As you start creating healthy habits in your new nicotine-free lifestyle, you might find yourself struggling to do the behaviors with consistency. DO NOT interpret this as failure! It’s part of the process of change, which might take some dialing in to perfect. 

Instead of getting down on yourself, ask yourself what’s making it difficult for you. What about the desired behavior is presenting a roadblock? Don’t answer abstractly, either. Answer in these specific terms: 

• Do I have enough time to do this behavior?
• Do I have enough money to do this behavior?
• Am I physically capable of doing this behavior?
• Does this behavior require a lot of creative or mental energy?
• Does this behavior fit my current routine, or does it require adjustments?

The answer to these questions will give you clues about where to focus when trying to make a behavior easier to do. There are three ways to make these behavior adjustments easier, two of which we’ll cover below. 

Option #1: Increase Your Skills

When you are good at something, it’s easier to do. So, to make something easier to do, you can start by getting better at doing it. 

Increasing your skills can take many different forms, depending on the behavior you’re trying to cultivate. Ways to “get better” at something include:

• Watching YouTube videos
• Listening to podcasts
• Reading books
• Hiring a coach
• Taking a class
• Practice, practice, practice!

Increasing your skills often involves one-time actions, such as signing up for a class, reading a book, or watching informational videos. When you’re feeling motivated to perform your new behavior, but are struggling to get it done, think about what you can do to get better at it, and thus make it easier.

In the context of quitting tobacco, try reading a book by someone who has done this before you. We recommend Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking for anyone trying to get rid of a nicotine addiction and looking for a healthy alternative to cigarettes or chewing tobacco. You could also listen to podcasts about effective behavior change. If you don’t know where to start, try this interview with James Clear, the author of the wildly popular book Atomic Habits. You may even decide to start seeing a therapist or physical trainer to help hold you accountable to spending time on improving yourself. Whatever way you decide to “skill up,” just remember why you’re doing it: to make the desired behavior easier by learning how to get better at it. When something is easy, you’re more likely to continue doing it.

An important note: Skilling up takes mental (and sometimes physical) energy, which you might not always have. That’s okay! There are other ways to make the behavior easier, such as...

Option #2: Get Tools and Resources

If a behavior frustrates you, or takes too long, it won’t become a habit. And what’s more frustrating than trying to get a job done without the right tools or resources? For someone who is quitting tobacco, that might include a stash of nicotine alternative products, journaling supplies, and lots of healthy snacks. 

If you’ve decided to go for a brisk walk after lunch every day to proactively fight off cravings, but you keep coming back to the office with sore feet, try keeping a pair of walking shoes under your desk. If you’re a heavy sweater, you might need to keep a whole change of clothes. And possibly a new gym bag to store them in?

If part of your quit plan is to battle cravings with a Grinds coffee pouch, but seem to always be out of pouches when the worst cravings strike, sign up for our subscription program so you never have to think about keeping your supply stocked. 

It could even mean buying tickets to a healthy living expo or anti-tobacco convention to learn who the leading experts and brands are in the field, and then looking into the products and services they recommend.

All of these things may seem like indulgent purchases at first, but that’s really the wrong way to think about it. Instead, look at it as an investment in yourself and your longevity. Quitting nicotine is potentially the most serious and important “job” you’ll ever take on in your life. Spend the money to acquire the tools and resources you need to cultivate the nicotine-free lifestyle you want; it’s the only way you’ll be able to create and sustain the habits you need to get there.

Are you looking to test the waters and take the first initial step? Build your small order of single cans with our build your own selector!