Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, and one of the hardest. Cravings are strong, but they pass. There are many ways to help, from tapping and Allen Carr’s Easyway to hypnotherapy, nicotine patches and quitlines. Pick what’s going on for you and we’ll show you where to start.
What’s going on for you?
Three things to try right now. Cravings often ease within minutes.
- Step 1 · Tap through the craving
EFT Tapping
Tap through the points while you name the craving and rate how strong it is. Keep going until it drops.
- Step 2 · Ride the wave
Mindfulness and urge surfing
Notice where you feel the craving in your body. Watch it rise, peak and fade, without acting on it.
- Step 3 · Move for ten minutes
A short walk or burst of activity
Go for a brisk walk or climb some stairs. Short bursts of activity reduce cravings.
Not quite right? See every method for quit smoking
For when quitting feels like losing a friend.
- Step 1 · Change how you see smoking
Allen Carr’s Easyway
Read Allen Carr’s book, or join a seminar. It aims to remove the fear of quitting before you stop.
- Step 2 · Make a simple plan
A quit plan
Pick a quit date, list your triggers and decide what you’ll do instead.
- Step 3 · Get someone in your corner
Quitlines and stop-smoking support
Many countries have a free quitline. A counsellor can call you through the first weeks.
Not quite right? See every method for quit smoking
Slipping back is common. Each try teaches you something.
- Step 1 · Clear the feelings behind it
EFT Tapping
Tap on the stress, boredom or emotion that pulled you back last time.
- Step 2 · Try a guided session
Hypnotherapy
Some people find a hypnotherapy session helps. The evidence is weak, so use it alongside other support.
- Step 3 · Add backup
Prescribed medicines
Ask a doctor about nicotine replacement or medicines. They ease withdrawal and work best with support.
Not quite right? See every method for quit smoking
For changing what smoking means to you.
- Step 1 · See through the “reward”
Allen Carr’s Easyway
Easyway helps you see that smoking mostly relieves the withdrawal it causes.
- Step 2 · Rewire the habit
NLP
Change the pictures and feelings you link with smoking.
- Step 3 · Stay curious about cravings
Mindfulness and urge surfing
Each craving you ride out makes the next one easier.
Not quite right? See every method for quit smoking
Every method for quit smoking
Many alternative methods haven’t been studied much yet. That doesn’t mean they can’t help; it means there’s less evidence so far.
Tapping, energy & acupuncture
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EFT Tapping
Tap on acupressure points while naming the craving; one small study found people smoked less. [9]
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Thought Field Therapy
Problem-specific tapping sequences designed to reset an emotional reaction in minutes.
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Acupuncture and acupressure
Fine needles or pressure on points, often on the ear; no consistent long-term benefit in trials. [14]
Guide soon
Mind, hypnosis & beliefs
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Allen Carr’s Easyway
A book and seminar that aim to remove the desire to smoke; in trials it did at least as well as standard support. [11] [12]
Guide soon
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Hypnotherapy
A guided, relaxed state with suggestions to stop; the research is weak so far. [10]
Guide soon
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NLP
Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques for changing patterns of thought, language and behaviour.
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Mindfulness and urge surfing
Notice the craving in your body and let it rise and fall, like a wave. [8]
Guide soon
Breath, body & routine
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Delay and distract
Set a timer for 10 minutes and do something else; the urge often fades. [7]
Guide soon
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Slow breathing
Slow, deep breaths with a long out-breath to ease stress and the urge. [7]
Guide soon
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A short walk or burst of activity
A brisk 10-minute walk or a few flights of stairs; short activity reduces cravings. [15]
Guide soon
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A quit plan
Pick a quit date, know your triggers and plan what you’ll do instead.
Guide soon
Conventional routes
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Nicotine replacement (patches, gum, lozenges, sprays)
Patches, gum, lozenges or sprays ease withdrawal and raise the chance of quitting by about half. [17]
Guide soon
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Prescribed medicines
Varenicline, bupropion or cytisine through a doctor, ideally with support. [3]
Guide soon
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Quitlines and stop-smoking support
Free phone support in many countries; counselling that calls you back helps people quit. [18]
Guide soon
Coming soon: Hypnosis, Mindfulness, Meditation, Havening, Sedona Method, Yoga, Qi Gong, Relaxation.
