There's an adage that says "Every plan, no matter how great, goes out the window as soon as you're punched in the face." While our lives are (hopefully) not violent, that saying can easily translate to our daily living. That punch in the face can come in various forms, mainly stress-related. It could be a bad day in the office, rush hour traffic, drama in the family, the list goes on.
For many smokers, cigarettes are the go-to when it comes to dealing with everyday stress. So if you've made the courageous leap to give big tobacco the boot, you're in for a long and stressful journey — but one that could actually save your life. However, with the help of these five great apps and a hefty dose of willpower, you're sure to succeed and finally quit smoking!
App 1: EasyQuit (Android Only)
Mario Hanna's EasyQuit app has an impressive 4.8 star rating on the Play Store, and it's easy to see why. The app comes with a slew of features to help you shake your nicotine habit, ranging from health monitoring to tracking improvements to your overall health as a result of decreased smoking. There's also a built-in memory game that helps distract you from sudden urges to smoke, and the app will show you the money you've saved by quitting.
EasyQuit earns its name with a simple UI that displays vital statistics such as elapsed time since your last cigarette and goals you've achieved. It's also worth noting that the app comes with a "Quit Slowly" feature that's ideal for those who can't quit cold turkey due to severe dependence on nicotine.
Perhaps one of the best aspects of EasyQuit centers around privacy — you don't need to either create an account, or link your Facebook or Google profiles to use the app. And while the app comes with ads, they're pretty far from being an obtrusive, and mainly occupy the bottom of the screen. Of course, you can get rid of them entirely by upgrading to the Pro version for a one-time fee of $3.49.
- Install EasyQuit for free: Android
App 2: Smoke Free (Android or iOS)
Smoke Free by David Crane is another noteworthy quit smoking app that lets you log your habits and cravings while tracking how many cigarettes you've not had. The app also analyzes your data and gives you an idea as to how much your health has improved since dropping the habit, along with the ability to keep a diary to log any cravings you may have resisted or succumbed to.
Smoke Free can also create missions to complete for those who need that extra push and help with staying motivated, although unlocking this feature requires you to upgrade to the app's pro version, which costs $4.99 (or $0.99 a week). That aside, the free version of Smoke Free makes a great companion app to help wean you off smoking.
App 3: Get Rich or Die Smoking (Android Only)
Get Rich or Die Smoking arguably has the catchiest (or most haunting) name in this category. This app serves you a heap of perspective pudding — not only does it show you how much money you save by being smoke-free, it also shows you what you can purchase with all that money. The app even lets you add your most desired items to a wishlist to keep you from buying cigarettes.
Though Get Rich or Die Smoking primarily focuses on money saved from kicking your nicotine habit, the app comes with a number of other features to help ensure you stay smoke-free. For example, the app lets you chart your progress, view improvements to your overall health, reward yourself with trophies, and talk to other like-minded quitters to help keep your morale up.
In addition, Get Rich or Die Smoking also includes a nifty "Relapse" button to press should you give into temptation, which will hold you accountable and keep your profile honest. All these great features combined makes the app a solid option if you're looking to ditch your smoking habit.
- Install Get Rich or Die Smoking for free: Android
App 4: Quit It Lite (iOS Only)
Quit It Lite is perhaps the most straightforward quit smoking app on this list. It largely does away with the bells and whistles found in other apps, making it an ideal choice for no-nonsense quitters. Thanks to its simple interface, you can easily view vital information such as how many days you've gone smoke-free, achievements you've unlocked, money you've saved, and more.
Like Get Rich or Die Smoking above, Quit It Lite also lets you input personal goals for spending the money you saved by quitting smoking, such as a cup of coffee, movie tickets, and so on, to keep you motivated. In addition, the app also lets you view the long-term benefits of not smoking has on your body, in vivid detail.
If you love Quit It Lite and want to unlock more features, you can opt to purchase the full version for a mere $1.49. Buying the app not only gets rid of advertisements, but also gives you the ability to set an unlimited amount of goals, provides you with more detailed facts regarding smoking, and offers a widget for your on your iPhone's Today page to let you track your progress without opening the app.
- Install Quit It Lite for free: iOS
App 5: Kwit (Android or iOS)
Kwit is a great app that makes the actual process of quitting more engaging. The app uses the same methods that game devs use to keep users interested: You advance in levels as you progress, with 60 achievements to unlock. Unlocking achievements rewards you with information about health benefits you're getting from staying smoke-free.
Put simply, Kwit makes quitting smoking a little less painful by making you look at such a tough proposition as more a game and less of a chore. Not only that, but viewing recently unlocked achievements like not smoking 50 cigarettes paints a vivid picture of your progress towards a smoke-free life.
As far as privacy goes, Kit requires you to create an account either with a valid email address or your Facebook profile, so you might want to choose the former if you want to keep your mission private. Other than than that, Kwit gives you the option to upgrade to a premium version starting at $12.49 a month to unlock more features, like unlimited access to your diary and more motivation cards.
This article was produced during Gadget Hacks' annual Health & Fitness special coverage. Read all of the Health & Fitness series.
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