After 10 years of vaping, I finally quit. Cold turkey didn't work for me, and I tried multiple times. If you're trying to quit, here's what actually worked.
Cold turkey is hard
I tried going cold turkey several times. It never stuck. The cravings were too intense, and I'd always cave within a few days. I needed a different approach.
Time restriction
Instead of trying to quit completely right away, I started by limiting when I could vape. Only after meals, or only during breaks. This helped me break the constant habit loop and made me more aware of when I was reaching for the vape out of boredom vs actual craving.
Accountability buddy
Having someone who knew I was trying to quit made a huge difference. Someone to check in with, someone who'd call me out if they saw me vaping. The social pressure helped, but more importantly, I didn't want to let them down.
Find replacements
This is crucial: you need to replace both the dopamine hit and the physical habit.
For dopamine: I found other quick rewards - a piece of gum, a short walk, checking off a task. Anything to give my brain that small win it was craving.
For the habit: The hand-to-mouth motion was harder to break than I expected. Drinking water, snacking on sunflower seeds, or just fidgeting with something helped occupy my hands during moments I'd normally vape.
Set a hard rule: don't buy
Once I ran out of pods, I made a rule: I will not buy more. This removed the option entirely. When the craving hit and I had nothing to vape, I had no choice but to push through it. This was the turning point.
Put yourself in a situation where you need to survive
I put myself in environments where vaping wasn't an option - flights, long meetings, places where I physically couldn't access a vape. These forced breaks proved to myself that I could survive without it. Each time got easier.
Final thoughts
It took 10 years to build the habit and multiple failed attempts to quit. What worked was combining several strategies instead of relying on willpower alone. If you're trying to quit, don't beat yourself up if cold turkey doesn't work. Try a different approach.