Learn more
About quit smoking
What it is, why it happens and what helps. Contents:
- Why is it so hard to quit?
- How common is smoking?
- What happens when you stop
- Withdrawal and cravings
- Quick help for a craving
- What the research says on alternatives
- Conventional help
- When to see a doctor
- Helping someone quit
- FAQs
Why is it so hard to quit?
Smoking is two things at once. Nicotine is addictive, so your body comes to expect it. And smoking becomes a habit, linked to coffee, stress, breaks, drinks and friends.
When you stop, your body has to get used to having no nicotine. That is why the first week is usually the hardest. [6] The habit side takes longer to fade, which is why many methods on this page focus on cravings and triggers.
How common is smoking?
About 1.2 billion people use tobacco, and around 80% of them live in low- and middle-income countries. [1] Tobacco kills more than 7 million people a year, including more than 1.6 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. [1]
You are far from alone in wanting to stop. In the countries WHO surveyed, over 60% of smokers said they intend to quit. [1]
What happens when you stop
Your body starts to recover quickly: [2]
- 20 minutes: your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
- 12 hours: the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
- 2 to 12 weeks: your circulation and lung function improve.
- 1 to 9 months: coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
- 1 year: your risk of heart disease is about half that of a smoker.
- 10 years: your risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker.
It is never too late. People who stop at about 60 gain around 3 years of life expectancy, and those who stop at about 30 gain almost 10. [2]
Withdrawal and cravings
In the first days and weeks you might feel: [6]
- tense, irritable or low
- hungrier than usual
- unable to sleep or concentrate
- a cough, dry throat or dizziness
These feelings are temporary, and usually last a few days to a few weeks. [6] Each craving often passes within minutes, and cravings get less frequent and smaller over the first few weeks. [7] [8]
Quick help for a craving
- Delay. Set a timer for 10 minutes and do something else. The urge will peak and fade. [7]
- Tap it down. Tap through the EFT points while you name the craving. Learn how.
- Surf the urge. Picture the craving as a wave. Notice it in your body, let it build, and watch it pass. [8]
- Breathe slowly. Take a few slow, deep breaths. [7]
- Move. A brisk 10-minute walk can lessen cravings. [7] [15]
- Keep your mouth busy. Chew sugar-free gum, or sip water.
What the research says on alternatives
Allen Carr’s Easyway has the most research of the alternative methods. In an Irish trial of 300 smokers, 22% of the Easyway group had stopped at one year, compared with 11% using an online service. [11] In a London trial of 620 smokers, 19% of the Easyway group had stopped at six months, compared with 15% at a specialist service using medicines. The researchers found no clear difference between the two. [12]
Hypnotherapy: a Cochrane review of 14 trials found no clear evidence that it works better than other approaches, and any benefit appears small. The evidence is low quality. [10]
Acupuncture and acupressure: a Cochrane review of 38 trials found no consistent evidence of a benefit lasting six months or more, though acupuncture may have a small short-term effect. These therapies are safe when done properly. [14]
Mindfulness: a Cochrane review of 21 trials found no clear benefit on quit rates compared with other support, but the evidence is low quality. [13] Many people still find urge surfing a useful way to handle a craving. [8]
EFT tapping has only one small study for smoking, with no comparison group. [9] Other methods here have not been tested for smoking yet.
Less research doesn’t mean a method can’t help you. Many people combine an alternative method with nicotine replacement or a quitline.
Conventional help
Counselling and medicines can more than double your chance of quitting. [1]
Nicotine replacement, such as patches, gum, lozenges and sprays, raises the chance of quitting by about 50 to 60%. Side effects are usually mild, such as skin or mouth irritation. [17]
Prescribed medicines. WHO recommends varenicline, bupropion and cytisine, as well as nicotine replacement. They work best combined with support. [3] Ask a doctor which is right for you. Availability differs by country.
