Guides
Short, sourced articles on quitting and cutting down. Each starts with a short answer; the numbers come from published studies and the sources sit at the bottom.
How to quit smoking with a plan: abrupt or gradual?
The comparisons say a quit date matters. One trial favoured quitting abruptly, while a 51-study review found no difference between the two routes. Nicotine replacement…
Read · 2 min readCut down or quit? Different answers for smoking and alcohol
The answer depends on the substance. With smoking there is no known safe level, so the goal should be quitting completely. With alcohol, lowering the weekly amount can…
Read · 2 min readHow to drink less: a weekly limit, standard drinks and keeping a log
People using digital tools drank about 23 grams less per week on average. To measure, know that a standard drink differs by country: the most common value is 10 grams.…
Read · 2 min readWhat to do when a craving hits: a one-minute pause and what the sources say
We found no source for how many minutes a craving lasts, or for slow breathing reducing it. The small evidence we have says watching a craving without fighting it may…
Read · 2 min readIf-then plans: a small but real difference
If-then plans seem to make a small but real difference. In smoking reviews, quitting was 10.7% against 4.9%. For alcohol the effect is small and fades over time, and it…
Read · 2 min readHow long does a habit take? The 21-day myth and the real range
There is no fixed number of days. In Lally's study, reaching 95% of peak automaticity took 18 to 254 days. A 2024 review found a median of 59 to 66 days. We found no…
Read · 2 min readDoes tracking your progress help you reach a goal?
Yes, on average there is a small-to-moderate difference. In the 2016 review by Harkin and colleagues (138 studies, 19,951 people), monitoring progress raised goal…
Read · 2 min readTaking a break from alcohol (Dry January): what can and cannot be said
People who took a month off, including those who did not manage it, drank less six months later, and no rebound was seen. This is an observational result; it does not…
Read · 2 min read