5 simple tips to help you conquer smoking cravings

For every two hours that you get by without smoking, half of your body's nicotine reserves are depleted. That sounds good — but it takes up to 72 hours before your blood, and therefore your brain, is completely free of nicotine. It is at this point, three days after your last puff, that the cravings, tension and anxiety associated with quitting typically reach their peak.

The average smoker experiences six cravings on the third day after giving up. That is just 18 minutes in total on the very worst day. Knowing this can help to put those urges in perspective.

If you can make it through three smoke-free days, then you'll be through the chemical withdrawal symptoms and on your way to quitting for good.

But remember that a single drag on a cigarette can stimulate up to half of all the brain receptors linked with nicotine addiction. So don't give in even once!

The average cigarette craving lasts just three minutes, though it can seem like hours. Here are five tactics that can help keep you from caving in:

1. Change your routine.

If you usually have a cigarette at the end of a meal, try clearing the plates immediately after you have finished eating, brushing your teeth or making tea. If you typically smoke while you're on the phone, keep some sugar-free gum or mints next to the phone (or with your cell) and chew as you chat. If you usually light up with your morning coffee, switch to tea or fruit juice, or go to a café for breakfast rather than eating at home.

2. Make it difficult for yourself.

Ideally, there should be no cigarettes in the house at all. If you do have some, keep the cigarette pack on the other side of the room, in a cabinet or even a locked drawer. Do not bring cigarettes with you when you go out.

3. Relieve work stress: Instead of joining the smoking-break huddle on the sidewalk outside your office, go for a quick stroll around the block. It will improve your mood and relieve feelings of tension.

4. Distract yourself: Train your brain to unlearn the expectation of an instant nicotine reward. When you think you want a cigarette, persuade yourself to wait five minutes, then 10. When you want to give in, find something — anything — to do to take your mind off cigarettes. Take a shower, pull up a few weeds, brush your teeth or take out the garbage.

5. Don't go without breakfast: When you're a smoker, you can often get away with having no breakfast. When you give up smoking, missing breakfast can make you much more susceptible to a cigarette craving or snacking on too many of the wrong foods later in the day.

Put these five simple tips into practice to help yourself quit smoking. Or, share them with a loved one to help them to quit.