Congratulations for quitting smoking. You have achieved a lot and are probably feeling fewer urges to smoke. However the quitting journey isn’t over just yet.

Some people feel sadness about stopping smoking and experience strong cravings, even years after quitting. You may still see yourself as a smoker who has quit. There is also the challenge of returning to old smoking situations and social pressure from family and friends.

You may have used smoking as a way of dealing with stress and get strong cravings when you face a crisis. Weight gain may also be a problem.

The final stage of quitting is learning to think about yourself as a non-smoker and valuing your new smokefree lifestyle. To achieve this it's important to mentally reinforce your new identity as a non smoker. Telling yourself consistently and frequently that you are now a non-smoker will allow your mind to shut down smoking thoughts and cravings.

It’s normal to get cravings in situations where you used to smoke. Remember every craving only lasts a few minutes – the feeling will go away.