Understanding why she smoked helped Sherry to quit

Sherry first started socially smoking at university aged 21, which turned into smoking six cigarettes a day, before she quit for good with the help of e-cigarettes.

“I used to have a cigarette with a coffee, so I started having an e-cigarette with it instead. I also used to smoke menthol cigarettes, so I chose a menthol flavoured one too.”

Smoking used to be Sherry’s way of having some ‘me time’ after work. As soon as she got home, she’d take five minutes to smoke in private. As time went on, Sherry began thinking of other things she could do with those five minutes rather than spend it smoking. She decided to switch to an e-cigarette and centred her use around her habits.

“I make a point of changing my toenail colour every week because that’s me taking 10 minutes to myself. It’s good for my daughter, showing her a positive way to take time for herself and de-stress.”

Evidence shows the importance of recognising your triggers, whether they are emotional, social or based on patterns. Understanding these can help and replace smoking with something better for you.

Sherry has some sound advice for people thinking about quitting.

“Find out why you smoke. If you don’t know why and it’s a habit, look at the habits you have in your life and think about why you have them. Smoking was my coping mechanism for stress. Once I pinpointed that, I knew I needed to shift that mindset and think about what I could do differently to manage it.”

Sherry kept thinking of the positives of quitting and what she would gain from it. She wanted a healthier lifestyle and started managing her stress, sleeping better and eating healthier. Using e-cigarettes, Sherry quit entirely. She could breathe and taste better, she had more money, and enjoyed not smelling like cigarette smoke.