Smoking and stress

Some people smoke when they are feeling anxious as a way to deal with things. There are a lot of reasons why smoking is a bad way to deal with stress or other bad feelings.

Long term, smoking doesn’t help with stress. Instead, try doing something more useful in the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, like going for a short walk, listening to your favourite song, or closing your eyes and deep breathing for a few minutes.

The problem that’s making you stressed won’t go away if you smoke. Your worry will come back.
Stress itself can also be increased (or even caused entirely) by nicotine addiction. When you want nicotine, your body starts to go through withdrawal, which is stressful.

Some people who smoke as a way to deal with stress find it hard to stop. It’s important to avoid smoking and find healthy ways to deal with stress and take care of yourself. Stress can be dealt with in many other ways besides smoking.

Stress relief without smoking

Stress is a normal part of life. In small amounts it can help you reach your goals, but too much stress can create more problems. Getting rid of stress is an important part of not smoking.

You may have found that smoking helps you deal with stress, but you don’t have to smoke in order to be able to deal with stress. Here are some ideas that could help. Some of these tips may take time to get used to, but others can be used right away.

Try one or more to find out which one works best for you.

Breathe

Take a few slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Your body will start to calm down.

Unwind

When we are stressed, our bodies send out hormones that make our hearts beat faster and raise our blood pressure. Using relaxation techniques like the ones below may help you stay healthy and deal with stress in a healthy way.

Visualize

Think of a place where you feel safe, at ease, and one with yourself. Imagine it as clearly as you can, including how it would feel, what you would hear, and maybe even what it would smell like. Take a few minutes to enjoy being there.

Think for a minute about what stress does to your body. Where in your body do you feel stress? Finding ways to ease that tension will also help your mental stress. You can get rid of built-up stress by taking a warm bath, getting a massage, or stretching.

Focus

At times, life can be too much. Don’t worry too much about what will happen next. Instead, try to pay attention to what is going on right now instead of what might happen in the future.

Talk

You don’t have to handle stress on your own. Talk to your friends, family, and other important people in your life about how you feel.

Exercise

When you move around, your body releases chemicals that improve your mood and make you feel less stressed. Sometimes all it takes to get rid of stress is a short walk. And walking doesn’t cost $40 a pack!

Decaffeinate

Caffeine can help you stay awake, but it can also make you feel tense, jittery, and stressed. Cutting back on caffeine or even giving it up can help you feel less stressed. If you want a hot drink without the caffeine, you can switch to herbal tea or even hot water with lemon.

Do good for others

When you do something nice for someone else, it can also make your day better. Taking care of other people can help you feel less stressed.

Care for yourself

Spend more time taking care of yourself. This includes simple things like getting enough sleep and eating a well-balanced diet.

Accept it

There are many turns and twists in life. Stress will always be a part of your life. It helps to know that good days and bad days will come, and accepting what may come your way.