How To Quit Smoking Successfully With A Little Help

25 April, 2015

Health

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So you’ve decided to quit smoking, right? About time, and congratulations on deciding to kick a bad habit and dramatically improve your health. It can be daunting giving up tobacco though, and you may be wondering how you’ll cope without the nicotine in your system, but e-cigs can help to make the process less stressful.

Step 1: Find an e-cig that works for you

The ritual of smoking and the feeling of dragging on a cigarette is often just as addictive as the nicotine itself, so it can be tough getting to grips with e-cigs at first. Although they’re the closest thing you can to a real cigarette without the tobacco, they don’t feel as familiar as a normal cigarette and will take a while for you to get the hang of holding and dragging on them in a way that feels ‘natural’. You may have to try a couple of different styles of e-cig before you find one that works for you, so during this stage don’t worry about cutting down your nicotine levels as this will only make you feel even more frustrated and likely to reach for a packet of fags.

Step 2: Start at high nicotine levels and work your way down

You’ll be tempted to choose the highest strength e-cigs in order to minimise the risk of nicotine withdrawal when you first move onto e-cigs. This is fine; it’s better to start high in order that you don’t feel too stressed out as you get used to vaping. Once you feel adjusted to using an e-cig you can begin to very slowly reduce your nicotine levels by using lower strength versions. Eventually, you’ll find yourself smoking really low strength e-cigs and you’ll barely even notice the difference.

Step 3: Get used to being without your e-cig

This step may happen naturally without you even having to think about it. With your body craving less nicotine, you won’t find yourself constantly reaching for e-cig for a hit. You may find yourself leaving it at home when you go out, or avoiding it all day at work. By this point, it’ll be the habit of smoking rather than the addiction which controls you, so by distancing yourself from your e-cig you’ll find yourself needing it less and less. Next thing you know you’ll be nicotine free without even really noticing it!

The most important thing to remember when using e-cigs to quit, is to take it slow. The more gradually you wean yourself off nicotine, the more likely you are to stay smoke-free. Good luck!

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About Paul Stainthorpe

Running has been part of my life since 2011. While growing up I hated running and would do anything to avoid it at school. Give me a ball and a racket any day. It’s funny how some things change. I run for good. In 2012 I ran the 12 Days of Christmas for the Percy Hedley Foundation. In 2013 I attempted (with friend Lee Nyland), the 12 parkruns of Christmas for the Tiny Lives Trust.