One day at a time. Every time you want a cigarette but don’t give in, you have built strength. Use that strength to better resist the next urge. Really internalize that what you are doing is strong and powerful. Each victory accumulates and supports those to come.

While I have no personal experience with tobacco addictions, there is an interesting literature review of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and MBI (Mindfulness Based Interventions).

Nicotine pouches

Get yourself a good nicotine vape rig. The kind that has a big tank so it’ll last all day and you can use whichever flavoured vape liquid you like best. Switch to that 100% of the time, right away, no exceptions. Don’t worry about how to quit vaping until you’ve gone without smoking for at least a few months.

It’ll be hard, but not nearly as bad as it is if you try to quit both smoking and nicotine at the same time.

I used chantix back in the day, but it also required me basically not leaving the house for a month to really get there. When and where I quit for the first time (I would later start dating a smoker and relapse, then quit again), smoking was still allowed indoors and I had a huge association with drinking and smoking. Same for certain other places and situations. I basically had to do everything I could to avoid those. It got easier with time.

This might help https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/happiness-program

Nicotine patches. It gives your brain what it wants with little to no adverse effects

Find other ways to cope when you get the urge, ie vape etc

Or big balls daddy cold turkey it

Just stop doing it. You won’t quit until you really want to stop, and then it’s actually kind of easy. You hear this from a lot of people who quit, that all the circumstances and programs and nicotine substitutes are kind of secondary to the mental aspect of it.

I switched to a vape and progressively got lower nicotine amounts until I was at 0 and then stopping was easy.

Talk about placement

I stopped a pack and a half a day habit of ~10 years cold turkey. It was either food or smokes.

As others have said, there is no effective short cut. Ultimately, it is all will power. At least it is easier now. When I quit, EVERYONE smoked.

Speaking from my own experience here is my method.

1. Start by accepting that you will suffer, but think of the suffering like having a bad cold or the flu. You’ll hate it but it will pass.

If you are quite a light smoker (handful per day) I would just quit and ride it out. If things get really bad allow yourself 1 but no more. You’ll be surprised how quickly the worst cravings go away after a week.

If you’re a heavy smoker take more of a run up to it, as follows.

Put off the first smoke of the day for as long as you can. E.g. if you usually smoke as soon as you get up then hold off until after breakfast. Next Day try for just before lunch, and so on over a week or so. Try to also put a gap between eating and smoking. Once you are down to a few a day then do the cold turkey thing.

The trick is actually not buying more cigarettes. If you have them till probably smoke them. But if not, that barrier helps.

I smoked from about 19yo until I was in my early thirties (about 1 pack per day). I also spent the nights smoking a lot of spliffs as well (that’s weed with rolling tobacco). Now I only smoke Weed when I go down to see my friends which is like twice a year. I bring back enough tobacco to make 3 or 4 small roll ups which gets me through the come down over the following week. Then it is done.

Quitting the first time is fuck hard but the cravings pass. Now I find it quite easy because I’m used to doing it.

Good luck. You can do it.

Nothing worked for me until Covid came and I’ve stopped seeing my friends who smoked. Best of luck on your endeavour!

I used nicotine pouches for a year then cold turkeyed at day 365