How To Help Your Partner Keep Their Resolution To Quit Smoking This Summer

Things are certainly looking brighter out there, aren’t they? We are seeing businesses and venues reopening, we’re going back to the office (well, some of us are, anyway) and we are finally able to start seeing our friends and loved ones after months spent apart. We are finally going to be able to enjoy ourselves like we used to. But getting back into our old routines means that there will be a lot of the old temptations, and anyone who has quit smoking during the pandemic will be worrying about falling back into old bad habits.

Many of us have partners or loved ones who have given up smoking and it is always such a relief when they do. But we also understand just how hard it can be to give up such an incredibly addictive activity. We want to be there to support them and help them stick to this fantastic decision that they have made. But it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start. If your partner has made the switch to vaping during the course of the pandemic and is getting a little twitchy about whether they will be able to resist when one of their friends offers them a cigarette, here are a few ways that you can help them.

Help Them Keep To The Routine That Has Been Working

One of the biggest hurdles to get over when you quit smoking is breaking old patterns. In a way, the pandemic made that a lot easier. Yes, everything was about a million times more stressful most of the time, but so many of the times and places that your partner may have had mentally scheduled as “smoke time” simply vanished. There was no walk to work when we were all working from home. There was no need to duck out of a crowded bar for some fresh air and a cigarette when the bars were closed. And there was no post-cinema smoke for the same reason.

What they will have done was established a new routine that is cigarette-free, whether they know it or not. Subconsciously or consciously, they will have found ways to either ignore the usual cravings or to replace them by vaping and choosing to buy e-cigarettes, for example. One of the first ways that you can help your partner is to not rush into trying to break out of the daily routine that you have right now.

Create An Exercise Routine Together

One of the biggest benefits of quitting smoking (and good lord, there are so many) is that exercise becomes a lot easier. Suddenly, getting back into shape is not a huge, horrible task. It can be something that you can actually enjoy. If you want to help your partner, remember why giving up smoking is a great idea, then it will help to remind them just how much of a difference it makes to their lung power.

With that in mind, think about creating some fitness goals for you to reach for as a couple. You don’t necessarily have to sign up for a marathon (although that is not a bad idea, don’t rule that out!), you can start by saying that you’ll go for a jog around the block every morning. Cycling is also a great form of exercise and will get those lungs working, or you could look at going hiking in the countryside now that we can start travelling a bit more. You don’t need to spend the whole time telling them to notice how much easier it is to breathe now that they’re off the cigarettes, they will definitely see that for themselves!

Make Sure That They Are Stocked Up On Their Alternative And Keep It Interesting

Vaping has consistently been one of the most popular alternatives to smoking and with good reason. If you are worried that they might fall back into old bad habits, then it is time for you to lend a helping hand here. You don’t want them to suddenly run out of their essential supplies at a critical moment and thinking and planning ahead can definitely cut down on this risk. Talk to your partner about their preferred e-liquids and make sure that you have a regular order placed. You should also make sure that you keep a back-up supply of vaping coils, as these do burn out (and burn out more frequently the more that they are being used).

You can also help them to keep it interesting by treating them to different flavours of liquids. A lot of people who have recently quit smoking will use tobacco flavoured liquid to keep the experience as close to what they’re used to as possible without all that horrible tar and other chemicals. Others will choose the freshness of mint or citrus flavours. But if your partner has a sweet tooth, there are a wide range of flavours that taste like classic desserts and childhood sweets. You can even find a variety of fruit and berry flavours! If you want to learn more about how nicotine salts and e-liquids compare to cigarettes, visit an e-cigarette shop online. Podsalt has resources to help you educate yourself as well as a range of premium nicotine salts made in the UK.

Encourage Them To Tell Their Friends And Family

One of the biggest concerns that a lot of former smokers have about falling off the cigarette wagon is not being able to resist when they are spending time with their friends and family who still have that habit. It’s one thing for them to ignore a craving when they’re just sharing space with you, a non-smoker, but it’s another if they are at the pub or sitting in a living room with people who still smoke.

While you are never going to be able to stop them from offering your partner a cigarette, what you can do is encourage them to open up to the other people in their lives about the fact that they have quit smoking. If they genuinely care about your partner, they will praise them for taking this great step and they will think about how they can make the situation easier for them.

Don’t Stop Showing Them That You Are Proud Of Them

Finally, a simple step but one that will make a big difference. Although it is true that your partner has already done the hardest bit, sticking to quitting smoking is a challenge that comes in waves. Some days are easy, others are really quite difficult. One of the deciding factors in whether or not someone will stick to quitting is the support that they receive. We can assume that, given that you are reading this, your partner has your full support.

While you don’t want to smother them, and you don’t want to constantly remind them of something that they might be trying quite hard to not think about sometimes, it is always a good idea to show your support. We already mentioned giving them a little gift of nicotine salts, but something as simple as a note telling them how you proud you are will remind them that they are not alone in this. The pandemic has battered our mental health and has left a lot of us feeling like we are isolated. But you’re both in this together.