Stress is a natural response that helps you rise to the challenge whenever necessary, but it can also build up and cause psychological disorders and physical illnesses, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The best way to deal with stress is to resolve the underlying problem, but you may be tempted to adopt a habit such as smoking cigarettes to alleviate the immediate symptoms. However, smoking may inhibit your ability to cope with stressors from the get-go.
Initial Effects
The nicotine in cigarettes triggers a release of brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Some neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, may cause a brief mood enhancement as a "pick-me-up," and the nicotine is a stimulant, according to Smokefree.gov. This is what may lead some smokers to believe that smoking can help alleviate stress.
Body Stress
Smoking cigarettes may result in brief mood alterations such as reduced anxiety and frustration. However, the body experiences opposite reactions to smoking, including increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, tense muscles, constricted blood vessels and reduced oxygen to the brain and body, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Psychological Stress
Though the immediate mental effects of smoking may be positive, the long-term psychological impact is less pleasant for habitual smokers. Stress levels of adult smokers are higher than stress levels of nonsmokers, teen smokers report higher stress levels as they develop a regular smoking habit and all smokers ultimately experience reduced stress when they quit, according to a review of psychological studies in the American Psychological Association's "American Psychologist". Daily mood reports by smokers in the studies led reviewer Andy C. Parrott to conclude that the only relaxing effect of smoking cigarettes is the brief reversal of accumulated stress from nicotine withdrawals.
Complications
People who suffer from depression are twice as likely as others to begin smoking, according to Smokefree.gov. Additionally, people who are under stress and people who are prone to negative moods such as anxiety and sadness struggle to quit a smoking habit more than people who aren't, according to Smokefree.gov. Ex-smokers typically have their first cigarette in response to stress or negative moods.
Quitting
Though you may want to avoid quitting your smoking habit when you are in a very stressful time such as loss of a job, don't wait until you are stress-free to quit smoking, since that time may never come, warns the Cleveland Clinic. Prepare yourself to quit by choosing a date for one to three weeks down the line, marking that day on the calendar, gradually cutting down on cigarettes and avoiding your old smoking places. When the big day arrives, break the habit completely; don't allow a "once-in-a-while" cigarette, because a nicotine addiction may be reactivated years after you quit, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you need extra help, find a smoking cessation program that involves multiple techniques including healthy tools for stress reduction.
