The truth about smoking and your mental health

When life feels stressful, reaching for a cigarette can feel like a moment to stop, step away and take a breath. For many people who smoke, cigarettes can become closely linked with managing stress, anxiety or difficult emotions.

But while smoking might feel calming in the moment, the truth is rather different. Smoking actually increases anxiety and tension, and the temporary relief you feel when you light a cigarette can be part of the nicotine withdrawal cycle itself.

Why does smoking feel like it helps with stress?

Nicotine reaches the brain very quickly and can create a temporary feeling of pleasure or relaxation.

But as the level of nicotine in your body falls, withdrawal can begin. This can leave you feeling irritable, restless or anxious. Having another cigarette relieves those feelings for a short time, which can make it feel as though smoking is helping with stress.

Over time, it can become a cycle: you feel uncomfortable as nicotine levels fall, you smoke, you feel better temporarily, and the cycle begins again.

That doesn’t mean the stress you experience isn’t real. But some of the relief associated with smoking can actually be relief from nicotine withdrawal rather than relief from the thing that was making you stressed in the first place.

What happens when you stop? 

The first few days and weeks without cigarettes can be challenging. Nicotine withdrawal can affect your mood, concentration and sleep while your body adjusts, which is one of the reasons having the right support can make such a difference.

Once that withdrawal period passes, however, stopping smoking can have positive effects on mental wellbeing as well as physical health.

Research shows that people who stop smoking experience lower levels of anxiety, depression and stress, alongside improvements in mood and quality of life. Mental health benefits can begin to be felt within as little as six weeks.

There can also be something powerful about no longer having your day dictated by when and where you can have your next cigarette.

And then there are the practical benefits. Spending less money on cigarettes, feeling physically better and knowing you’ve made a positive change for your health can all contribute to a greater sense of wellbeing.

You don't have to do it alone

If smoking has become one of the ways you cope when things feel difficult, the idea of stopping can understandably feel daunting. That’s where support can help.

Smokefree Hampshire offers free, friendly and practical support to help you find an approach that works for you. Rather than simply telling you to stop smoking, we’ll work with you to understand your habits, your triggers and the situations where you find cigarettes hardest to resist.

You’ll have someone alongside you as you make your quit attempt, as well as access to stop smoking treatments where appropriate.

Could this Stoptober be your time? 

You don’t need to feel completely confident before you start. You don’t need to have all the answers. And you certainly don’t have to tackle it by yourself.

If concerns about stress or anxiety have been one of the things holding you back from quitting, Stoptober could be a good time to think again.

Ready to quit for good? Text QUIT to 80011 or click here to join free today.