Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTo Stop CravingsIf You Feel DeprivedUsing Social SupportMaximize ProductivityKeep Your Hands BusyPrevent Weight GainChange Your RoutineEmbrace RelaxationAre There Healthier Ways to Use Tobacco or Nicotine?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
To Stop Cravings
If You Feel Deprived
Using Social Support
Maximize Productivity
Keep Your Hands Busy
Prevent Weight Gain
Change Your Routine
Embrace Relaxation
Are There Healthier Ways to Use Tobacco or Nicotine?
As of Dec. 20, 2019, thenew legal age limit is 21 years oldforpurchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco productsin the U.S.
Here are 101 alternatives for smoking based on whether you’re having cravings, feeling deprived, and more. Turn to these every time you feel like lighting up a cigarette and it can help you break your nicotine addiction for good.
What Nicotine Does to Your Body
Healthy Alternatives to Smoking That Help Stop Cravings
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Find a way to regulate your cravings and you can reduce your smoking behaviors while also lessening your likelihood ofrelapse.Cravings play such an important role in addiction that they are listed in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-5) as one of the criteria for addiction diagnosis.
It’s always good to have something quick and easy that you can do at a moment’s notice to stop cigarette cravings dead in their tracks. These alternatives for smoking don’t take a lot of effort or time, making them great activities whenever you feel the urge to smoke.
Five-minute craving bustersto try include:
Things to Do Instead of Smoking When You Feel Deprived
Substitutes for smoking that can help you feel not so deprived include:
Healthy Alternatives to Smoking That Boost Social Support
Activities that can help you avoid isolating yourself include:
Productive Things to Do Instead of Smoking
When you’re not spending so much time smoking, you will be amazed at what you can get done. In fact, studies have linked quitting smoking with improvements in productivity.That makes this the perfect time to work on your to-do list around the house.
Cleaninganddeclutteringyour environment can also help you feel more in control and have greater peace of mind.Both of these effects can be incredibly helpful when you’re working to quit smoking.
Alternatives for smoking that capitalize on your newfound levels of productivity (and result in cleaner, more organized surroundings) include:
How Clutter and Mental Health Are Connected
Healthy Alternatives to Smoking That Keep Your Hands Busy
Many ex-smokers find that they not only need amental distraction, but they also need to find ways to keep their hands busy. This can be especially helpful when engaged in activities in which you used to smoke, such as when drinking your morning coffee.
Substitutes for smoking that keep your hands busy include:
Things to Do Instead of Smoking That Prevent Weight Gain
One thing that deters many people from quitting smoking is the fear ofgaining weight. This is a fair fear since one study found that the mean weight gained when stopping smoking was around 4.1 kilograms, which equates to just over 9 pounds.
This doesn’t mean that gaining weight has to be an absolute as there are several alternatives for smoking that can help reduce this effect. Besides, if you’re going to pick up a new habit to replace the old, it might as well be a healthy one.
Options to consider that can help you keep your weight in check include:
The Mental Health Benefits of Physical Exercise
Healthy Alternatives to Smoking That Change Your Routine
Smoking is often something people do in relation to their other daily routines—which is one reason why many former smokers say that quitting is so difficult.Smoking every time you take a work break is an example of this, as is lighting up directly after a meal or whenever you’re on the phone.
Finding ways to change your routines can help make it easier to quit. When you feel the urge to reach for a cigarette out of habit, try these alternatives for smoking instead:
Relaxing Things to Do Instead of Smoking
Learning how to relax (and actually enjoy it) can also do wonders for your outlook during the transition from current smoker to former smoker. Take some time for yourself and enjoy the moment with these relaxation-based alternatives for smoking:
The healthiest thing you can do instead of smoking is to find habits that boost your well-being and support your smoking cessation efforts.
If you need extra support while you quit, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products, such as patches, gum, sprays, inhalers, and lozenges, can help you quit nicotine gradually without exposing yourself to the hazards of smoking.
Is There a Healthier Cigarette?
According to the American Cancer Society, there is no safe form of tobacco.The only way to avoid the dangers of tobacco is to avoid cigarettes altogether. If you need support while quitting nicotine, NRT products can help you gradually taper your nicotine use over time.
What About Vaping?
While vaping does not contain as many tobacco contaminants, it is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. Vaping products are addictive and may contain harmful substances. E-cigarettes have been linked to serious lung injuries, some of which have been fatal.
Final Thoughts
10 Tips for When You Quit Smoking
14 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Lopez RB, Ochsner KN, Kober H.Brief training in regulation of craving reduces cigarette smoking.J Substance Abuse Treat. 2022;138:108749. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2022.108749
Baker CL, Flores NM, Zou KH, Bruno M, Harrison VJ.Benefits of quitting smoking on work productivity and activity impairment in the United States, the European Union and China.Int J Clin Pract. 2017;71(1):e12900. doi:10.1111/ijcp.12900
Cleveland Clinic.Decluttering your life: How cleaning and mental health are connected with Dr. Dawn Potter.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips from former smokers: Why quitting smoking is hard.
Cleveland Clinic.How to quit smoking: 7 ways to kick the habit.
American Cancer Society.Is any type of tobacco product safe?
American Heart Association.Is vaping better than smoking?
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