Pavlok Case Studies

Introducing Bud H — Pavlok’s Newest Creator and Curator of Content

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Introducing Pavlok User Bud Hennekes— Pavlok’s Newest Creator and Curator of Content

Today we’re super excited to announce that Bud Hennekes, one of Pavlok’s first ever beta users, has joined Pavlok as a curator and creator of content. He’ll be helping the Pavlok team produce content to help you get more out of your habits as well as highlight the success stories of the 1000’s of Pavlok users around the world.

I first connected with Bud through social media 6 years ago and we’ve since become good friends. Bud first reached out in 2014 wanting to join the Pavlok beta program to help him kick the smoking habit he picked up while living in NYC and his results were nothing short of amazing.

You can check out some of his videos here and here.

Since first using Pavlok in 2014, he’s participated in a University of Massachusetts study on Pavlok’s ability to help quit smoking, been quoted in the New York Times and has used Pavlok to be both more productive and present. He’s currently using Pavlok to cut back on drinking ‘Monster.’

What I’ve enjoyed most about Bud’s journey is even through the ups and downs of habit change, he’s committed to continuing to improve and build habits that will help him live a happy and healthy life for decades to come.

Take it away Bud.

Hey fellow Pavlokians,

I’m thrilled to be here and a part of the Pavlok community. I’m fired up to share and create content to help take your habits and life to the next level, as well as share some of the awesome stories of our Pavlok community.

But first.. a little bit about me.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by self improvement and getting the ‘most out of life.’ And of course, a large part of getting the most out of life involves having good habits and avoiding the ones that hold you back.

Unfortunately, even with the best intentions, bad habits can derail those plans. Maybe you know the feeling. I know I do.

In 2013, I was struggling to jumpstart my career in NYC. I was down on myself feeling anxious and depressed, and on top of that I had started smoking… up to two packs a day.

As you can imagine, that’s hardly “getting the most out of life.”

But no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop. I “wanted to..” of course, but the addiction was in full control.

I continued to smoke nearly two packs a day all throughout 2013 and early 2014 during my time in NYC.

In mid 2014 I started taking a hard look at where I was at in life and I knew I wasn’t happy with the path I was on.

I was miserable both personally and professionally, and needed something to change. So after relocating from NYC back home, I knew my first step would be to quit smoking.

It was perfect timing.

Pavlok had just launched their beta program and I applied and decided to give it a go. Fortunately, I was accepted because that changed the course of my life forever.

In a period of just a few weeks my smoking consumption virtually disappeared. I no longer had the urge to smoke. I went months without cigarettes even crossing my mind.

I felt good about myself for the first time in a long time.

Through that one change, I started thinking about other habits in my life in an entirely different way. And the snowball effect was born.
And almost out of nowhere…

I started meditating, going on daily walks, drinking more water and taking habit change seriously.

And not surprisingly, my life then started to get exponentially better. I felt unstoppable.

Now, several years later, I’ve replaced “being a smoker” with “being a student of habit change” and I couldn’t be happier with the track I’m on.

By one simple decision, I’ve been able to make incredible strides and improvements in my life and I’m certain that started with me using Pavlok.

Now don’t get me wrong, even with Pavlok, habit change is a life long journey. You’re going to mess up, you’re not always going to get it right.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t slipped up and had a drag of a cigarette or two after a night out drinking with friends on occasion. But I’m no longer a slave to my addiction.

I no longer believe I’m ‘powerless’ change my habits. I know with the right tools, mindset, and support I can change any habit I want, and that’s one of the most empowering feelings in the world.

I know what it’s like to be stuck. I know what it’s like to feel like you can’t change. I know what it’s like to feel frustrated, down, and defeated.

But I’m living proof that things can get better. You can take control of your habits and your life with the right approach.

Again, it won’t always be easy. But if you put in the work and stick with it, you can truly transform your life.

I may be biased, but if you’re looking to change your habits, I highly recommend you give Pavlok a try.

It just might change your life. It surely changed mine.

-Bud Hennekes

Maneesh again.

This is easily one of my favorite “Motivational Monday’s” in a long time. Hearing stories like this is what makes the long hours and hard work here at Pavlok worth it.

We mean it when we say we want to change the way the world views habit change.

