People who smoke take in the chemical nicotine from tobacco. Each time you use tobacco, nicotine triggers the brain’s reward system. People become addicted to that trigger. But people who smoke also can get used to the habit of smoking, not just the nicotine.

The chemical addiction and the habits people form around smoking, when combined, make it hard to quit.

Like most people who smoke, you may have tried to quit. But it’s rare to stop smoking on your first attempt, and even harder if you try to do it without help. You have a better chance of preventing smoking relapse if you have help, and if you make a plan.

To get started, here are 10 ways to resist the urge to smoke or use tobacco when a craving strikes.

1. Use the right nicotine replacement therapy for you.

Some quit-smoking treatments have small amounts of nicotine in them. Examples are nicotine patches for long-term use and nicotine gums, lozenges and nose sprays for short-term use. Some nicotine replacement therapies require a prescription, but others don’t.

Talk with your healthcare professional to find out what combination is right for you. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration, also called FDA, hasn’t approved these products for children. But healthcare professionals sometimes prescribe nicotine-replacement products for teenagers who have serious trouble quitting smoked tobacco.

2. Know what triggers your urge to use nicotine or tobacco and make a plan.

How you feel or what you do as you use nicotine or tobacco get linked in your brain over time. For example, if you take a work break with others who use tobacco or nicotine, you may have a craving at that time or when you’re with those people.

To overcome nicotine dependence, know your triggers and plan how to deal with them. It can help to write down the triggers you face most days and how to manage each one. Also, it can help to come up with a list of people who can help during this time.

3. Distract yourself until the nicotine or tobacco craving gets better.

Nicotine cravings may be strong, but they often ease up within minutes. Try setting an alarm for 10 minutes and then pick an activity that distracts you or that you enjoy. You also could go to a place where smoking or using tobacco or nicotine products is banned.

Tell yourself that the urge to smoke or use nicotine will peak and then get better whether or not you use tobacco or nicotine. And it can help to write down the main reason why you’re quitting. When a craving hits, you can look at your reason and get through the craving.

4. Replace tobacco or nicotine with gum, a healthy snack or a mint.

Give your mouth something to do to resist a craving. Chew on sugarless gum, or munch on raw carrots, nuts or sunflower seeds. Keep mints or candy on hand for a burst of something tasty. Some people also find that drinking a glass of water helps manage cravings.

5. Don’t cave to a nicotine craving.

Many people who decide to smoke just one cigarette, for example, end up using tobacco again at the rate they were previously. And some people stop trying to quit tobacco once they get down to low levels of tobacco use.

But even one or two cigarettes a day are linked to a higher risk of disease.

Instead of smoking “just one” or using tobacco, choose a quick-acting medicine for nicotine dependence. Options may be a nicotine gum or lozenge. These are a better bet for managing strong cravings.

6. Physical action can help manage mood and craving as you quit tobacco.

As you quit, you may be quicker to anger or feel frustrated faster. You may feel more anxious or tense. To take the edge off these feelings, do something physical that you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be strenuous. Ten-minute walks either indoors or outdoors can lessen cravings for cigarettes.

7. If tobacco helped you deal with stress, try other ways to relax.

Smoking or using other forms of tobacco may have been your way to deal with stress. Fighting back against a tobacco craving can itself be stressful. Take the edge off stress by trying ways to relax, such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga, visualization, massage or listening to calming music.

8. Set up a support system to help you resist a tobacco craving.

Know your tobacco triggers and plan your support. For example, join an online support group, ask family or friends to be available, or attend an in-person support group for help.

In-person or online counseling can help too. With a counselor, you practice skills you need to give up tobacco for good. The more time you spend with a counselor, the better your treatment results might be.

In the United States, you can call 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) to be connected to your state’s tobacco cessation services. People age 18 and older also can text the phrase QUITNOW to 333888 to reach your state’s services.

9. Plan for long-term success and prevent tobacco relapse.

Talk to your healthcare professional about tobacco cessation products that will help you in the long term. Together you can explore which products might be right for you and when to start taking them. You also can learn about the possible side effects.

One long-acting medicine is called a nicotine patch. It slowly releases nicotine over time. Other long-acting medicines that don’t have nicotine are called bupropion (Wellbutrin SR) and varenicline. You can get these with a prescription.

10. Remind yourself of the benefits

Write down or say out loud why you want to stop smoking and resist tobacco cravings. These reasons might include:

• Feeling better.
• Getting healthier.
• Sparing your loved ones from secondhand smoke.
• Saving money.

Keep in mind that trying something to beat the urge to use tobacco is always better than doing nothing. And each time you resist a tobacco craving, you’re one step closer to being tobacco-free.

Quit smoking for life

Nicotine cravings get easier to handle after the first weeks but they don’t go away. Over time, symptoms lessen and the urge to smoke goes down. For some people, the habit of smoking or using nicotine is the craving that lasts the longest.

Smoking relapse within six months of quitting is common. But you can improve your chances with a plan that includes quit-smoking medicines and counseling. Together, medicine and counseling help you take control of your thoughts, manage your response to challenging situations, and use medicines to handle cravings and nicotine withdrawal.