Quit Support - Support After Quitting

Withdrawal Symptoms

Understanding withdrawal symptoms

Nicotine is an addictive chemical found in tobacco products. It only takes a few cigarettes to start building a tolerance, followed by dependence on nicotine. When your body gets low on nicotine you may experience withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms can start just a couple of hours after your last cigarette and may include restlessness, irritability, anxiety and stress, cravings, trouble concentrating, low mood and trouble sleeping.

Think of the above as recovery symptoms. They are the first signs that your body is beginning to heal itself from the damage caused by smoking.

Symptoms are likely to rise and fall over several weeks, so it's important to plan ways to manage nicotine withdrawal and remember all the reasons why you want to quit for good.

Try the 4Ds

Clock icon
DELAYING
Delay for 1-2 minutes and the urge will pass
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DRINKING WATER
Sip it slowly
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DEEP BREATHING
Take three slow, deep breaths of fresh air
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DOING SOMETHING ELSE
To take your mind off smoking
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Ways to cope with specific withdrawal symptoms

  • Tenseness/irritability: Go for a walk, take deep breaths, relax in a warm bath, meditate or try some stretching exercises.
  • Appetite changes: Maintain a balanced diet with healthy snacks and meals. Get inspiration from the LiveLighter website.
  • Constipation/gas: Drink plenty of fluids, eat lots of fruits, vegetables and high fibre cereal.
  • Difficulty sleeping: Try these sleep hacks.
  • Difficulty concentrating: Break large projects into smaller tasks and take regular breaks.
  • Cough, dry throat and mouth, nasal drip: Stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids.
  • Depression: Reach out to a loved one, Beyond Blue or your doctor.

If you have a strong dependency on nicotine, you might find your withdrawal symptoms more difficult to manage. If you need additional support or ideas, contact the Quitline or chat to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if stop smoking medications are right for you.

WATCH: How to get through withdrawal
Dr Peter Wynn Owen
Distract yourself to shift your focus away from the discomfort of withdrawal
Go for a walk
Exercise can reduce cravings, lower stress and contribute to weight management.
Keep your brain and hands busy
Catch up with a friend or family member, play a game on your phone, squeeze a stress ball, chew gum or breathe through a straw.
Find a relaxing activity
Listen to music or a podcast, or try yoga, meditation or deep breathing techniques.

Common triggers to smoke

Your habits and emotions can play a big role in triggering that urge for another cigarette, but with some simple lifestyle changes, you can resist the cravings and kick the habit for good.

Habitual triggers

Do you have a cigarette with your first cup of coffee in the morning, with a loved one after dinner or in the car during your drive to work?

Smoking can become linked to certain activities, people or places, causing cravings. You might even find yourself lighting up without even realising it! To break this cycle, try changing your daily routine. Within 3-4 weeks, these changes will become a part of your new routine.

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Smoking habit
How to break it
First thing in the morning
Jump straight into the shower to start your day.
During a work break
Go for a walk around the block, read a magazine or sit in a different environment.
Straight after work
Exercise or take the dog for a walk.
With alcohol
Change to a different drink and place it in your smoking hand.
As a reward
Listen to music, watch your favourite TV show or have a snack.
Just before bed
Listen to a podcast or make yourself a warm drink.
With friends
Share your quitting plans with them to arrange smoke-free catch-ups.

Emotional triggers

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Boredom, anxiety, sadness, excitement and stress can cause you to reach for a cigarette. Pinpointing trigger emotions and having plans in place to cope with these triggers can help you to avoid smoking. This may include:

  • Writing a list of the things that make you feel stressed and thinking of strategies to combat these moments.
  • Exercising to unwind, such as walking with a friend or joining an exercise group.
  • Treating yourself with the money you have saved from not smoking.
  • Taking up deep breathing or muscle relaxation exercises.
  • Keeping your hands busy by playing a game, a puzzle or completing a crossword.
  • Asking one of your non-smoking friends to be your quit buddy, to provide support, keep you distracted and remind you of your reasons for quitting.

For more ways to deal with nicotine withdrawals and triggers check out our blog or read real quitting stories for inspiration to stay smoke-free.

Watch: How Charlie handled his cravings and managed his triggers to kick the habit.
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Family and friends

If your family, friends, partner or housemate smoke, it's important to share your plan with them. The people you surround yourself with might not be ready to quit at the same time as you, but their support can help you to stay on track!

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Here are a few things that you may need to consider when starting your quitting journey:

  • What type of support do you want from your partner or housemate?
  • Is it possible to make your home smoke-free or create a designated smoking area?
  • How will you socialise without being tempted to smoke?
  • How can they keep cigarettes out of your sight?

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TIP: Practice saying “No, I don’t smoke” and don’t make the mistake of having 'just one', it's never a good idea!
Still struggling managing your withdrawal?

Many people struggle with these symptoms as they break their nicotine addiction, but there are resources available to help you manage them. Here are two actions you can take right now to support your quit journey:

Find tips on quitting
Find practical advice on how to stay motivated and maintain your commitment to quitting smoking.
Learn your nicotine addiction level
Take our quiz to assess your level of nicotine dependence and get personalised feedback on how to approach quitting smoking.

Looking for other information?

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Quit Methods

There are so many different ways to quit, find the one that will work for you.

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Quit Apps

Free apps such as My QuitBuddy can be a fun and practical way to quit and stay smoke-free.

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Real Quitting Experiences

There are more ex-smokers today than there are smokers. Find out how they did it by reading their stories.

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Latest News

We publish blogs on many different tobacco-related topics, you're sure to learn something new.

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Talk to the Quitline

Quitline is a confidential advice and information service for people who want to quit smoking. For the cost of a local call (except mobile phones), a trained advisor can help you to plan and develop strategies to quit smoking and stay quit. You can also use webchat during opening hours.

Call Quitline 13 7848 now

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My QuitBuddy App

The My QuitBuddy App tracks your quitting progress, such as days smoke-free, cigarettes avoided, health gained and dollars saved.

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Make Smoking History was established in 2000 with the goal to reduce smoking in Western Australia. This is an initiative of Cancer Council WA and is jointly funded by the Department of Health WA, Healthway and Cancer Council WA.

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