Quitting Smoking: 10 Ways to Resist Tobacco Cravings
If you’re reading this, I want to give you a virtual high-five straight away – because even looking for ways to quit smoking shows strength and determination. Giving up smoking isn’t easy. Those cravings can creep in when you least expect it – with your morning cuppa, after a stressful day, or even when you’re just out socialising in Nottingham with friends.
Here’s the good news: cravings may feel powerful, but they don’t control you. With the right tools, techniques, and mindset, you can resist them and step into a healthier, happier, smoke-free future. And yes, I promise it’s worth it.
As a hypnotherapist in Nottingham, I’ve helped many people rewire the way they think about smoking. Cravings are mostly mental patterns – and with the right strategies, you can train your brain to let go of old habits and create new, positive ones.
So let’s explore 10 powerful, practical ways to resist tobacco cravings. Each one is a stepping stone to freedom, and together, they can completely change your relationship with smoking.
1. Delay and Distract
Cravings are like waves – they rise, peak, and then fade away. The trick is to ride them out instead of giving in. One of the best strategies is simply to delay. Tell yourself, “I’ll wait 10 minutes before lighting up.” Then, during that time, distract yourself – go for a quick walk around Nottingham, sip a glass of water, or do some breathing exercises.
Delaying creates space. It breaks the automatic link between feeling a craving and acting on it. Over time, your brain starts learning that cravings don’t have to be followed by smoking.
This is also where hypnotherapy works wonders – because it rewires those automatic thought patterns, so delaying becomes easier and easier until cravings feel much weaker.
Top Tip: Keep a “distraction list” ready – three things you can do instantly when a craving hits, like calling a friend, doodling in a notebook, or chewing gum.
Interesting Fact: Studies show cravings usually peak after about 5 minutes from starting and then drop dramatically. So if you can hold out a little longer, you’ll usually find they fade on their own.
2. Chew Something Healthy
Your mouth misses the motion of smoking almost as much as your brain misses the nicotine. Give it something else to do! Chewing sugar-free gum, snacking on carrot sticks, or crunching celery can ease the oral fixation.
Chewing helps break the link between hand-to-mouth motion and cigarettes. It also keeps your hands busy, which is half the battle.
Hypnotherapy can add a layer here by helping you associate the action of chewing something healthy with relaxation and reward, instead of the cigarette ritual.
Top Tip: Carry a little snack box with crunchy foods in your bag or car. Having something to chew when cravings come makes it easier to say no.
Fun Fact: Chewing gum increases blood flow to your brain, which can help with focus and alertness. So you’re not just resisting smoking, you’re sharpening your mind!
3. Get Moving
Exercise is a double win when quitting smoking – it reduces cravings and helps repair your lungs. A brisk walk through Nottingham’s Arboretum, a jog along the Embankment, or even dancing in your living room can release endorphins and distract you from cravings.
Movement changes your state. Cravings thrive when you’re still and stuck in thought, but when your blood is pumping and your mood lifts, the urge often vanishes.
In hypnotherapy sessions, I often encourage clients to visualise themselves moving with freedom and vitality – feeling their lungs expanding, their body lighter, their energy higher. This mental imagery boosts motivation to exercise in real life.
Top Tip: When a craving hits, stand up and stretch. Even two minutes of running on the spot or squats can chase away that urge.
4. Breathe Deeply
Nicotine tricks your brain into thinking smoking is relaxing. But in reality, it raises your heart rate and blood pressure. True relaxation comes from breathing deeply and slowly.
Try this: Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 6 counts. Repeat three times. You’ll feel calmer, more centred, and much less likely to reach for a cigarette.
Hypnotherapy can reinforce these breathing techniques by teaching your subconscious to replace “I need a cigarette” with “I can breathe myself calm.”
Top Tip: Whenever you feel a craving, step outside, breathe deeply, and imagine you’re inhaling fresh air into clean lungs.
Interesting Fact: Slow, deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which lowers stress hormones.
5. Change Your Routine
Cravings love routine. If you always smoke after breakfast, your brain expects it. The trick? Shake things up!
Switch your morning coffee for tea. Walk a different route to work. Rearrange your living room furniture so the usual “smoking spot” doesn’t exist anymore. By changing your habits, you break the links your brain has formed between certain cues and cigarettes.
Hypnotherapy is excellent for this – it helps you detach the emotional “reward” your brain thinks it gets from smoking and reattach it to healthier habits.
Top Tip: Make a small list of “habit swaps.” For example: cigarette after dinner → go for a walk, cigarette with coffee → try mint tea!
Interesting Fact: Research shows habit loops are powerful, but they can be broken when you introduce a new routine.
6. Stay Hydrated
Water is your secret weapon. It helps flush nicotine out of your system faster, keeps your mouth busy, and reduces the intensity of cravings. Every time you sip water, you’re sending a signal to your brain: “I’m doing something healthy.”