Support. WHO recommends brief advice from health workers, more intensive support in person, in groups or by phone, and text-message and app programmes. [3] Phone counselling that calls you back helps people quit. [18] Many countries have a free national quitline: WHO keeps a list. [4]
When to see a doctor
See a doctor before using nicotine replacement or medicines if you are pregnant, have a heart condition, or take regular medicines. See a doctor promptly if you have a cough that won’t go away, you cough up blood, or you have chest pain or breathlessness. These need checking whatever methods you use to quit.
Helping someone quit
Be patient, especially in the first week. Irritability and low mood are normal withdrawal signs. [6] Offer to walk with them when a craving hits, keep your home smoke-free, and celebrate milestones. If they slip, don’t lecture. Help them work out what tripped them up, and encourage them to try again.
Frequently asked questions
Does Allen Carr’s Easyway work?
In two randomised trials it did at least as well as standard support. In one it did better than an online service, and in the other there was no clear difference from a specialist service with medicines. [11] [12]
Does hypnosis help you stop smoking?
The research is weak. A Cochrane review couldn’t show it works better than other approaches. [10] Some people still find it helpful alongside other support.
How long do cravings last?
Each craving often eases within minutes. [7] They become less frequent and smaller over the first few weeks. [8]
Should I switch to vaping?
Opinions differ. A Cochrane review found nicotine e-cigarettes helped more people stop smoking than nicotine replacement, but there is little data on use beyond two years. [19] WHO says the evidence is inconclusive, that switching to e-cigarettes is not quitting, and that vaping carries its own health risks. [5] Rules on e-cigarettes vary by country. If you don’t smoke, don’t start vaping. [19]
I slipped and had a cigarette. Have I failed?
No. Slips are common. Work out what triggered it, plan for that next time, and carry on. Many people need several tries before they stop for good.
The best videos on quit smoking
Hand-picked and checked one by one: short explainers, a talk on cravings, guided tapping and breathing.
Understand it
Beat the craving
Get support
Videos are chosen by Self Help Supermarket and hosted on YouTube by their creators. They are for information and are not a substitute for professional care.
Books on quit smoking
Free resources
Experts to follow
Get help
See a doctor if you’d like help with nicotine replacement or medicines, if you are pregnant, have a heart or lung condition or take regular medicines, or if you have a cough that won’t go away, chest pain, breathlessness or you cough up blood.
This hub is for information, not a substitute for medical or psychological care.
Sources
- World Health Organization, Tobacco fact sheet
- World Health Organization, Tobacco: health benefits of smoking cessation
- World Health Organization (2024), WHO releases first-ever clinical treatment guideline for tobacco cessation in adults
- World Health Organization, Toll-free quitlines (Quitting toolkit)
- World Health Organization, How to quit e-cigarettes? (questions and answers)
- Australian Government Department of Health, What quitting feels like
- Mayo Clinic, Nicotine cravings: 10 ways to resist tobacco cravings
- Quit Victoria (Australia), Urge surfing to cope with cravings
- Abay & Karakoç (2026), The effect of Emotional Freedom Technique on smoking addiction in women: quasi-experimental research, Journal of Traditional Medical Complementary Therapies
- Barnes et al. (2019), Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Keogan, Li & Clancy (2019), Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking: a randomised clinical trial, Tobacco Control
- Frings et al. (2020), Comparison of Allen Carr’s Easyway programme with a specialist behavioural and pharmacological smoking cessation support service: a randomised controlled trial, Addiction
- Jackson et al. (2022), Mindfulness for smoking cessation, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- White et al. (2014), Acupuncture and related interventions for smoking cessation, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Haasova et al. (2013), The acute effects of physical activity on cigarette cravings: systematic review and meta-analysis with individual participant data, Addiction
- Ussher et al. (2019), Exercise interventions for smoking cessation, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Hartmann-Boyce et al. (2018), Nicotine replacement therapy versus control for smoking cessation, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Matkin, Ordóñez-Mena & Hartmann-Boyce (2019), Telephone counselling for smoking cessation, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- University of Oxford, E-cigarettes are more effective than nicotine replacement therapy in helping smokers quit (Cochrane review summary)
Last reviewed 25 October 2026 by the Self Help Supermarket editorial team. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.