Stop Smoking Tips

A lot of smokers either begin or carry on with their habit to deal with stress in their lives. Stopping smoking increases stress, which can make it twice as hard to quit. If you can understand what creates stress and find some healthier ways to deal with it, this will help you to quit smoking.

Nicotine is a stimulant at low doses. It raises the blood pressure and increases the heart rate. These biological changes interact which produces psychological changes, which are felt as pleasurable. Nicotine is a relaxant at higher levels.

Both these effects counteract stress. Stimulation gives a positive feeling, induced by the dopamine in the brain and other pleasure center changes. This effect is pleasant. Relaxation has an obvious effect on stress.

But physiologically the feeling of exhilaration and the feeling of anxiety or stress are similar. The difference is in how we evaluate what is going on and how we react to things that happen. We all experience stress throughout our lives but the mistake is in thinking we “need” to smoke to deal with it.

Not many external events are truly stressful. It depends how we look at them and how we perceive their potential impact on our values and goals. The facts that lead to that evaluation are real.

Fear of losing a job, the loss of a loved one and even everyday occurrences such as someone stepping in front of your car are potentially stressful. There is a high probability such events will have a negative impact.

Tomorrow, part 2 of how stress relates to smoking, how it makes it more difficult to stop smoking, and how to deal with stress in your life.

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