Are you feeling anxious, down or stressed? What is your reaction when you feel this way? Are you quick to grab a cigarette because you feel this will help with your stress? Many smokers say they smoke because it helps with their stress. In this video, I talk about stress and smoking, and also discuss 7 natural ways to manage your stress
As you know, we all experience a certain amount of stress in life. Of course, this will be different from person to person and will wax and wane for each of us. Stressful events and situations can include life transitions, holidays, jobs or just the daily grind of life.
Some stress can be helpful for completing important projects, speaking in public, studying for an exam, or accomplishing challenging goals. However, distress or negative stress can cause short or long-term anxiety, decreased performance and lead to poor mental and physical health.
To make sure we remain functional, it is important we try to manage our stress levels. Some smokers say they smoke to help them manage stress. Studies have, however, shown that while smoking may make you feel calmer, it actually increases the level of stress in your body.
Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase your blood pressure and heart rate, cause your blood vessels to shrink, decrease oxygen to your brain, and increase adrenaline in your blood. These can all contribute to making you feel more stressed.
When you smoke a cigarette, nicotine travels to your brain in about 7-10 seconds. This causes a release of dopamine in your brain. Dopamine is the main reward chemical in your brain and it makes you feel positive. This dopamine release from smoking, however, does not last long and once the levels decrease, your mood goes down and your stress comes back up.
Also, in between cigarettes, the nicotine levels go down in your body and this causes nicotine withdrawals and cravings. This is a stressful experience on your body and smoking a cigarette makes you feel like your stress is better when in actuality, you are only treating your withdrawals which the cigarettes caused in the first place.
Don’t forget too that smoking affects many of your organs and can result in medical diseases that further worsen your stress levels.
Research shows that the stress levels of adult smokers are slightly higher than those of nonsmokers. The apparent effect of relaxation you experience when you smoke is due to nicotine reversing the irritability and tension you feel in between cigarettes. You are really just treating the withdrawals which the cigarettes caused in the first place.
So really, smoking is not a stress relief. It also does not solve the problem that is causing you stress. If anything, cigarette smoking causes you stress as your body goes into nicotine withdrawal.
You should strongly consider employing natural methods to fight your stress as this will help you remain smoke-free. So, let’s talk about a few ways to manage your stress.
1. Deep breathing. This is an easy way to relax and let your stress go. It takes just a few minutes and you can do it anywhere. Sit or lie down in a comfortable place. Close your eyes. Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Take a slow deep breath through your nose. Pay attention as your belly swells under your hand. Hold your breath for 1-2 seconds. Slowly breathe out through your mouth. Pay attention as your belly goes down. Try doing this for 5-10 mins.
2. Visualization. This is a process used by many people to ease their stress. You can do this for about 5mins by sitting down in a quiet area. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in pleasant, calm surroundings. You can imagine the sound of water on the beach, the fresh smell of a nice garden, the sound of soothing music, or other situations you find calming.
3. Exercise. Studies show that physical activity can help with stress. This is because exercise helps with the release of “happy chemicals” in your brain known as endorphins. The ABLM recommends 150 mins of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Brisk walking, biking, and swimming are examples of activities that will help you feel better. Yoga is also a very good relaxation exercise that many people find helpful.
4. Taking time-outs. This simply involves walking away from a stressful situation when possible. A few minutes away from a potentially stressful situation can do you wonders.
5. Support. Having someone to talk to and process what you are going through can be very helpful to relieve your stress. This can be family and friends or a professional whom you meet with regularly.
6. Hobbies. A nice hobby can serve as a good distraction to take you away from life’s stressors. Hobbies you enjoy also help with the natural release of dopamine – which makes you feel good.
7. General self-care. This involves regular exercise as we talked about earlier, but also eating healthier, getting enough sleep, and avoiding drugs and excessive alcohol. Try different ways to relax such as listening to music, dancing, and meditation. Keep a gratitude journal or write about stressful events. Make time to laugh with comedy videos and books. Minimize your caffeine intake as this can cause you to feel wired. Get a massage when you can. This has been shown to help with relaxation.
Try to look at events that cause you stress from a different angle. Remember that it is not helpful to focus on what you cannot change. Try to improve your mood by looking at things going on well in your life. Focus on the positives, your accomplishments and hurdles you have overcome.
Always remember that stress is a normal part of life and it’ll wax and wane. Stress is inevitable but you are in control of how you deal with it. Don’t let it eat you up. Don’t let it drive you to keep smoking. Smoking will only make it worse.
Wishing you a happier smoke-free life.