And with that…

We have some great news.

After we briefly ran out of stock in April… Pavlok is back in stock for a limited time.

We’re not joking when we say we don’t know how long this will last.

So if you’ve considered getting a Pavlok to help you change your habits for life, now is the time to do so.

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How Dave Rogenmoser Stopped Grinding His Teeth (and Quit Sleeping In)

There are literally one million puns we could use for teeth grinding… But it’s only Monday, and you haven’t had enough coffee.

Here’s what you need to know: Dave was an avid teeth-grinder for years. AND he had trouble waking up on time.

But a lifetime of grinding your teeth with leave you with stubs and tooth pain… Plus an annoyed partner.

Stopping teeth-grinding AND waking up on time? Now THAT is a #motivationmonday story.

His comments on “opening the box was a premium—-almost Apple like experience” made me blush :). The packaging and design is the part of the product that I handled on my own, so I was happy to hear that Dave loved it as much as I do 🙂

What could you use Pavlok to change? What habit would you break?

I want your motivational story to start today – and for you to quit your habits at last!

Dave used a Pavlok to change his habits for good. The Pavlok includes all alarm clock features, plus bad habit features. If you’re only interested in waking up earlier, the Shock Clock is for you. See more about the Pavlok vs Shock Clock Differences here.

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#MotivationMonday – How Kara Used Pavlok To Get In The Best Shape Of Her Life (even after having a child)

Happppppppy Monday!

I hope you had an exciting weekend. This week, I’ll be bringing you some cool posts, including some updates on some cool stuff we are launching in less than a month 🙂

But for now, I’m excited to bring you this week’s episode of #motivationmonday, where you meet people who have had success in changing their habits. Today, I’m excited to introduce Kara, who recently posted her story on our Official Pavlok Users Group.

I spoke with Kara this weekend about how she changed her habit, and below, you can find the interview I did with her.

Below is our full interview.

How Kara Got Back In Shape After Having A Child

Me: How long ago did you get a Pavlok, where did you hear about it, and what made you get it?

Kara: Ordered my Pavlok the night of your Shark Tank premiere, and received it June 21. I heard about Pavlok through a random sponsored ad on my newsfeed over a year ago. Then I read about it again on a tech newsletter I’m subscribed in.

I made the decision to get a Pavlok back in April. I started seeing a therapist and together we were able to identify my bad habits. The one thing I wanted to change was my bad habit of mindless eating. Whenever I would get stressed or feel a depressive episode coming on, I would grab whatever we had in the cabinet and just eat. I call it mindless eating though because I was not even aware. I would just eat and eat, and then when I finished the bag/box/carton I’d suddenly snap out of it and feel even worse. It just became a horrible cycle. Long story short, after being able to identify the problem, I realized Pavlok is a device I needed to help break me of my mindless eating. Funnily enough, I bought my Pavlok after I saw you guys on Shark Tank. I am so grateful you didn’t partner with him!

Lastly, Pavlok has also helped me with my depression. After I broke my mindless eating habit, I have never felt better about myself. Everyone says I’ve been so cheerful lately and they can definitely see a change in my demeanor and how I carry myself.

Me: WOW!! How did you use Pavlok to help with mindless eating? I’m interested in knowing what was your process – and did you say it helped you on your depression as well? That is amazing!

Kara: After going to talk to my therapist and starting the Pavlok app (day 1 and 2), the first step to breaking my habit is AWARENESS. Once I put the cycle together, awareness became easy. The first two days I went about my day as normal. Now that I was aware, when I reached for the food and started eating, I would shock myself. And then for every few handfuls later. Now that the zap was associated with the bad habit, I was able to snap out of it even before I even reached for the food. I’d still have lapses a few days after that, but eventually I realized “You’re not hungry! You’re just upset and you want food to fill that void”. So instead of reaching for food, I would focus on something fun or productive. I started reading more (one book a week up from a book a month), tidying up more around the house, going places on my own, EXERCISING, and getting more organized. Because my Pavlok helped me break my bad habit, in turn I was able to work on other barriers in my life. Two months ago my therapist asked me on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the worst) and I said a 7. This week I had my follow up and she asked me the same question and I said a 5! That’s huge!

