All people experience the effects of stress in their everyday lives. The causes of stress vary from managing daily routines, children, jobs, and finances to relationships, fatigue, illness, transition, and loss. Many people who smoke believe that smoking a cigarette helps them deal with stress. Surprisingly, once they quit, they often report less stress. It is the very nature of addiction and the cycle of withdrawal that is part of the culprit in this belief.

Nicotine cravings are stressful. Each time you satisfy your craving with more nicotine, you are perpetuating a cycle of craving that keeps bringing you a false sense of relief. As the months and years go by, people establish a strong belief that their smoking brings the relief they need. Going outside to smoke seems to give people a break, time away from demands, a reward at day’s end, or something that fills the void of boredom. And yet, smoking rarely solves the problems beneath the stress.

While positive ‘eustress’ contributes to vitality and overall well-being, the pressure of dealing with problems can increase stress hormones in the body. These stress hormones (such as epinephrine/adrenaline and norepinephrine) cause physical changes like increased heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar that can help prepare a person to dodge a perceived threat. However, chronic stress can also give rise to problems in the immune, digestive, fertility and urinary systems, as well as predispose people to headaches, viral infections, insomnia, and mood imbalances.

Without healthy coping tools for stressful times, people may resort to riskier choices like using alcohol or tobacco, or physical inactivity. Since we cannot always control the external circumstances of our lives, learning to manage HOW we respond to them feels more empowering. You can train yourself to develop healthy coping tools that will strengthen your resilience and capacity to rise to the occasion of challenge. With some of these coping tools on board, you may even find that you are able to elevate your sense of personal power and agency in your life.

84% of adults in the US do not smoke, and these adult non-smokers also deal with stress. It can help to imagine how they may be responding to daily stressors without lighting up.

Strategies + Approaches:

Emotional and social approaches that may help to manage your stress include:

• #1 Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself. Stress is something we all live with, and replacing smoking (not a real stress reliever as it turns out) with healthier coping tools will come along with repeated practice.
• Eat Well. Aim to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables or have a leafy green salad with dinner (unless you have been told to avoid raw foods). Limit sugary foods that contain calories but little nutrition. Choose lean meats and fish over fatty red or processed meats, and make some meatless meals.
• Move Your Body. Evidence suggests that engaging in Healthy Movement is associated with lower health risks, emotional agility, improved relationships, and better quality of life. It also feels energizing and helps to manage stress.
• Do Less. Honor your own healthy boundaries by practicing a ‘healthy no.’
• Breathe or Meditate. Relaxed breathing and meditation can help you to increase positive emotions, life satisfaction, immune function, focus, connection, and resilience, and to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, pain, and inflammation. Learn more about Meditation and Mindfulness.
• Commit to Sleep. So much important repair work happens during sleep. Your body prefers a consistent bedtime routine and gradual transition from day to night. Try to give yourself 30 to 60 minutes to wind down before bedtime. This will help your mind and body prepare for restorative sleep. Read more about Sleep Hygiene.
• Take a Bath. A warm bath can relax muscles and slow breathing. For extra relaxation, add Epsom salts or essential oils, or light a candle to help create a soothing space.
• Manage Your Mindset. Your frame of mind has an enormous impact on how you interpret the story of your life. Learning to observe and shift your mindset will enhance your experience.
• Talk to Someone. Share your worries, concerns, fears, and problems with others -- close friends, a spouse or family member, a counselor or coach, or another person who is trying to quit. Avoid keeping emotions bottled up by expressing stressful thoughts to help you diffuse them from your subconscious mind. Learn more about Lesson #5: Choose Your Allies.
• Touch Someone. Human touch feels soothing because it releases a chemical quartet of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins that enhance overall well-being. Hug your family and friends a bit more often, or hold your partner’s or child’s hand.
• Be Creative, Have Fun. Activities like painting, drawing, planting flowers, knitting, and stringing beads have a calming effect. The act of using your hands is therapeutic, and these activities will put your mind in a restorative and relaxing state.
• Harness Positive Stress. Eustress can boost mental alertness, motivation, and efficiency, and boost adrenaline to help you accomplish goals. **Research shows** that our perceptions of stress as a threat or challenge influence whether we feel anxious or motivated. Learning to distinguish between beneficial and toxic stress can soften risk-averse tendencies. How can your natural curiosity help you to discover the opportunity in any challenge and embrace your eustress?

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