In Nottingham, I often suggest clients keep a refillable water bottle with them at work or in the car. It’s a simple, physical reminder of your commitment to quit.
Top Tip: The next time a craving hits, drink a full glass of water slowly. By the time you finish, the urge will often have faded.
Interesting Fact: Staying hydrated supports dopamine regulation in the brain – the same chemical nicotine hijacks!
7. Avoid Triggers
Let’s be honest – some situations scream for a cigarette. The pub garden, a stressful workday, or hanging around other smokers in Nottingham’s city centre. Avoiding triggers (at least in the early days) makes it far easier to resist cravings.
This isn’t about missing out, it’s about setting yourself up for success. Once you’re stronger in your smoke-free identity, you’ll be able to return to those environments without the same pull.
Hypnotherapy can help you reframe these triggers so they lose their power over you.
Top Tip: For the first few weeks, choose cafés or restaurants with indoor seating or smoke-free outdoor spaces. Give yourself room to succeed.
8. Reward Yourself
Quitting smoking is a huge achievement, and you deserve to celebrate it. Instead of seeing it as deprivation, flip the mindset to reward.
Save the money you’d normally spend on cigarettes and treat yourself – maybe a spa day in Nottingham, a fancy meal out, or a new pair of trainers. Rewards keep you motivated and remind you why quitting is worth it.
In hypnotherapy, I often anchor this idea by guiding clients to imagine the future rewards of quitting – fresher skin, more energy, and yes, extra cash in their wallet.
Top Tip: Put the money you save each week in a jar where you can see it grow. Watching it build is a brilliant motivator.
Fun Fact: The average smoker in the UK spends around £4,000 a year on cigarettes. Imagine what you could do with that money instead!
9. Lean on Support
You don’t have to do this alone. Friends, family, or even joining a support group in Nottingham can make a huge difference.
Sharing your struggles and wins keeps you accountable and lifts you up when cravings feel heavy. Professional support – including hypnotherapy – adds another layer of strength.
Top Tip: Tell at least one person close to you that you’re quitting and ask them to check in on you regularly. Accountability is powerful.
Interesting Fact: People who join quit-smoking programmes are up to 60% more likely to succeed.
10. Reframe Your Identity
Perhaps the most powerful step of all – stop thinking of yourself as “a smoker trying to quit.” Instead, see yourself as “a non-smoker choosing health.”
Identity drives behaviour. When you shift how you see yourself, cravings lose their grip. Hypnotherapy is designed to accelerate this process, helping your subconscious embrace the non-smoker identity fully.
Top Tip: Each morning, look in the mirror and say, “I am a non-smoker.” It may feel odd at first, but your brain will start to believe it.
Fun Fact: Studies in psychology show identity-based habits are far more sustainable than willpower alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
| How long do cravings last after quitting? | Usually 5–10 minutes, though they feel intense. They reduce in frequency after the first few weeks. |
| Can hypnotherapy really help me stop smoking? | Yes! It targets subconscious patterns, making it easier to resist cravings and change habits. |
| Will I gain weight if I quit? | Not necessarily. Choosing healthy snacks and exercising can balance things out. |
| Is quitting suddenly better than cutting down? | Studies show going “cold turkey” often has higher success rates, but do what feels sustainable for you. |
| How do I handle cravings at social events? | Plan ahead – bring gum, hold a drink, and remind yourself you’re a non-smoker. |
| Is it too late to quit if I’ve smoked for decades? | Absolutely not. Your body begins repairing itself within hours of quitting. |
| How soon will I see health benefits? | Blood pressure drops in 20 minutes, lung function improves in weeks, and long-term risks decline every year. |
Conclusion – Why Work With Me in Nottingham
Quitting smoking isn’t about battling cravings forever – it’s about breaking free from the cycle and creating a new, healthier identity for yourself. Cravings are temporary, but the benefits of quitting last a lifetime.
Through my hypnotherapy practice in Nottingham, I’ve seen people go from feeling trapped by tobacco to finally breathing freely, feeling proud, and saving money. Hypnotherapy helps by addressing the subconscious patterns that fuel cravings, making it easier to let go of cigarettes for good.
Every craving resisted is a victory. Every smoke-free day is a step closer to better health, more energy, and freedom. And you don’t have to do it alone – I’d love to support you on your journey.
If you’re ready to finally quit smoking and want tailored, supportive, and effective help, get in touch with me today. Together, we can make this your last attempt at quitting – because this time, it will stick.
Remember: You are stronger than your cravings. The future non-smoker version of you is already waiting – and I can’t wait to help you meet them.
📍 Based in Nottingham, I work with clients both in person and online.
📧 Email: eniko@alteredmindhypnotherapy.com
📞 Call: 07542 988 400