Me: How long ago did you get a Pavlok, where did you hear about it, and what made you get it?

Kara: Ordered my Pavlok the night of your Shark Tank premiere, and received it June 21. I heard about Pavlok through a random sponsored ad on my newsfeed over a year ago. Then I read about it again on a tech newsletter I’m subscribed in.

I made the decision to get a Pavlok back in April. I started seeing a therapist and together we were able to identify my bad habits. The one thing I wanted to change was my bad habit of mindless eating. Whenever I would get stressed or feel a depressive episode coming on, I would grab whatever we had in the cabinet and just eat. I call it mindless eating though because I was not even aware. I would just eat and eat, and then when I finished the bag/box/carton I’d suddenly snap out of it and feel even worse. It just became a horrible cycle. Long story short, after being able to identify the problem, I realized Pavlok is a device I needed to help break me of my mindless eating. Funnily enough, I bought my Pavlok after I saw you guys on Shark Tank. I am so grateful you didn’t partner with him!

Lastly, Pavlok has also helped me with my depression. After I broke my mindless eating habit, I have never felt better about myself. Everyone says I’ve been so cheerful lately and they can definitely see a change in my demeanor and how I carry myself.

Me: WOW!! [I say that a lot]. How did you use Pavlok to help with mindless eating? I’m interested in knowing what was your process – and did you say it helped you on your depression as well? That is amazing!

Kara: After going to talk to my therapist and starting the Pavlok app (day 1 and 2), the first step to breaking my habit is AWARENESS. Once I put the cycle together, awareness became easy. The first two days I went about my day as normal. Now that I was aware, when I reached for the food and started eating, I would shock myself. And then for every few handfuls later. Now that the zap was associated with the bad habit, I was able to snap out of it even before I even reached for the food. I’d still have lapses a few days after that, but eventually I realized “You’re not hungry! You’re just upset and you want food to fill that void”. So instead of reaching for food, I would focus on something fun or productive. I started reading more (one book a week up from a book a month), tidying up more around the house, going places on my own, EXERCISING, and getting more organized. Because my Pavlok helped me break my bad habit, in turn I was able to work on other barriers in my life. Two months ago my therapist asked me on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the worst) and I said a 7. This week I had my follow up and she asked me the same question and I said a 5! That’s huge!

Thank you so much to Kara — your story was amazing to hear.

Want to have your own success story? Order a Pavlok — use code MOTIVATIONSHIPPING for free shipping (valid for the next 2 days).

Enjoy the beautiful weather,

-Maneesh Sethi
Founder/CEO of Pavlok
Boston, MA

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for some pretty cool announcements coming this week---we are going to change the way that you sleep and exercise. Or you can click here for a super secret screenshot preview...

How Bud Quit Smoking

“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.”

-Mark Twain

Here’s the truth: all addictions are difficult to break. We tell ourselves that starting today it’s never happening again, we struggle, we rebound, and we give up. It’s a vicious cycle, and it is especially tough for smokers. Quitting smoking is no easy task, and the tobacco companies designed it that way. Nicotine is pretty much the most addictive chemical substances that you can purchase legally.

According to the CDC tobacco smoke contains a deadly mix of more than 7,000 chemicals; hundreds are harmful, and about 70 of them can cause cancer. From the moment you start, smoking increases the risk for serious health problems, diseases, and even death. Beyond our physical well being smoking can also affect the way we perceive things mentally. Smokers are 70% more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression.

It’s no secret that smoking is horrible for your health. What does seem to be a “secret” though is finding a way to quit and stay cigarette free. People trying to quit smoking cold turkey succeed only 5% of the time, and even though the patch or gum give you a 50% better chance, that still only equates to 7.5% success.

Meet Bud, who (successfully) tried a new way of quitting smoking

Bud was a smoker for almost three years. He wanted to quit because smoking made him miserable: it was causing anxiety and he felt physically sick from smoking. But because nicotine changes the way your brain operates, he just couldn’t stop.

Like so many others before him Bud tried to quit again and again, but it just didn’t happen. Dozens of attempts at quitting cold turkey failed, as did both the patch and gum. He continued to smoke 1-2 packs a day for three years.

“Smoking left me feeling anxious, sick, and with a terrible cough, but I just couldn’t stop.”

