7 apps to help you quit smoking — and break the habit for good
For hardcore smokers, the hardest part about quitting isn’t just that nicotine is super addictive. It’s that a lot of smokers love smoking. There’s a physical dependance, for sure, but that’s not all. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, nicotine hits the brain within ten seconds of the first inhale and then works its way through the body. But like any other addiction, the dependency is often just as much about the habit of smoking. This is exactly why apps to help you quit smoking are so useful: Every time you get a craving, you literally have something to do, and you can track your weakest moments to monitor what triggers the need to light up.
No matter how you do it, quitting smoking is so hard!
To help yourself out, you might want to try out a nicotine patch, too, to give you a boost. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, many insurance companies will cover or reimburse you for tobacco cessation products, if you get a prescription from your doctor. There are also medications, like Chantix, that you can ask your doctor about. Your doctor and your lungs will likely be pleased with any of those things combined with a little will power.
But overcoming an addiction is hard, and you’re likely going to slip up now and again, so don’t hesitate to download an app to help you out. Can’t hurt to have the extra backup. Here are a few to pick from:
1Stop Smoking, Free
This app is based on a Yale University study that found that people who meditated about quitting smoking were more likely to actually quit. So yes, this app includes guided medication packs, which you can purchase inside the app, depending on how many you think you’ll need.
2Livestrong MyQuit Coach, Free
This app has been doctor approved, and you can choose to either go cold turkey or gradually taper off. That way, you don’t force yourself into taking on something you can’t handle and have a better chance at totally destroying your smoking habit for good.
3Craving To Quit, Varies
You can download this app for free, but if you want to make the most of it, you have to sign up for a 21-day program that costs $25. That sounds like a lot of cash upfront, but if you think about it, it’s just a few packs of cigarettes.
4Quit Smoking with Andrew Johnson, $2.99
Some people swear by hypnosis as a way to break their bad habits. If that’s your thing, you can try to hypnotize yourself with this app for just $3 and choose from different kinds of sessions.
5Kwit, Free
This app tries to make quitting fun, which it surely is not. But hey, why not play a few games while you’re at it? There are also 60 “achievements” for you to unlock in the app. When you get them, you get some stats on why smoking is so terrible and the benefits of quitting to encourage you.
6Get Rich or Die Smoking, Free
Smoking is so expensive! This app motivates you to quit by calculating how much money you’re saving by not lighting up every time you leave your house. You can set goals and daydream about the vacation you’ll take with the extra cash, too.
7Cessation Nation, Free
Misery loves company, right? This app will help you track your smoking, but also offers a social network so you can complain to…err…motivate other people who are going through the same thing.
Quitting is basically heroic, so power to you for going for it. If you use one of these apps, you have a better shot at getting to the finish line more efficiently and making your new non-smoking habit stick.
