The symptoms ofnicotine withdrawalcan be overwhelming. You may feeldepressed,anxious, and irritable. You might be missing the ritual of smoking as well as the release of dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone, in your brain.

The good news: These discomforts are temporary as long as you stay smoke-free. In the meantime, celebrate yourself and your accomplishment of quitting! There arenatural ways to increase dopaminein the body and start feeling good.

Plus, rewarding yourself with something each day reinforces your positive behavior—not smoking—and can help manage uncomfortable symptoms of quitting and get you motivated to keep going.

Treat Yourself to Relaxation

Day-to-daystressorshave been shown to decrease dopamine production in the brain.Managing these stressors and your reactions to them can keep you feeling better during withdrawal. Pay attention to your feelings. Are you overwhelmed? Are you making enough time for yourself throughout the day?

Even a few minutes ofmeditationa day can improve your well-being, and it’s been shown to help reduce cigarette cravings.Find a quiet place to sit or lay down. Inhale and exhale deeply, focusing on your breath.

The Icky Threes of Smoking Cessation

Get Daily Encouragement

We all need to hear that we’re doing well and that the task we’re working so hard to accomplish is worth it. It inspires us to keep going until we’ve overcome the temptation to smoke.

If you’re connected to a support group, make it a habit of reaching out to them every day. If you have a friend who is also quitting smoking, text each other daily words of encouragement or inspirational quotes.

Studies show that the more support you have from the people around you in your journey to quit smoking, the more motivated you are to keep going.

Getting supportfrom people who care about you can help boost your mood. It’s a quick and easy way to feel good that doesn’t involve a cigarette.

The Best Online Resources for Smoking Cessation

Buy Yourself Something Special

While making a purchase might not be plausible a daily reward, treating yourself with even a small purchase—like your favorite specialty coffee—can go a long way. You could also keep a money jar or a savings account to put a little money into over time until you’re ready to treat yourself with a larger purchase.

Enjoy Time With Loved Ones

Let your family and friends know that you celebrating your journey of quittingsmoking. Consider inviting them over for a dinner party to honor your achievements and to thank those who have encouraged you along the way for playing a part in your success.

One study found that positive social interactions helped people who used to smoke manage obstacles throughout quitting.

Even exchanging text messages with a loved one, especially when you’re going through the challenges of withdrawal, can serve aspositive reinforcementof your new smoke-free lifestyle.

Get Active

A great way to reward yourself is withphysical activity. Exercise is proven to improve mental health, boost your mood, and increase your energy.For a boost in positive mental health effects, try taking a walk outside.Being in naturecan soothe anxious feelings, lower stress levels, andimprove concentration.

When you reward yourself with exercise, you might even notice you’re able to breathe better than you used to when you smoked cigarettes.

Connecting with others, getting out into your community, and having fun will also help distract you from any withdrawal symptoms orcravingsyou are experiencing.

Break Up Your Routine

You might notice that a lot of the same places you go or the same activities you do can trigger a craving. That’s completely normal; while you can’t avoid everything that reminds you of smoking, you can manage those cravings.

By going to new places andtrying new thingsafter you quit, you’ll start to form new associations that don’t involve lighting up a cigarette.

Try taking an alternate route home from work, or buying lunch from a restaurant you haven’t tried. It could be waking up earlier and meditating before you eat breakfast, or it could mean taking a spontaneous day trip to a place you’ve always wanted to go.

A Word From Verywell

Make a list of simple rewards for yourself that will help motivate you to stay smoke-free. Make sure the reward means something special to you. Quitting smoking is worth the work, and it can be easier to accomplish with a few well-deserved rewards along the way.

10 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.

McLaughlin I, Dani JA, De Biasi M.Nicotine withdrawal.The Neuropharmacology of Nicotine Dependence. Published online 2015:99-123. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13482-6_4

Taylor G, McNeill A, Girling A, Farley A, Lindson-Hawley N, Aveyard P.Change in mental health after smoking cessation: Systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ. 2014;348:g1151. doi:10.1136/bmj.g1151

Bloomfield MA, McCutcheon RA, Kempton M, Freeman TP, Howes O.The effects of psychosocial stress on dopaminergic function and the acute stress response.Elife. 2019;8. doi:10.7554/eLife.46797

Tang YY, Tang R, Posner MI.Brief meditation training induces smoking reduction.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110(34):13971-13975. doi:10.1073/pnas.1311887110

Soulakova JN, Tang CY, Leonardo SA, Taliaferro LA.Motivational benefits of social support and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation.J Smok Cessat. 2018;13(4):216-226. doi:10.1017/jsc.2017.26

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.Immediate smoker savings from quitting in each state.

Kahler CW, Surace A, Gordon REF, et al.Positive psychotherapy for smoking cessation enhanced with text messaging: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Contemp Clin Trials. 2018;71:146-153. doi:10.1016/j.cct.2018.06.013

Bell SL, Audrey S, Gunnell D, Cooper A, Campbell R.The relationship between physical activity, mental wellbeing and symptoms of mental health disorder in adolescents: A cohort study.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2019;16(1). doi:10.1186/s12966-019-0901-7

Brymer E, Davids K, Mallabon L.Understanding the psychological health and well-being benefits of physical activity in nature: An ecological dynamics analysis.Ecopsychology. 2014;6(3). doi:10.1089/eco.2013.0110

National Institutes of Health.Celebrate Successes.

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