The First Week of your Quit Journey

The first week of quitting can be the toughest as your body isn’t used to the lack of nicotine. However, it’s also one of the most important weeks in your quit journey…
Because if you stay smoke-free in the first week, you are 9x more likely to quit for good*.

_{*versus those not abstinent at week one of an abrupt quitting attempt regardless of NRT use}

Day 1: Identify your triggers

Strengthen your willpower by limiting or skipping triggers you commonly associate with smoking. For example, if you usually have a cigarette with your morning coffee, then your morning coffee is one of your triggers. Try drinking something else instead!

Day 2: Keep your hands and mouth busy

Smoking involves keeping your hand and mouth occupied, therefore it can be helpful to find a temporary habit that replaces this, e.g. drawing or playing with a rubik’s cube.

Day 3: Write a list

Nicotine cravings may last up to 10 minutes. Write a list of things you can do in 10 minutes to get you through it. For example, walk around the block, call a friend, tidy your desk or catch up on the news.

Day 4: Think positive!

If you feel tempted to have a cigarette, remind yourself of why you want to give up smoking and focus on the amazing benefits you will see if you do! Remember, you are doing something incredible! Learn more about the different benefits of quitting smoking.

Day 5: Get active

Try going for a walk, run or even joining a sports team. Exercise is a great way of dealing with the stress of quitting and burning a few extra pounds.

Tip 6: Treat yourself

It’s been 6 days! Calculate how much you would have spent on cigarettes and use that money to treat yourself. You deserve it! Now see how much you could save after 1 month with our Stop Smoking Calculator.

Day 7: Tackle the cravings with Nicorette®

When you stop smoking, nicotine withdrawal may make you feel irritable and anxious. Nicorette can help tackle these withdrawal symptoms so you can carry on with your day! Find the right product(s) for you.

Once you have conquered the first week, you can carry on with your smoke-free journey. We understand that keeping this up can be difficult, so we have pulled together some facts and tips to help you stay on track.