How to Quit Zyn – The Easiest Method That Finally Worked for Me

I had a serious problem. Although there are far worse habits than Zyn (it’s laughable when people lump it in with cigarettes and other tobacco products), my Zyn habit had gotten out of control. 

I’d ask you not to judge me for what I’m about to tell you, but I know that is too big of an ask. 

I was up to 5 cans of Zyn per day 🫥

To make matters worse, I am also on an anti-smoking/seasonal depression drug called Bupropion XL. This would be like taking chewing on nicorette as you smoked a cigar. 

I hit rock bottom during Zyn shortage in my area when I was driving all over town searching for some 3mg smooth cans. I felt…stupid and like I wasn’t in control of myself anymore. The nicotine was in charge.

The time had come, I knew I wasn’t someone who could actually handle a responsible amount of Zyn each day. I had to quit. 

Here’s how I did it and the lessons I learned along the way. 

Step #1 Track Your Baseline Nicotine Usage

Before you quit, let yourself have a regular day. 

Track how many pouches you use in one day from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. 

This will be your baseline. 

This might be easy if you know you only go through 1 can per day or some other even number. If you’re like me and it varies daily, you want to track this. 

I recommend using a tracking app like Tally.

The free plan will get you all you need.

I have it installed on my iPhone as a widget on my home screen and also on my Apple watch. 

It’s very straight forward. Put a pouch in, click the button and it counts it. 

Keep in mind the total milligrams of nicotine you’re consuming as well. If you’re on the 6mg pouches, that matters because one of my methods is switching to the 3mg versions while quitting.

Step #2 Create Your “Why”

If you haven’t convinced yourself that quitting nicotine is worthwhile, you won’t succeed. 

Make a list of the reasons why you are quitting. 

This part was difficult because nicotine does have a lot of good benefits like focus, energy etc. 

I had to remind myself of the trade-offs

• Anxiety
• Jitters/twitching
• Long term heart health
• High cost

Write down your reasons for quitting and revisit them when you get a bad craving.

Step #3 Commit to “Making It Difficult” 

Making it harder to get your Zyn will make it easier to quit. 

Your new rule is that everytime you need a can, you can buy only one. If you buy 5 cans in a day, you will go to the gas station 5x. 

James Clear taught me this in his book Atomic Habits. 

Side note, everyone should read that book, but it’s particularly valuable to people looking to break bad habits like nicotine usage. 

Step #4 Identify Your Triggers

Pay close attention to this while you’re tracking your baseline usage. 

When do you use Zyn the most? Why? 

Think of positive habits you could do instead. 

For me, I like to have a couple of pouches first thing in the morning. 

While I was quitting, I decided I’d do a 30 day session of crest whitening strips. This made it impossible to use Zyn in that timeframe and I felt like I was actually bettering myself with that time. 

Step #5 Get an Accountability Partner

Accountability is a life hack.

Studies consistently show that you’re dramatically more likely to accomplish a goal if you have someone holding you accountable.

Find someone you trust and respect and tell them about your plans to quit.

 If you want to really kick it up a notch, check out a service like GoalsWon. They connect you with a dedicated coach who will give you direct and personalized accountability every day.

There are also programs like Stickk that allow you to create contracts that hold you accountable for your goals. You set your goal and then create a penalty that you have to pay if you don’t achieve it. This can be several things from flat out cash to someone else or a donation to a charity you don’t like.

Step #6 Create Your Tapering-Off Schedule

I don’t want to give you an exact timeframe for how quickly you should quit. 

Here’s a fantastic article that dives into how to taper off nicotine optimally though for further reading. 

For me, I decided to decrease my usage by 10% every day until I reached zero. 

This is pretty aggressive, but keep in mind I was taking a LOT of Zyn. 

Find a number that works for you. It can be a daily reduction or a weekly reduction, the important part is just that you are consistent. 

Take however long you need, just stay consistent. 

Step #7 Use Tally to Hit Your Tapering-Off Plan

Now you just have to do the work!

Additional Thoughts on Quitting Zyn

There are several things I feel you should know before we end this article. 

#1 Your Nicotine Addiction Could Point to a Deeper Problem

Many people use nicotine to self-medicate. Oftentime, there is an underlying physical or psychological disorder that should be treated by a professional. 

• ADHD
• OCD
• Depression
• Chronic fatigue

If you quit and find that you no longer function at a high level or are completely miserable, talk to a doctor. 

#2 Consider Leveraging the Things That Make It Easier

We live in the golden age of medicine. There are tons of supplements and prescriptions that can make quitting nicotine easier. Talk to your doctor if you feel like you need that extra help. 

#3 Be Aware of “Replacement” Bad Habits

Sometimes we get so caught up in quitting one bad habit that we don’t realize that we’ve inadvertantly replaced it with another that is just as bad or possibly worse. 

When quitting Zyn, be aware of the following potential replacement bad habits popping up. 

• Increased alcohol consumption
• Increased caffeine consumption (beyond the doses you’re comfortable with)
• Increase in over-eating and a tendency towards candy, soda or sugary foods
• Use of any illicit substance (duh)

Life is hard, I know. You can do this!