The thing that finally got Bud to change his life? His Pavlok.

Bud had been a fan of Pavlok since the very beginning and decided to invest in a prototype with the sole purpose of quitting smoking. “Using Pavlok for the first time (while it wasn’t pleasant) was an incredible feeling. It suddenly helped me maintain focus on my goal.”

Pavlok utilizes psychological conditioning which breaks bad habits quickly and permanently. Every time you perform your bad habit, Pavlok releases an uncomfortable electric stimulus (or you can trigger it manually by pressing the button). Instead of attempting to wean you off nicotine (like the patch/gum) or use sheer willpower (“cold turkey”), Pavlok uses proven behavioral science to quickly reduce cravings and train away the desire to perform the bad habit.

The way Bud used Pavlok was unbelievably simple: if he smoked, he got a zap. No gums to chew or patches to apply. The best (and most counterintuitive) part of the Pavlok process: you don’t need to “try” to stop. As long as you use consistently use Pavlok every time you do your habit, Pavlok does all the work for you.

Let me explain.

Pavlok works by creating an aversion to your habit. Rather than try to deny you access to your habit, or only reduce cravings, Pavlok trains your brain to dislike your habit. Because you learn to dislike doing the habit, your cravings naturally subside and you simply stop wanting to do your habit.

To quit, Bud spent 5 minutes per day purposely having a cigarette and triggering the Pavlok. Doing these training sessions meant that his brain repeatedly got that uncomfortable zap and associated it with the cigarette he was smoking. In addition to the daily 5 minute sessions, Bud zapped himself for every craving he had throughout the day. When he gave into temptation like we all have the tendency to do, a simple button press on Pavlok snapped him out of his cigarette craving state of mind. His brain instantly began to recognize the connection between smoking and the zap he received as undesirable. Within 3-4 days Bud reported that his cravings had lessened significantly and he no longer wanted to smoke. “It was remarkable how quickly that happened. I virtually quit overnight. I can honestly say with no hyperbole that Pavlok really has changed my life.”

Bud reports that using the Pavlok to quit cigarettes has helped boost his self esteem and end his anxiety. Now Bud is healthy, saving over $300 every month not buying cigarettes, and feeling better about himself overall. His body is healing and he can look forward to a healthier life without cigarettes. Bud officially quit in March 2015 and today he is still proudly cigarette-free today.

Here is a video Bud did in March 2015 while he was quitting:

And here is a follow up video that Bud did in January 2016 to share his success story:

Are you ready to quit? Buy a Pavlok and take the 5 day challenge. In just 5 minutes per day for 5 days, you’ll reduce cravings noticeably, and most users have no desire to continue smoking (and have quit!) at the end of the 5 day challenge.

Heather Kicked Her 25 Year Nail Biting Habit

“Habit is stronger than reason.” -George Santayana

Heather bit her nails for 25 years out of sheer habit, even though she knew she should stop.

It is a habit many people have to a certain degree. For some, they may only bite their nails when there’s a rough edge or one is longer than all the rest. For others, it can be a painful habit that is so obsessive the nails are bitten down to the skin, and even then, attempts are still made to bite at the nails.

Onychophagia is the medical term for nail biting. Nail biting is considered a body-focused repetitive behavior. Though it can induce stress, it can also be caused by stress. A recent study found that two of the largest contributing factors to nail biting were boredom and frustration.

Meet Heather, who spent 25 years biting her nails.

Heather’s case of nail biting aligns well with the study as she found herself biting her nails consistently when on the computer, driving, or deep in thought. Boredom was her trigger and she would usually unconsciously be performing the bad habit. Heather had tried to quit many times, but continually failed because many times she wouldn’t even realize she was biting her nails.

Heather bought a Pavlok to help with her nail biting habit and her diet for figure competitions. She started with nail biting because it was such an established habit and she knew she could count on her family to help keep her accountable, and notice when she was nail biting and didn’t even realize it.

With the help of Pavlok and her family, Heather quickly stopped biting her nails.

