It’s no secret that quitting vaping isn’t easy.
I started vaping at the age of 14 and didn’t quit until I was 20.
How did I quit?
Through a combination of multiple techniques and perseverance.
I never felt a physiological addiction to nicotine, but rather an addiction to the habit of vaping itself. I’m a fidgety person, so any second I noticed myself getting bored, I’d take a couple hits of my vape.
To combat this, I vowed to stop buying vapes and kept a fidget spinner in my pocket. Instead of pulling out my vape to take a few hits, I’d pull out a fidget spinner and give it a few spins. I also chewed sunflower seeds and gum and sucked on flavored toothpicks to replace the feeling of having a vape in my mouth.
However, what worked for me may or may not work for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to quitting vaping. Below are some of the top tips and tricks we’ve gathered from across the internet and talking to others that have successfully quit.
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Understand WHY you vape
Ask yourself: do you vape for the nicotine buzz? Is it the act of “hitting something” itself? What do you crave most when you don’t vape: the act of vaping, or the substance from vaping? If you’re anything like me, nicotine might not be the problem. Discover what aspect you’re most addicted to and then assess the potential solutions.
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Develop a Plan
Understanding the WHY lets you target the HOW. If it’s the behavior, think about ways to substitute it, like sunflower seeds, chewing gum, or toothpicks. If it’s the nicotine, find ways to slowly cut down (reduce your nicotine content, try other nicotine based alternatives)! Think of what hurdles you’ll need to go over to quit.
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Look at Your Future
Looking forward and visualizing your future without vaping can lead to you manifesting that reality. Imagine yourself vape-free and commit to your journey to quit. Think about all the money you will save: if you buy one pack of Juul pods a week, you’d save $1,040 in one year ($20 x 52 weeks)! What could you do with that money a year from now? Do you still plan on vaping when you have kids? What are you waiting for? There is no better time to quit than right now.
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Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is being aware. Be aware of your urges whenever you want to hit your vape. Figure out your habit cycle and repeat out loud the reason WHY you vape as you begin to cut down your vaping usage. Mindfulness doesn’t necessarily mean meditation. When you notice you have the desire to hit your vape, try the 4-7-8 technique: breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale forcefully for 8 seconds. Medical News Today dives deeper into this technique and explains its benefits.
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Set Dates to Quit
Quitting cold turkey is hard. Pick a date in the future and tell yourself you will quit by then regardless. Start with small victories by setting 1 day per week to not vape. Slowly increase the days per week that you don’t vape and continue to reduce your addiction so it’s easy to quit by your set date.
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Quit Vaping App
This free app is PACKED with several great features. It allows you to create a quit plan, keep a journal, do guided breathing exercises, see how much money you’re saving, quit with friends, and hold each other accountable using the Buddy System. It’s a great way to keep track of your progress and reminds you with notifications why you want to quit. Download it on the App Store today or check out their website to learn more.
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Stop Buying Vapes
This goes without saying. If you don’t have it easily accessible by you, then it’s harder to hit one! Save your money and your lungs by not buying any more vapes. Catch yourself before you walk into a store. If you want to try something interesting: every time you think of going to the store to buy a vape, tell yourself no and keep a running count of how much money you’re saving.
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Try Alternatives to Vaping
There are products on the market that address an addiction to nicotine. It’s worthwhile trying nicotine gum, patches, or inhalers, but they may not be effective at curbing a behavioral habit. Try sucking on mints, toothpicks, or drinking water!
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The Power of Habit
This is a highly recommended book we suggest you read to learn more about habits. It focuses on catching yourself in a “habit loop” and can provide insight on how you can change your habit for vaping! Check it out on Amazon.
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The CAPNOS Zero
Ah yes. The shameless plug that you all knew was coming. Although still in production, our prototypes have been shown to reduce vaping usage from 1 JUUL pod a day down to 1 a week! We recognize much of vaping is a behavioral habit and are committed to bringing you the right solution to help you quit. The Zero makes quitting fun and easy. Choose from our classic mint, mango, blue raspberry, watermelon, and minty watermelon flavors, or try all 5! We’re planning to launch in summer 2020, feel free to sign up for email updates to stay in the loop!
Shameless plugs should be visually appealing if possible.
That concludes our best tips and tricks we’ve come across. There’s hundreds more, and we plan on publishing more content to help you along on your journey to quitting.
Let us know in the comments below if these tips were helpful or anything that has helped you quit or reduce your usage. Also, subscribe to our email list below to stay fresh on our latest updates!