Quitting smoking might be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do.
It’s an addiction that many struggle with for years to beat. In fact, the Center of Disease Control has found that nicotine can be as addictive as heroin.
When you’re up against an addiction like this, you’ll need all the support you can get. Using patches and nicotine gum are popular ways to help quit.
But did you know you can try e-cig’s to help you transition from smoking real cigarettes?
Starting on the journey towards being cigarette free can be daunting. However, many people successfully quit smoking. If you’ve been having trouble quitting, read on to learn about how switching to an e-cig can help you kick the habit.
Ease into Quitting
We’ve all heard stories of people waking up one day and deciding to quit cigarettes cold turkey. For some, that approach works. But, for most, quitting cold-turkey sets you up for failure.
To quit abruptly puts your body into a stressful withdrawal period. During this time you’re likely to be irritable and anxious. Much of your day is taken up by thinking about how badly you want a cigarette.
Then the urge to have some nicotine to take the edge off becomes too great. Before you know it, you’re smoking again. People who try to kick nicotine this way often become yo-yo quitters.
Always trying to quit and never succeeding.
How an E-Cig Helps
With an e-cig, there’s no need to pressure yourself into quitting overnight. In fact, the longer you rely on your e-cig the better off you are.
Research shows that people who use their e-cigarettes for over a month have a higher success rate for quitting real cigarettes. Participants who used it for less time, have lower success rates.
Why is this the case? One reason is that people who use e-cigs to quit smoking end up associating the act of quitting with more positivity. When people quit cold-turkey or use patches and nicotine gum, they think of the quitting process as something difficult and negative.
That’s probably because smoking an e-cig allows you to maintain the ritual of having a cigarette.
Keep the Ritual of Smoking
People often talk about how relaxing having a cigarette is. But, cigarettes themselves don’t do anything to relax you.
Yes, once you become addicted, getting a hit of nicotine relieves your craving. That gives the false impression that you’re more relaxed.
What really gives cigarettes the reputation of being relaxing is the ritual behind it. It’s the cigarette break that is calming, not the cigarette.
For example, if you’re having a stressful day at work. You reach a breaking point and decide you need a cigarette to calm you down. After, you come back to your desk feeling a little better.
That’s because you took out time for yourself. Stepping away from a stressful situation and taking a breather is going to make you feel better. You’d feel just as calm if you took ten minutes for yourself to meditate.
Smoking also brings a feeling of camaraderie between smokers. People generally can’t smoke indoors anymore. Going outside with a friend to have a cigarette allows for bonding.
You can still take your cigarette breaks during work or escape a loud party while you smoke outside with a friend. Switching to e-cigs allows you to maintain these rituals while you drop down your nicotine intake.
Drop Down in Nicotine Levels
L looking to eventually eliminate nicotine all together? Then you’ll have to drop down your nicotine level in your e-cigs. Luckily, they make it really easy.
It’s similar to how some people will roll their own cigarettes to help them quit. They can mix tobacco with marijuana so they don’t get as much nicotine. You can learn more about rolling your own joints.
With e-cigs, you can track your nicotine levels more precisely. Manufacturers label e-cig juice in milligrams. For those smoking a pack a day, the equivalent nicotine level would be 18mg-24mg.
Starting on the lower end of about 18mg might be a good idea when you start vaping. Many manufacturers have sample sizes for vape juice. Before you invest, you can try different milligram levels and see what feels good to you.
One thing to keep in mind is that when you start vaping you might have increased thirst. It’s something you’ll adjust to over time. Another thing you’ll adjust nicely to is the money you’ll save by switching to vaping.
E-Cigs Are More Affordable
Real cigarettes are becoming more and more expensive. That alone could make a person want to quit.
Vaping is much more affordable. When you switch to vaping you might be surprised to notice how much money you end up saving a month. That will give you another reason to keep you from falling off the wagon.
There’s also so much more variety with e-cigs making the lower price more appealing
Juices come in tobacco flavors. If you don’t like the fake tobacco taste, there’s also a wide variety of other flavors.
Are You Going to Switch to an E-Cig?
Let us know in the comments!
Quitting a habit like smoking cigarettes is tough, but it can be done. It’s okay if you’re not ready to quit entirely. Just switching from real cigarettes to an e-cig will do a lot for your health.
Are you interested in learning more about how you can make quitting cigarettes easier? Check out this other article, “5 Amazing Essential Oils to Quit Smoking.”