Ways to Cope With Stress When You Stop Smoking

Ways to Cope With Stress When You Stop Smoking Addiction Nicotine Use After You Quit Print How to Deal With Stress While You Quit Smoking By Terry Martin facebook twitter Terry Martin quit smoking after 26 years and is now an advocate for those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction. Learn about our editorial policy Terry Martin Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD on August 05, 2016 Sanja Jelic, MD, is board-certified in sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine.   Learn about our Medical Review Board Sanja Jelic, MD Updated on October 24, 2019 James Braund/Getty Images More in Addiction Nicotine Use After You Quit How to Quit Smoking Nicotine Withdrawal Smoking-Related Diseases The Inside of Cigarettes Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Coping and Recovery What triggers the urge to smoke the most for you? Anger? Boredom? Fatigue? Joy? If youre like most people, you associate all of these feelings with smoking, but stress/anger probably stands out as your number one smoking trigger. When youre stressed, the urge to smoke can be intense. As a smoker, you might think that you need cigarettes to keep calm. But in fact, smoking creates more stress than it dispels. Learning how to cope with stress without a cigarette is difficult when you first quit smoking. But with a few tools and some practice, youll find its less challenging than you might have expected. Components of Recovering From Nicotine Addiction There are two main components of recovery from nicotine addiction: physical withdrawal from nicotine and healing the mind of the habits associated with smoking. Managing Nicotine Withdrawal Physically, your body reacts to withdrawal from nicotine as well as the thousands of chemicals present in the cigarette smoke you inhale. This phase of recovery creates stress of its own that you must be prepared to cope with. Having an awareness of how stress fits in as a byproduct of early recovery from nicotine addiction, as well as a few tools to deal with the discomforts, will help you manage it successfully. Tackling Mental Challenges On an emotional level, smoking cessation forces you to deal with the loss of cigarettes as a crutch you leaned on to manage your feelings. For many people, dealing with the mental challenges can be one of the most difficult aspects of smoking cessation. Managing Stress When Quitting Your Nicotine Addiction Use the 10 tips and strategies below to help you cope with stress when you quit smoking. Be patient with yourself and allow recovery to unfold for you as it will. Remember, release from nicotine addiction comes gradually, as you erase old associations and habits one by one, replacing them with new, healthier choices. In time, youll find that stress is more easily managed smoke-free than it ever was when you were smoking. What Should You Do Before You Stop Smoking? Dont Neglect Yourself Early cessation is a time when you should be taking extra care to make sure all of your needs are being met. Following these simple guidelines will help you weather nicotine withdrawal more comfortably: Eat a well-balanced diet. Your body needs good quality fuel now as it works to flush the toxins out of your system.Drink water. Water is a great quitting aid. It helps you detox more quickly and works well as a craving-buster. And by keeping yourself hydrated, youll feel better overall. Drink plenty of water throughout the day.Take a daily multivitamin. Give your body the boost that a good multivitamin provides for the duration of the withdrawal process. Cigarettes deplete so many nutrients, and vitamins may help you rebound more quickly from the nicotine withdrawal symptoms that you experience. Cut Out Caffeine When you quit smoking, the amount of coffee or caffeinated colas youre accustomed to might now make you jittery and anxious. Reduce caffeine intake, or cut it out completely for a while, especially if youre having trouble sleeping through the night. Chances are, once youre through the withdrawal process, youll be able to drink coffee again, though perhaps not in the same quantity as before quitting. Take a Warm Bath Enoying a bath is a great way to relax and de-stress. And yes, its good for the guys too. Light a few candles, use some scented bath salts, and submerge. Get a Massage Enlist your partner or another willing pair of hands to help work the stress out of your muscles. If you can get a full body massage, great, but even 10 or 15 minutes spent on your neck, shoulders, face, and scalp can work wonders. Our bodies tend to hold onto the tension we feel in our muscles, and a good massage is worth its weight in gold as a means to relieve stress. Put on Your Walking Shoes A short walk every dayâ€"even for 15 minutesâ€"will help you manage stress as you withdraw from nicotine. Walking reduces edginess and improves circulation. Exercise releases endorphins, the feel good hormone. So, when the urge to smoke strikes, head out for a walk around the block. Youll come back refreshed and relaxed. Get Enough Sleep The early days of smoking cessation are tiring. Your body is stressed and so is your mind. Allow more time for sleep if you need it and can manage it. Dont worry: The weariness youre feeling wont last forever. Your energy will return soon. Visualize Close your eyes and create a place in your mind that you can go to when you need to slow down and relax. It could be a real location or imaginary, but make it yours. Use the same place every time so it becomes familiar and comfortable. As you settle in, start to follow your breathing, and slow it down gradually. Breathe deeply in and out for 3 to 5 minutes. How to Use Visualization to Relax and Manage Stress Deep Breathing Deep breathing is a quick way to calm edgy nerves and reduce stress. Breathe in through your nose for a count of three and exhale through your mouth for a count of three. Repeat this for a few minutes, and the tension in your body will begin to fall away. Focus on Today We spend so much time thinking about everything but the day we have in front of us. Dont worry about tomorrow or forever. Dont get lost in feelings of fear about never being able to smoke again. Think instead about today and resolve to make the most of it. You have the ability to stay smoke-free just for today, dont you? Thats all you need to do. Baby steps! Dont let feelings of worry about tomorrow intimidate you today. Dont Take Yourself Too Seriously You will have bad days. Expect and accept that. Such is smoking cessation, and such is life. On those off days, resolve to put yourself on ignore. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to get out of our own way. Our minds can make small issues huge, and make a drama out of every little thing when our moods are out of whack. When youre having a bad day, think pamper. Be good to yourself; allow for a treat or two, and put your thoughts on hold. Tomorrow will find you feeling better and grateful to still be smoke-free. Stress is part of life, and learning how to manage it smoke-free is part of successful cessation. With time and practice, your smoke-free life will flow with ease. 10 Things to Stop Doing When You Quit Smoking