People can have different experiences with quitting. Some people feel anxious during the first month or so as a result of nicotine withdrawal. Others take time to settle into new routines and find new ways to manage stress without reaching for a cigarette. A few months after quitting, most people tend to feel better, or as good as, when they were smoking.
It's important to remember that while smoking may feel like it helps you cope with stress – it is only a short term fix. Having a cigarette is not going to take the problem away. Research shows that smokers tend have to higher stress levels than non-smokers, so the real way to de-stress is to become a non-smoker. Resisting cravings and learning new ways to cope without cigarettes will make you less likely to have strong cravings in future stressful situations.
Here are some tips to help you cope with stress during quitting:
- Exercise is a great stress buster. Make a plan that is realistic for you to achieve. Getting more exercise can be as simple as getting off the bus one stop early or using stairs instead of lifts. Or try signing up for some group exercises or team sports.
- Write down the things that might make you feel stressed. Family? Work? Traffic? Then think about ways to combat such stressful moments so that you don't feel the temptation to smoke again.
- Make a change in your routine such as getting up earlier or going for a morning walk. Instead of smoking when you're stuck in traffic, call a friend or take a soft rubber ball in the car to do hand exercises.
- Eat a healthier diet and include lots of healthy snacks, such as carrot or celery sticks and fruit.
- Spend time with positive people who are supportive of you quitting smoking.
- Treat yourself to something fun such as a weekend getaway, fishing, full body massage, or something that you've wanted to do but put off for a while.
- Reduce or go off alcohol for a while and try a soft drink instead. Try drinking less caffeine as quitting smoking can increase the effects of caffeine in your body, potentially making you feel more nervous or cranky.
- If you feel like you're having trouble, you can talk to your doctor about referring you to a psychologist to learn new ways of coping. Medicare rebates are available.
Stress and anxiety can affect your heart rate, breathing patterns and cause muscle tension. Breathing quickly and having tense muscles, can make you feel more stressed. This cycle can be broken by practising breathing or muscle relaxation exercises.
Try practising the following:
- Lie down or sit in a comfortable position.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
- Notice the thoughts and feelings juggling for position in your mind.
- Move your attention to the sounds you can hear around you.
- Bring your awareness to the places where your body is touching the seat or floor.
- Notice the areas of tension in your body, and consciously try to relax them.
- Focus on your breathing. Feel the air travelling into your lungs and concentrate on relaxing as you breathe out.
- Try to do this for three minutes whenever you are aware of feeling stressed.