If you're reading this, you're probably a vaper, wanting to quit, or just curious about how someone finally kicked the habit. Whatever your reason, welcome. Let's be clear - this is NOT a step-by-step guide, and you don’t have to follow my advice. But if my story helps you feel less alone, I’ve done my job.
I started vaping casually in January 2021. It quickly spiralled into a full-blown habit where I couldn’t go five minutes - no exaggeration - without a puff.
"I was hooning day and night, working from home with my vape constantly in hand. It was the first thing I'd pick up in the morning and the last thing I'd put down at night."
After eight failed attempts to quit, I finally succeeded in May this year. I'm now 72 days vape-free and feeling heaps better for it.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn't easy. I came close to failing again, but here’s how I finally stopped for good:
Finding your 'why?'
I knew I needed to quit because vaping wasn’t good for me, but that reason alone just wasn’t enough for me to kick it entirely - it actually just made me feel worse off.
Actually establishing a clear and personal reason is crucial. Without boring you with all the extra details I kept getting sick.
For me, it was focusing on overall health. Fixing my general immunity meant tackling my root cause - vaping.
Is going cold turkey the best way to quit vaping?
After eight failed attempts, I realised cold turkey wasn’t for me. Out of sight out of mind was nowhere near the case for my addiction.
Neither was the replacement method (nicotine gum, flavoured water, etc.). Having tried almost every variation I’d seen others attempt and succeed I realised I was getting nowhere copying someone else's journey.
While it may seem counterintuitive, the first two weeks of my vape-free journey were not vape-free at all. Instead, I switched to a 0% nicotine device.
If you're looking for more tips and tricks on going vape-free, check out the 'Better Me (Hopefully)' podcast where Sharyn Casey chats to Otago University Professor Jude Ball who’s done extensive research on vaping:
Creating a realistic timeline
I knew I'd have to implement a timeline to wean myself off the vape, especially as I was first switching to no nicotine.
I actually sat down with a journal and wrote down a date - six weeks from the day I decided to quit.
I gave myself a time limit of two weeks using the 0% vape. Why? Because I knew I had a big event to attend coming up, and that would seriously test whether I could push through on my journey.
Allowing myself the ability to continue the habit while I weaned myself of the nicotine was MY best approach - and it worked.
Tracking your vape-free progress
It wasn’t an easy job. The first two weeks were quite genuinely one of the lowest and hardest times of my life so far.
In the past, I was notorious for making it to day three without nicotine and then having a tantrum that would put a four-year-old to shame. Knowing what happened on every failed day three before made me even more determined to push past it this time.
I documented every symptom in my journal - and they weren't pretty. We're talking headaches, nausea, mood swings, anxiety and fatigue, but writing them down helped me visualise the effects of the nicotine leaving my body.
"Seeing my progress helped me push through the toughest days."
Eventually, the symptoms became less and I actually felt less need to track them as I headed into the second half of my six-week journey.
Support system
During week three, I went to the pub completely vape-free - a rookie mistake.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have my moments.
"After an embarrassing amount of begging, my mates actually had to play some sort of piggy in the middle to stop me from grabbing their devices."
Looking back, it truly was one of my weakest moments.
And while I was furious at the time, I am beyond grateful for the way they held me accountable for my journey. It was a learning curve.
I KNOW I would’ve fallen straight back into the habit if it weren't for them putting their foot down to stop me from having even a single puff. After that, I took my 0% device out with me - whether I used it or not, I knew I could continue on my journey without feeling guilty.
This leads me to my final point: Just because you see people succeed in their journey doesn’t mean you should feel guilty for struggling with yours.
I fell into the trap of thinking I would never be strong enough to finally say that I could live without this tiny device of flavoured air.
But as long as you surround yourself with people who want the best for you and allow you to make that decision for YOURSELF, you can make it there too.
