Know your triggers

In certain places, with certain people, at certain times, or with certain feelings, you might be more likely to feel like a hit of your vape. Before you quit, take time to notice what prompts you to vape, including how you feel before you vape.

Everyone has different triggers – here are some common ones to help you think about your own:

• While doing some routine activities such as having coffee or talking on the phone, starting a new task while working or studying, or taking a break.
• Certain feelings might prompt you to vape, such as feeling sad or angry, when you’re bored, or when you’re feeling stressed or anxious.
• Some social situations make you feel like a vape, like being with friends, or going to parties or other gatherings.
• Sometimes seeing other people smoke or vape makes you feel like you need one, including if you see it on your socials.

By keeping track of your triggers to vape, you can make plans for how to avoid them. If you can’t avoid them, it will be helpful to plan how you’ll approach each situation.

Here’s some tips on how to manage or avoid your triggers:

• Avoid places where you know people will vape. It could help to talk to family or friends, be clear that you’re not avoiding them but that you need to avoid situations that make you want to vape.
• Ask people who vape not to offer you theirs.
• Mute any social content that shows vaping.
• Get rid of your own vaping products. Throwing away any physical reminders will help when you have the urge to vape.
• Change your routines – take a different route to work or school, change where you eat, take a walk around the block if you have the urge to vape.
• Keep busy doing something you love, or try something new. Staying busy can take your mind off wanting to vape.
• Plan how to manage your breaks if that’s a time you would usually reach for a vape – read a book, call a friend, walk around the block.
• Manage your feelings without reaching for a vape by taking a timeout – listen to music, find a quiet spot, go for a walk.

If you find you reach for a vape during times you’re feeling stressed or anxious, read about other ways of managing these feelings here.