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Leadership and Performance Development

Dip-Free for Life: These 6 Tools Can Help You Quit Chewing Tobacco for Good

Inspiration / by

For ten years, I dipped smokeless tobacco & smoked my share of cigarettes & cigars. Quitting has been extremely difficult but worth it. There are countless benefits from my quit that I experience every day. I have compiled this list of actionable & proven tools to help you on your journey. I use a combination of these daily and have for almost five years.

My quit has been one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time. Yours will be too.  It’s worth it!

Exercise in any Capacity

  • The benefits of walking are endless. I spent significant time during the Covid pandemic walking. While my girls slept in our double stroller, I pushed and listened to my favorite podcast two times a day for over a year. After every walk, I felt rejuvenated and inspired. I escaped the thought of tobacco during this time.
  • Many believe walking isn’t a fast way to good health. It’s by far the most beneficial thing for me. It’s also a time when I’m most creative. My mind is clicking on all cylinders while walking.
  • Former Seal Team 6 Operator DJ Shipley has an excellent take on 20-minute daily walks. Check his content out at @dj_shipley85 on Instagram and gbrsgroup.com
  • The objective is to discover a physical activity that you will consistently do. Create a lifestyle of movement and implement it into your everyday routine. If you enjoy lifting weights, then do that. If Pickleball is your thing, then become the best Pickleballer you can. Yoga, biking, hiking, running, swimming, working in the yard, pickup basketball, etc.
  • The world is a playground. Reteach yourself on how to play again. I became complacent and sedentary when I dipped. I forgot how to play every day. Be patient with yourself and learn how to have fun with activities. Your body will adapt, and you’ll rediscover the joy you once had before a life of nicotine.

Deep Conversation

  • Idea sharing is a terrific way to escape fixated thoughts. The conversation can be about anything but needs to go beyond small talk.
  • I love talking about creation and making things—most notably writing, digital design, and building my brand & others.
  • As a former football coach, I loved creating ways to improve our team. We would discuss leadership development, program direction, playbook creation, depth chart, practice planning, workouts, etc.
  • I love talking about faith and belief in God. Spirituality has excellent depth and endless talking points. See more in my final tool.
  • It would be best to find others who share common interests and are receptive to what you enjoy. Research and find your niche person or group and pursue them.

Reading

  • One of the best tools to help me quit is reading. It helps to distract the mind and allows us to enter an alternative space. It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction. Reading helps to expand your mind and support your universal growth. It gives you ideas and boosts your intellect. Conversations and experiences become far more interesting.
  • I discovered Wild at Heart by John Eldredge early in my quit. This book alone kept me dip-free for an extended time. It is a Christian faith-based book loaded with impactful knowledge for men. It gave me a new perspective on life when I needed it. It has impacted my faith journey exponentially. After completing the book, I discovered categories in life and literature I didn’t know existed. It was like going down a rabbit hole that branches in hundreds of different directions. It continues to impact me today in my search for meaning and purpose. 
  • I encourage you to go on a quest to find a book, blog, article, etc., that inspires and entertains you. The goal is to find literature that occupies your mind and helps you quit dipping.

Journaling

  • Find an excellent journal you can document your journey in. Something that makes you feel important and professional. The journal can be leather bound or some other form of quality material. Stay away from spiral-bound notebooks that you used in grade school. I chose The BestSelf Journal. I still use this product today and recommend it to everyone who asks. They have unique products that can help you quit dipping.
  • When I quit dipping, I would write three things I was thankful for in the morning and evening of every day. I would write about what my action plan was and what wins I had experienced the day before. I would write about what would make every day a good day if I accomplished something specific. It may be the same one day and different the next. 
  • I documented how many days I had been dip free. It became my motivation to journal the next day’s number on the next page of my journal. It was a small celebration every morning I did this. I took to heart the one-day-at-a-time approach. This practice was a highly effective way for me to quit dipping.

Breath Work

  • When I quit dipping, I became irritable and hard to bear. I was easily agitated by small things and other people’s actions. As a dipper, I would install a pinch of Kodiak in my lip to alleviate these negative emotions. When I quit, I had no outlet to redirect myself. I found out quickly that I needed something. Over time I discovered purposeful breath work that helped to divert my mind. 
  • I first heard of box breathing through studying special forces and how they used it to calm their mind and spirit during adversity. I was listening to the Team Never Quit Podcast with former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. They interviewed a guest known as Wim Hof, aka The Ice Man. I discovered the use of Breath Work through this interview. Wim Hof is an interesting dude who uses breath to calm the mind, heal and heat the body so it can withstand frigid temperatures. He also uses cold plunging as part of his healing method, which I’ve used periodically. His methods have led me to other breathing tools that have helped me quit tobacco. 
  • I also recommend James Nestor’s book Breath. This terrific book dives into the science and history of breathwork. It talks about its healing power and benefits when appropriately performed. One of the major takeaways was the difference between nasal and mouth breathing. Breathe through your nose!
  • Conscious breathing and using it in moments of anxiety and irritation helps. When the urge to dip comes, combat it with different breathing techniques. It takes practice, but it’s a secret weapon for life.

Faith

  • My faith is at the heart of quitting tobacco. I have grown in my relationship with Jesus, which has been the greatest reward for quitting. From Day 1 till now, God has been on my side.
  • When I decided to quit dipping, I knew I needed God.
  • When I am at my worst, and on the threshold of caving, God is with me. When I’m at my best and think nothing of nicotine, God is with me. Through God, I know life comes in rhythm. Times will not remain tremendous, and times will not stay at their worst. It’s all part of life’s experience. 
  • Throughout my journey of quitting nicotine, I’ve discovered that all things are spiritual. God is in me and works through me. He is in everyone and everything if I see Him with open eyes and perspective. Joy and happiness can be found in the details of this world if I will lower my standard of what I view as beauty. Spirit surrounds me like the wind if I allow it. Practicing gratitude and patience is key to victory in mind, body, and spirit. I approach life now with the notion that I am always becoming something. By relying on God and allowing Him to shape me, I am becoming more now than I was then.

Take Action

I will continue to quit dipping tobacco for another day. I must remain vigilant and use my tools to stay nicotine free. No one tool is a magic bullet. I apply different devices at different moments. These six tools helped me quit dipping, but your list may look different. Some tools work for moments and lose their effectiveness in time. That is OK. Continue to explore what works for you and combat the coming urges.

I believe these tools can help anyone quit tobacco. I also think they can help with many other addictions. Our objective should be to become better tomorrow than we are today. We must create a new lifestyle and be willing to change into a new version of ourselves. There will be hardships and setbacks. That is part of the journey, and we must recognize perfection does not exist. Approach each day with grace and battle to be your best self.

Keep Moving Forward!

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