Days 1 and 2 of using the Pavlock, Heather set aside five minutes a day to bite her nails, and shock herself while she did. Doing these sessions was key in training her brain to dislike nail biting. Her brain received the shock and associated it with the nail biting. She also shocked herself every time she caught herself biting her nails or even thinking about it. But she realized that she was unconsciously nail biting, so that’s where her family jumped in. Pavlok offers the option to self shock using either the wristband, or via the app. So when Heather didn’t realize that she was biting her nails, her family would step in (gleefully, actually), and shock her via the app.

See Heather’s complete story here:

Heather’s nail biting quickly dissipated. Her brain associated nail biting with the negative consequence of a shock from the wristband, and she soon saw even her cravings to bite disappear. Heather’s story shows that no matter how long the habit has been around, it is still possible to quit using Pavlok!

Are you ready to stop biting your nails? Whether you consciously or unconsciously bite your nails, Pavlok can help you kick the habit in as little as a week. We are so sure we can help that we offer a 6 month money back guarantee!

Tatyana Quit Sugar and Snacking

“Sugar is the new tobacco.” – Cynthia Kenyon

Tatyana’s cravings for sugar were just as addictive as a smoker’s for tobacco.

There’s a new drug on the market and it’s readily available on almost every corner and at every store. It’s highly addictive, and even better, it’s legal. We have holidays that embrace it, and readily give it to our children. What is this crazy drug you ask? Sugar.

Everyone knows sugar is not great for your health. But most poke fun at their “sweet tooth” without realizing it is an actual addiction. In a recent study conducted at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, showed that “increased sugar consumption has been shown to repeatedly elevate dopamine levels…similar to many drugs of abuse.” This provides a little more insight as to why it is so hard to kick those sugar cravings cold turkey.

As a kid, parents like to threaten that eating too much sugar can rot your teeth. Though it can, it also has been linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other devastating diseases. It is found in more food than not in every food store, and sugary foods are often less costly than all natural alternatives. Being a main ingredient in foods that have been consumed since childhood, it can be a very hard habit for many to kick. The brain craves food with sugar.

Meet Tatyana, who found a new way to kick her sugar addiction to the curb.

Tatyana was introduced to Pavlok via a friend’s facebook post and it piqued her interest. She did some research, watched the success stories, and fell in love with the concept.

The Pavlok system of breaking bad habits quickly and permanently appealed to Tatyana because of the psychological conditioning it uses, which was different from other programs she’d seen and used. Every time there is a craving or temptation, the user can manually give themselves an electrical shock. The brain quickly learns to no longer desire the habit as it once did.

Of all the habits that she hoped the Pavlok would help her break, the first habit she decided to kick was her addiction to sugar. Being a dental student and having a rather stressful life, Tatyana became a stress eater, and sugary food was her go to when she would binge. It had been bad since as long as she could remember. Her go tos would be a pan or brownies or a jar of Nutella all at once when coming home after a stressful day. She had tried the Whole 30 Challenge previously, and though she avoided most sugar during the initial 30 days, was back to her sugar binging habits quickly once the challenge ended.

It took very little time for Tatyana to start seeing results that stuck with Pavlok.

It took Tatyana about 3-5 days to see results. Every time she has a craving, thinks about sweets, or sees them on the table, Tatyana will shock herself with her Pavlok. The shocks are bearable, but unpleasant, and thus it made her not want to even think about sweets in order to avoid another shock.

See Tatyana’s testimonial:

So why did the Pavlok work better than something like the Whole 30 Challenge? Programs such as this use 30 days of clean eating as a way of breaking habits and building a healthier lifestyle. But immediately once the program is over, many divert back to their old eating habits because the challenge is complete and they “can.” Pavlok instead creates an aversion to the habit and trains your brain to dislike the habit itself. Tatyana’s brain naturally started to dislike the sugary foods, and thus helped her cravings to subside and her to stop eating sweets.

Less of a heavy, sugar coma feeling overall, and more endurance during workout gave Tatyana reassurance that kicking her sugar addiction was the right thing to do. She has been able to lose weight around her midsection and cut down her body fat. Overall, the sugar addiction is in control and she feels both happier and healthier.

Are you ready to kick sugar to the curb? Buy a Pavlok and in as little as 5 days, you could see your sugar cravings and consumption drastically reduced and be on your way to a healthier you! We are so sure that Pavlok will help break your bad habits that we offer a 6 month money back guarantee if it does not work for you.