like youve failed.
Those associations can be sneaky and powerfulbut youre not powerless against them.
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