11 tips on how to manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms

Put out your last cigarette and celebrate World No Tobacco Day by getting back to your optimal physical, mental and emotional health.

The first three or four days after putting out your last cigarette are always the hardest because you’ll feel a strong but on-and-off urge to start smoking again. Don’t get overwhelmed by anxiety, frustration, headaches, irritability, or trouble falling asleep or concentrating: all these symptoms are the way nicotine, tar and the hundreds of other harmful substances in tobacco try to convince you not to get your health, your fitness, your taste, your smell and, ultimately, your freedom back. So that every flight of stairs continues to feel like Everest and that hoarse, persistent cough continues to be the soundtrack of every morning. Toxins also don’t want you to reduce your risk of suffering from different types of chronic heart, vascular and pulmonary diseases, such as bronchitis, emphysema, heart attacks, strokes and cancer. But you’ve already decided that smoking doesn’t control you and that you want to be the master of your destiny again. In other words, you’ve already taken the first step towards quitting smoking.

Cinthya Molina, psychologist at SHA Wellness Clinic, shares 11 practical tips for getting through the always tough first days without tobacco and learning how to manage withdrawal:

1. When you feel like lighting up, try relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation. Conscious breathing is a good tool for this: take a deep breath and notice how the air fills your lungs. Hold it in as long as possible and exhale slowly (repeat five times). Gradually you’ll notice that the craving for cigarettes becomes less and less intense and frequent.

2. Problems falling asleep are common. To get a good night’s sleep, avoid long, heavy dinners and avoid coffee, alcohol and other stimulating drinks after 6 pm.

3. Do moderate physical exercise, but never at night. You’ll be more tired when it’s time to go to bed and you’ll sleep better.

4. If you have a headache, relax with a warm shower or bath.

5. If you’re constipated, eat more fibre-rich foods, mainly those found in seasonal fruit and vegetables.

6. If you find it hard to concentrate, take it easy and be kind to yourself, especially during the first two weeks. Your concentration will gradually return.

7. If you have a persistent cough, drink plenty of fluids. Herbal teas are a very healthy alternative.

8. If you feel tense, do something that you enjoy and keeps your mind busy, such as taking a walk or reading a book.

9. You’ll probably notice that you feel hungrier: avoid high-calorie foods rich in refined sugars and drink 2.5 to 3 litres of water a day.

10. If you’re still craving a cigarette, take a piece of paper and a pen and write down the answer to the question: “Why do I want to smoke a cigarette?” Be totally honest and sincere in your reasons. A cigarette has never solved or improved any problem. If you know this, you’ll realise that you don’t really need that cigarette.

11. Finally, it’s very important to remember that all these symptoms are temporary and that irritability, anxiety and cravings decrease after the second or third week of quitting smoking.

If you’d like more information about the SHA Anti-tobacco Programme, Click here