Welcome to ByeGwaai! We assume you’re here because you want help or information for yourself or your loved ones to kick smoking’s butt. Fear not, you are not alone. At the time of writing this, we’ve had more than 700 people sign up for ByeGwaai and the number of smokers we’ve helped end their relationship with tobacco is growing every single day.
First, download the ByeGwaai app for free.
Return to this page while your phone does its thing in the background.
Once your download has finished up and you’ve built your profile, we’ll take you on a quick tour of ByeGwaai and how this unique app will assist you in overcoming your cravings, improving your lifestyle, and saying Bye to the Gwaai. Yes, it’s in the name: ByeGwaai.
Did you know that according to a study published in Addiction, adult smokers try to quit their habit an average of once every 14 months, with only 8% actually succeeding? We need these stats to change.
By now, your app should have been downloaded unless you’re on THAT network. If you’re on a stable fibre connection, your app should look like this:
Fill out your details and provide your consent to continue. Then let's introduce you to the simple three-step process we use to help you quit smoking.
Understand. Plan. Execute.
Now that you've got the gist of how we'll help you, it's time we learn a bit more about you so that we can tailor your program to meet your needs. Once we've got the basics, then we'll dive deep into understanding your level of nicotine dependence (Fagerstrom score) as well as where you are in your quitting journey (quit readiness.)
There’s a reason you’ve made it this far. Of course, you must want to quit smoking, but beyond just the idea of quitting - you need your fundamental reason, your goal, your why.
Do you wish to save money?
Do you want a healthier lifestyle?
Are you done relying on Gwaais to ease the stress and tension brought on by craving a skyf?
Your reasons are personal to you, and while we can suggest motivations here, the deciding factor should be what is important to you.
So how do you quit smoking simply and successfully? Like any challenge, you begin by understanding the problem, putting a plan together, and then executing that plan. Understand, Plan, Execute.
Let’s dig a little deeper into those three steps.
There are a few questions that you can use here to understand your problem, such as:
When did you start smoking?
Why do you smoke?
What triggers your cravings?
Why do you want to quit?
The answers here can vary drastically when you compare notes with your friends.
ByeGwaai helps you understand your relationship with smoking through tracking your habits (cigarettes & cravings) as well as keeping a quit diary. Using our simple format, it takes less than a minute to log a cigarette or write a quick diary entry.
Try it out, and then return here. This is where you’ll begin to understand your relationship with cigarettes and learn about your triggers - the feelings and contexts that cause you to smoke.
For those still struggling to download the app, check that your network still has coverage, and check that you have a data bundle loaded. Or connect to a local Wi-Fi hotspot. This page will still be here when you manage to get the app on your device. Once you’ve got it downloaded, our app is low in data costs and you shouldn’t need more than 100Mb total to get you through our 10-week plan, which we’ll discuss in the next step.
Next step, planning.
ByeGwaai guides you through a 10-week program to help you quit with confidence. We don’t expect you to drop smoking right away. Neither should you. According to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, it takes about 66 days to break bad habit. Now 66 days (or roughly 10 weeks) might seem like a long time but it's probably still faster than your local municipality can fill a pothole. Yes, the average turnaround time for pothole amendments in South Africa is 78 days. We’ll help you quit smoking in 70 days or less!
The planning process here involves following our weekly to-do list to assist you in reaching your goal. It’s a pretty simple plan: track your habits, complete your cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) activities and if you’re a Premium Program member use your personalised treatment plan to control and then crush your smoking habit.
These goals and your diary will be a constant reminder and will assist you in reaching important milestones along the journey. Remember that this is still just the planning stage. But if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. Don’t be that person that decides to quit smoking on a whim and expects results immediately. Slow and steady wins the race.
In this stage, you must identify your support structure, the people you can call for help, and the tools you'll need to quit. Then, the execution begins!
The execution stage builds on the understanding you have gained and the plan you've formulated. Once you've got those in place then it's time to tackle tobacco and quit smoking once and for all. We also have a toolkit filled with useful information to help you cope and if you’re a Premium program member, help from your doctor is just a click away, along with telehealth consultations, personalised treatment plans and feedback reports.
This is where the real hard work begins. When we say hard work, we mean it. Quitting smoking is no walk in the park. It will take time and commitment - around 30 minutes a day to log your moods, feelings, cravings and triggers as you give up the gwaais. It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be quick. But it will be worth it. The goal of a smoke-free life is within your reach - you just need to grab it with both hands and never let go.
Ah, you’ve noticed that!
Ideally, by now, you should have a $KYF balance of 30. Think of this as your score tracker. By the time you hit 10 000, you’ll be well on your way to a smoke-free life. As you log your habits, complete CBT Activities, and finish Tasks, you’ll earn these $KYFs. By following this program as designed, you’ll reach your personal goal at the end of 10 weeks.
You can’t trade these tokens for anything, yet. It’s simply a fun way to help you track and reach your goals. But watch this space, because we’ve got some exciting things lined up for those who do reach their goal.
We are a digital smoking cessation program that aims to help South Africans quit smoking using nothing more than their smartphone and an internet connection.
By now, you should understand why we are the answer to effectively quitting smoking in just 10 weeks! No shortcuts, no tricks. Just evidence based methods conveniently packed into our easy-to-use mobile app, built on South African soil.
These methods include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), habit tracking, telemedicine consultations, access to smoking cessation aids or medications, and social support.
So yes, we cover the CBT angle, the doc-on-call, and the habit tracking, all accessible through the ByeGwaai app. It’s the only tool you need to successfully quit smoking.
The ByeGwaai program lasts for 10 weeks and is made up of a 5-week Preparation phase and a 5-week Maintenance phase. To complete the various activities and tasks in the program will initially require about 30 minutes a day, which will then decrease to around 20 minutes per day around your quit day, and then further decrease to around 10 minutes per day during the Maintenance phase.
We serve both individuals and employers. If you're an individual, you can access the app for free here. If you're an organisation wishing to offer ByeGwaai to your employees, contact us today.
