By Domenic Chindamo - Pharmacist, Lygon Everyday Chemist, Brunswick East

Quitting smoking is one of the most powerful health decisions you can make - and one of the most challenging. If you’ve tried before and slipped back, you haven’t failed. You’ve learned something.

At Lygon Everyday Chemist, we recognise that smoking is both a physical and psychological addiction. Lasting success comes from supporting the whole person through the Four Pillars of Health: Mental Health, Nutrition, Movement and Sleep.

Nicotine withdrawal causes physical symptoms such as cravings, irritability, headaches and poor concentration. Smoking also creates strong psychological habits linked to stress, routines and emotions. Treating both components is essential.

MENTAL HEALTH: Change starts with belief and motivation. People quit when it becomes a must, not a should. Identifying triggers and deciding in advance what to do instead of smoking helps interrupt automatic patterns.

PHYSICAL SUPPORT: Nicotine withdrawal does not need to be endured. Prescription medicines and nicotine replacement therapies can significantly reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Some options are subsidised by the PBS.

NUTRITION: Quitting smoking is a period of recovery. Supportive nutrients such as magnesium, B-group vitamins, omega-3s and gut health support may help with stress, energy and appetite control. Avoid replacing smoking with constant snacking.

MOVEMENT: Even short walks can reduce cravings, improve mood and reinforce a smoke-free identity. Movement gives cravings somewhere else to go.

SLEEP: Poor sleep increases cravings and relapse risk. Supporting sleep during early quitting improves resilience.

If you slip up, it’s not failure - it’s feedback. A lapse is a speed bump on the road to success. Continue immediately and refine the plan.

Lygon Everyday Chemist offers pharmacist consultations, prescription and nicotine replacement guidance, nutritional support, and referral to quit programs and counselling. You don’t have to do this alone.