How do you get through a craving?

How-to 2 min read Updated 6 October 2026

Short answer

Treat it as a wave that rises and falls. Delay acting on it, change what you are doing, keep your hands and mouth busy, and if you are quitting nicotine, use stop-smoking products to take the edge off.

Delay acting on the urge, even for ten minutes.
Change place or activity: a walk, a glass of water, a call.
Stop-smoking products and services make cravings easier to handle.

Ride it out

Cravings rise and fall. Promise yourself you will wait ten minutes before deciding, and do something else in the meantime. Often the urge has eased by the time the ten minutes are up.

Change the situation

Many cravings are set off by a place, a time or a feeling. Getting up and moving, drinking water, chewing gum or calling someone breaks the link.

Use the help available

For nicotine, products such as patches, gum and sprays, and prescribed medicines, ease withdrawal, and combining them can improve your chances. The NHS says reaching 28 days smoke-free makes you five times more likely to quit for good.

In your plan

Quitting and cutting-down plans plan for your known triggers in advance, and give you something specific to do when a craving hits.

When to talk to a professional

If you are physically dependent on alcohol, stopping overnight could be harmful. Get advice from a GP or an alcohol service before you stop.