How to cope with cravings
Nicotine cravings can strike at any time, and they feel really intense. A craving is like a nagging, tense feeling in your brain, and sometimes your body too. It feels like you can’t settle until you’ve had some nicotine.
But cravings don’t last, and they usually go away within 10-15 minutes. The secret to quitting is to distract yourself while the craving passes. And if you don’t manage it this time, don’t worry. Just try again next time.
What's actually happening
- Nicotine trains your brain to expect it and want it.
- When your brain doesn’t get nicotine, you feel restless, stressed, or down.
- The “calm” from vaping is short-term. It fixes the withdrawal for a moment, then cravings come back even stronger.
- Quitting gets easier. The first 3–5 days are usually the hardest and cravings get less frequent over time.
Quick ways to beat cravings
It’s really helpful if you know what to do before a craving arrives. That way, you’ll have a few ideas on how to beat it. Here are a few:
- Wait 10 minutes: Set a timer. Most cravings fade before the timer’s up.
Time remaining10:00 - Distract yourself: Walk, stretch, shower, game, clean… any motion breaks the loop.
- Drink water or chew gum: A different sensation in your mouth can help a craving pass.
- Breathing exercises: Breathing in a conscious way helps to reset the nervous system. There are lots of different techniques to try, but 4, 7, 8 is a good place to start. Breath in for four counts, hold for seven, then exhale slowly for a count of eight. Repeat 4 times, then breathe normally.
- A change of scenery: Move away from your usual vape spot.
- Talk to someone: Message a friend or support service.
There’s no smoke and no smell with nicotine pouches, and they don’t contain tobacco.
Some pouch brands are owned by the same tobacco companies that make vapes and cigarettes.
They use fun, colourful packaging, sweet flavours and even influencers and sports sponsorships - all to make pouches appear cleaner, safer and healthier.
But just like vapes, nicotine pouches are still addictive and still harmful to health.
Slip ups happen
If you give in to a craving, don’t worry.
Rather than giving yourself a hard time, think about what happened to make you slip up. Was there a particular trigger? Is there something you could do to help yourself more next time?
Concentrate on what you’ve already achieved, and keep going.
