The Smoking Stress-Cycle
Smoker has a
cigarette,
topping-up
blood nicotine
levels
Smoker goes
into nicotine
withdrawal
increasing
anxiety & stress
responses
Smoker feels
relaxed &
withdrawal
symptoms are
temporarily
relieved
Nicotine levels
start to fall
increasing
anxiety
surrounding the
cigarette
(Staging Changes, 2016)
Does Smoking Increase One’s Stress?
The vicious smoking stress-cycle is the reason as to why regular
smokers believe that their cigarette relieves stress. Low
nicotine levels in the body induce the anxiety and irritability of
an individual causing them to crave another cigarette. This
anxiety can be mistaken for stress caused by every day
pressures and responsibilities.
The ONLY stress being relieved by having a cigarette is the
stress on the body caused by one’s dependency on cigarettes.
(Parrott, 1999).
Mindful Smoking
Avoid being an unconscious smoker by practicing mindfulness.
Smoking mindfully brings awareness to your actions. By
allowing yourself to become completely immersed in your
cigarette, the cigarette becomes the focus of all your
attention. There are many actions and habits that surround
smoking; whether it is drinking, talking, working, thinking, etc.
you never just smoke a cigarette.
Being mindful is not about being perfect, it is more about
remembering - to return to the present moment when we
have drifted away.
There are many stressors and pressure in life. It is natural to
seek a way to relax and balance ourselves as we face all of the
demands that we may encounter in life.
(Williams, 2016)
How to Practice Mindful Smoking
BEFORE: Ask yourself how you feel before taking the cigarette.
Are you anxious, nervous, stressed, tired, excited, hungry,
calm? How does your body feel? What activity do you normally
associate smoking with?
DURING: Take in every detail while smoking the cigarette, read
the labels, use your senses to analyze the cigarette – how does
it feel, how does it taste? Feel the smoke travel down your
throat and fill your lungs as you breathe in the smoke and when
you exhale feel it travel back up your throat and exit your
mouth.
AFTER: Ask yourself how you feel after taking the cigarette. Do
you feel the same as you did before you had a cigarette or has
your mood changed? If your mood has changed has it changed
for the better or do you feel worse? How has your body
changed?
Whether this activity makes you love or loath cigarettes
does not matter. If you continue to perform this exercise
as often as you smoke, you will begin to identify smoking
for what it truly is. Your opinions may change over time
as you are able to recognize what you are doing to
yourself and how your body is affected by the action.
(Williams, 2016)
What Counts as a Drink?
Reduce your risk of injury and
harm by drinking no more than
3 drinks (for women) or 4
drinks (for men) on any single
occasion.
(Butt,2011)
Avoid Unwinding with Alcohol
Alcohol is considered a depressant, which means it works to
slow down the brain and the central nervous system’s
processes.
“Over time, heavy drinking interferes with the
neurotransmitters in the brain that are needed for good mental
health. So while alcohol may help deal with stress in the short
term, in the long run it can contribute to the feeling of
depression and anxiety and make stress harder to deal with.”
- Eva Cyhlarova (Mental Health Foundation)
Drinking alcohol can also be considered an avoidance strategy.
(Drinkaware, 2016)
Healthy Ways of Dealing with Stress
• Take a break. Removing yourself from a stressful situation,
even a few minutes of deep breathing can benefit you.
• Exercise. When your body is active, it sends out natural
chemicals that improve your mood and reduce your stress. It
can be as simple as going for a walk.
• Visualize. Close your eyes and imagine you are in a place
where you feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed. Picture it as
clearly as you can. Let yourself enjoy being there for a few
minutes.
• Scan for tension. Our bodies hold onto stress and tension.
Scan through your body and look for places where you are
tight. These are areas you should target for stress relief. A
few minutes of rubbing your shoulders, neck and head can
release lots of tension.
• Talk to someone. Talking with a friend or family member
about life is a great way to help reduce stress.
• Take care of yourself. By eating a balanced diet, drinking lots
of water, reducing caffeine intake, and getting enough sleep
you can reduce the effect stress has on you.
(National Cancer Institute, 2016)
Deep Breathing Exercise
1. Draw the breath in by pushing your stomach out and
letting your chest move up (try not to move your back)
then breathe out by pulling your stomach in and letting
your chest drop a bit.
2. Breathe in gradually through your nose as you count to 5
and take in as much air as you can.
3. Hold your breath to a count of 10 (if you can last that long)
then let it out gradually. (As an alternative you can let it
out in a rush, through your mouth.)
4. Concentrate on how your body feels, particularly as the air
comes out. You should feel your body relaxing.
5. Repeat (if you have time) – 3 is a good number of
repetitions to aim for. Each breath should result in you
feeling a little more relaxed.
(Quit Victoria, 2016)
References
Butt, P., Beirness, D. Gilksman, L. Paradis, C., & Stockwell, T. (2011). Alcohol and health in
Canada: A summary of evidence and guidelines for low-risk drinking. Ottawa, ON:
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
Drinkaware (2016). Alcohol: a cure for stress? Retrieved from https://www.drinkaware.co.uk
Parrott, A. (Oct 1999). Does cigarette smoking cause stress? American Psychologist, 54(10), 817820.
Quit Victoria. (2016). Managing day-to-day stress. Retrieved from http://www.quit.org.au
Quit Victoria. (2016). Stress and Smoking. Retrieved from http://www.quit.org.au
Staging Changes. (2016). Smoking and Stress: Understanding the Paradoxical Effects of Nicotine.
Retrieved from http://www.stagingchanges.com
Tobacco Control Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute. (2016). Conquer Stress.
Retrieved from https://smokefree.gov/stress-and-smoking
Williams, J. (2016). Mindful Smoking. Retrieved from
http://www.mindfulsmoking.com/Technique.html