While quitting tobacco often provides many people more “free time”, it is common for many to begin making plans for other lifestyle changes, such as eating more healthfully, working out, or trying to clean/organize their living space after quitting. This
... moreSeventy percent of smokers are ready to quit at any time and more than one-half report attempting to quit smoking each year. We know that the combination of behavioral counseling and pharmacotherapy works well for helping people quit smoking.
Nicotine rep
... moreWhen making any sort of change in life – from eating better or trying a new exercise regimen, to beginning a new job, getting married, etc., we all develop that picture in our minds about what that change will look like for us.
And, while that picture in o
... moreAs the days get longer and the temperatures are trending up here in the Northern Hemisphere, there are noticeable changes in the world:
Are you having a challenging time getting started with quitting? What if you find your inspiration from the ways of children?
I love watching children…c’mon, their energy is infectious and their delight in the little things is not only adorable but also a
... moreWhen you find yourself (despite much concerted effort!) preoccupied with thoughts of smoking, vaping, or chewing tobacco, mindfulness activities (or, grounding exercises) can be helpful to cope with these moments. They may not be a cure-all, but they can
... moreSeveral weeks ago, we talked about how mood impacted tobacco use behavior such that smokers experiencing higher-than-average positive moods had lower smoking urges later in the day. We have also talked about how mood can change with quitting smoking.
But h
... moreIn my last blog post, Empowering Your Quit: Building Self-Efficacy for Tobacco Cessation, I wrote about self-efficacy, which is having confidence in being able to accomplish a task, such as quitting tobacco. Part of having higher self-efficacy is meeting
... moreWhen choosing to make a significant behavior change like quitting smoking, vaping, dipping/chewing, or using nicotine pouches, we generally have a reason for doing so. If we had no reason, we would not be looking at making the change, right?
There are man
... moreBoredom is a trigger for many smokers and other tobacco users. Smoking and other forms of tobacco use help ease the “pain” of boredom and pass the time because of the good feelings that feed the addiction to tobacco use.
This can also be a barrier when
... moreGrieving a loss in life is always difficult. Whether you are grieving the death of a friend or family member, the loss of an important relationship through estrangement, separation or divorce, the incarceration of a loved one, losing a job, or suffering a
... moreDear Ex Community,
Today, I would like to offer a column from the “mailbag.” Some of you asked about anger: “How can people better manage anger as a trigger? How can people better manage anger as a symptom of nicotine withdrawal?”
This is a simple question
... moreI have been working with a patient who has experienced several losses over the last 2 years. Approximately 6 months ago, she went through a medical scare, and it was the impetus that started her on a journey of quitting tobacco.
Lately, she has been exper
... moreIf you struggle with loneliness and are trying to quit tobacco, developing some strategies for coping will be very important. Loneliness can take many forms, and there are several ways to manage it. I will outline some options, but you likely know best wh
... moreSelf-efficacy means belief or confidence in being able to perform or succeed at a certain task. One way of thinking about self-efficacy is, if you think you can do something, you will most likely succeed; if you don’t think you can do something, you will
... moreThere are many ways to provide support for those quitting smoking. The best way, however, is to find out what the person quitting feels would be most helpful. Your idea of what is helpful or “best” for them, may not be what they think is “best” for them.
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Smoking cessation is the most effective way to reduce the risks of smoking-related harms, but quitting is challenging for many smokers. One of the factors that influences smoking and quitting behavior is mood.
Mood is a complex and dynamic psychological
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I was having a conversation with a patient today who mentioned “I am happy and have been tobacco-free for 12 weeks now, but I just feel like there is something missing sometimes.” A lot of ex-tobacco users have described this feeling in various ways, an
... moreAs the sun's angle decreases and the hours of daylight continue to reduce, it’s the time of year when we plan celebrations, hang holiday lights and decorations, put up trees, eat way too many sweet treats, and contemplate resolutions for the coming year.
... moreWhen we smoke cigarettes, nicotine reaches the brain in 10 to 20 seconds, resulting in the release of neurotransmitters that reinforce the behavior. Upon quitting, the reward system triggers strong cravings for cigarettes, accompanied by withdrawal sympto
... moreFor those of you using tobacco, the holiday season can be filled with stressors and triggers. If you are in the process of quitting or reducing your tobacco use during the holiday season, it can be difficult to remain committed, but not impossible. Stayin
... moreWhen people stop smoking or using tobacco, they may find that they have extra time in their day. While this can be very useful, it can also be quite stressful if the extra time is unaccounted for in the planning of your day.
Boredom or lack of structure c
... moreWith the holidays drawing near, this time of year can become quite busy for many of us — whether it be with family engagements, holiday preparations or even with work as we are trying to cover extra shifts while others take vacation.
Emotions can run the
... moreThere are important links between tobacco use and chronic pain. The nicotine acetylcholine receptors play a pivotal role in pain management. When individuals experience chronic pain and smoke, these behavioral cues intertwine.
Additionally, environmental
... moreA pregnant woman engaging in a positive coping activity.
Smoking is linked to adverse outcomes for everyone engaging in this behavior. However, few groups of smokers generate as much urgency and anxiety around treatment on the provider side as pregnant wom
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Quitting tobacco is hard. If it were easy, you wouldn’t be reading this blog. But it’s not easy, so you are reading it! There are many things that are very difficult to control in the process of quitting including:
Fall is the time of year that I appreciate the most. I enjoy the cool crispness of the air and the leaves changing color on the trees. Also, it is the time of year where I am more susceptible to falling back to what is familiar and ending up off track. Do
... moreWe all have those things that we “silently” put off. I like to call it the “silent to-do list.”
These are things that we keep tabs on - and frequently think about - but never quite get to. Maybe it’s an activity we yearn to do like learning a new sport, a
... moreBehavior change is hard! And while it is hard enough to muster up the energy, motivation, and, frankly, the courage to make such a change, it can be so overwhelming when you try to sift through all the information out there to find what will both work for
... moreWe all want to change things about ourselves and that is very normal, but sometimes those changes can be very hard.
Have you tried to quit smoking, started making a plan, and then thought, "This is taking forever and it's harder than I expected"? This sel
... moreProfessor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Director of the Nicotine Dependence Center.
An expert in tobacco use and dependence, Dr. Ebbert has authored and co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed scholarly articles on tobacco dependence and its treatment. Dr. Ebbert maintains an active clinical practice while conducting research on electronic nicotine delivery devices.
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A group of Counselors and Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists from the Mayo Clinic combining their expertise for the EX Community.
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