KNOW YOUR BAD HABITS AND AVOID BAD COMPANY
Dig up everything that made you turn to cigarettes in the first place. Consider the moments in everyday life that trigger that compulsion:
a stressful day, a moment of solitary stillness that makes you realise you could nip out for a quick one, a co-worker asking if you want
to join them on a smoke break or friend offering you a smoke in the beer garden at the weekend (no one ever outgrows peer pressure).
When we smoke for long enough, we add patterns to our habit, ritualistically associating certain places and times of day with lighting up.
Identify your own and vape instead.
VAPE EVERY DAY
Experts advise recovering former smokers to be consistent with their vaping, ensuring their body takes in the appropriate level of nicotine
to satisfy its cravings and normalise the presence and taste of vapour. Building up and being consistent is crucial, not just for your body
but for your mind.
Use a buddy system if you have to; we can’t always rely in ourselves alone to keep to a new plan. You can also set reminders on your
phone, or keep your mod in a prominent place, never out of sight or mind.
STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES
There are still more outlets for quickly buying a pack of cigarettes and disposable lighters than for vaping. Make sure you aren’t caught
out without any liquids. Do this and you’ll find you’re saving money that once went to that 20 pack you blew through in a single weekend.
A well-maintained mod and selection of bottled liquids will save you money and keep you on the wagon.
KEEP YOUR SUPPLIES IN GOOD SHAPE
A burned-out coil or damaged battery is bad news. Coil damage can happen through excessive wattage, trying for a powerful throat hit
or big cloud with a device that can’t handle that sort of thing. Use only the charger made for your e-cigarette and don’t take chances with
other chargers which could overheat or fail to power the device. Make sure it avoids any kind of damage or wear and tear.
VAPE PROPERLY
Even with the mod in your hand there are still a few mistakes to avoid. Light, shallow puffs, holding down your mod’s button for too long
(or pressing too lightly) are common examples of misuse. Get a full but controlled hit and inhale deeply. Practice makes perfect.
VAPE EVERY DAY
Experts advise recovering former smokers to be consistent with their vaping, ensuring their body takes in the appropriate level of nicotine
to satisfy its cravings and normalise the presence and taste of vapour. Building up and being consistent is crucial, not just for your body
but for your mind.
Use a buddy system if you have to; we can’t always rely in ourselves alone to keep to a new plan. You can also set reminders on your
phone, or keep your mod in a prominent place, never out of sight or mind.
FINALLY, ENJOY IT!
This is the most important part. Although it’s fulfilling an essential function by helping smokers quit and providing a more permanent
solution than cold turkey or alternative delivery systems, vaping comes with the advantage of actually being enjoyable.
With vaping, you have the option to diversify, to tinker and alter and investigate, to make it your own in every way. Experiment to your
heart’s content, but stay within the boundaries of safety and care for your device. Find out what kind of tank and VG/PG level you prefer.
There’s no final endpoint, just newer liquids, newer mods, deeper and deeper immersion into this fascinating subculture. The litany of
“extra-curricular” options surrounding vaping as a business and a hobby goes farther and deeper than anything offered by smoking,
nicotine gum or other delivery systems. Buy a liquid you love, give one as a gift and remind yourself and others what vaping has done
for you. You’re a work in progress; take your time, rushing things can be as bad as going cold turkey. If you slip up and have a cigarette,
forgive yourself and move on.
It’s easy to take a list like this as a smoker, salesman or concerned friend and see cold instructions. Embracing vaping as a hobby instead
of an obligation eases everything. The most concrete habits in our life go unnoticed and come naturally to us.
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