Why “I Like Smoking” Is the Biggest Scam

Nicotine leaves your body in about two weeks.

But the cravings can stick around for months after you quit.

And those cravings, mixed with the mood swings of withdrawal, can trick your brain into believing you were happier when you smoked. That’s when the panic sets in – you light up again just to stop feeling bad.

But here’s the truth: you don’t feel bad because life is worse without cigarettes. You feel bad because you’re addicted.

Once you’re free of the habit, the constant anxiety about not having a cigarette disappears. You’ll feel calm, stable, and not chasing the next nicotine hit.

Just like any non-smoker.

I know this because I’ve been there.

After 50 failed attempts, I finally quit smoking a year ago. And now I can tell you, firsthand, what actually works – and what doesn’t.

What doesn’t work

I had tried everything: nicotine pills, gum, patches, “just cutting down,” even “only smoking socially”… None of those strategies stick.

Like I explained in my How to break free of cigarette addiction article, you can’t quit smoking feeding yourself nicotine in a different form. By doing this, you are sending your brain mixed signals:

• “Smoking is bad – I should cut down.”
• “Smoking is good – I still need nicotine.”

Because every nicotine hit sparks dopamine, after a while, your brain eventually ties happiness to smoking! So when you quit, your brain punishes you with sadness, anxiety, or irritation, just to push you back into lighting a cigarrette. That’s how the cycle works: due to this learned behaviour, whenever you’re sad, angry, or stressed, a cigarette starts to feel like a magic pill that will make it all go away.

The only “key” is to ride out the cravings calmly, without giving in.

Think of cravings like muscle cramps.

They come, they hurt, but they pass. The more you practice enduring them, the weaker they get over time.

And no, you don’t just have to sit there suffering when one hits. I’ve made a list of things that will help smooth the experience and get you through without lighting up.

Here it is:

10 Things to Do When You Get Smoke Cravings That Actually Work

1. Do a workout. This is hands down the BEST behavioral replacement for cravings. The main reason you smoke is stress and anxiety: smoking feels like relief (even though it isn’t, long term). Exercise does the same thing, but in a healthy way. Physical activity releases endorphins, your body’s natural mood-lifters, which lower stress and help kill the urge to reach for a cigarette. If you just quit, starting a workout routine is one of the smartest moves you can make.
2. Try the Wim Hof method. This set of breathing and cold-exposure techniques is designed to build willpower. And willpower matters: people with stronger self-control don’t just quit smoking more easily – they tend to be healthier, happier, and more resilient in relationships, careers, and stress management. Once you train your willpower, dealing with cravings becomes a whole lot easier.
3. Buy a nicotine-free vape. Long after the nicotine leaves your body, it is the habit of smoking that remains. It can be pretty challenging to fight the urge to smoke when you’re having dinner with your partner and they smoke or when you’re out with friends. To quit smoking you must remove the triggers. You can’t avoid every trigger, and you can’t force other people to quit. A nicotine-free vape isn’t perfect, but it can keep you from lighting a cigarette in social settings. The key is nicotine-free– to use it only when you need it, otherwise, you’ll get hooked all over again.
4. Go for a LONG walk in the park – A walk is an immediate way to calm your mind and make your anxiety go away. Fresh air + movement is a killer combo. A walk instantly calms the mind, disrupts the smoking routine, and releases endorphins. Even a short stroll can reduce irritability and make the craving fade.
5. Dive into an attention-consuming activity e.g.: a video game, a puzzle, (jigsaw, crosswords, logic puzzles), a gripping novel, a suspense TV series, coding, building models or crafting, virtual reality (VR), an escape room, etc. Such activities require a lot of mental concentration and can take a sustained amount of your attention and focus.
6. Go shopping – Yes, even grocery shopping works. Shopping stimulates the reward centre of the brain and triggers the release of dopamine. Because of the novelty and the anticipation of whether you will find the right products, browsing alone can lift your mood and distract you.The most fascinating thing is that even if you don’t buy anything in the end, you will still feel good!
7. Deep clean the house or just organize your drawers – When you quit smoking you may suddenly feel like you have A LOT of free time and too much extra energy. If this energy is not channelled, frustration and anxiety creep in. Cleaning gives your hands and mind a task, keeps you moving, and rewards you with a sense of accomplishment.
8. Take an ice cold shower or do a cold water plunge. Cold exposure resets your dopamine levels. It shocks your system and gives you a clean rush of energy that wipes away the urge to smoke.
9. Review YOUR personal pros of not smoking. Cravings trick you into forgetting why you quit in the first place. I wrote this article for you- Sticky notes ideas when you experience cravings.
10. Start taking extra care of your body – Go beyond workouts. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, drink water, get extra sleep, and load up on vitamins to replenish what smoking depleted. After years of smoking, your body needs to refill its vitamin reserves, because it is exhausted.
    Over time, your senses sharpen, your breathing improves, your sleep deepens, and you feel more alive. After a year, you will never want to revert back to smoking and you may even find the smell of cigarettes disgusting!

A note on cravings: they are a normal part of withdrawal.

They however, become less frequent and less intense with time.

Month 1 is the hardest when you quit.

After several months of being smoke-free, cravings become infrequent, weaker, and more manageable. After a year, many people barely feel ANY cravings at all.

The golden rule is to not give in. Distract yourself with something – movement, focus, or a change of scenery. A craving always passes. Always.

Do you struggle with anxiety alongside cravings?

Check out these articles:

What causes anxiety in your brain

How to fix your lack of focus and concentration

Remember your reasons for quitting smoking

How to quit smoking once and for all

How to deal with breakup pain

TheThinkAbout is a website based on psychology in practice and experience.

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