Anxiety & Smoking

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  1. Challenges When Quitting
  2. Cravings & Triggers
  3. Anxiety & Smoking
Anxiety & Smoking

It is common to think that smoking is a way to calm your nerves and deal with feelings of anxiety. But the truth is, nicotine can cause anxiety symptoms or make them worse.

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Nicotine and mood are connected. Researchers know that nicotine in cigarettes affects your brain, including your mood.

Anxiety is feeling frightened, nervous, or panicky. Most people feel anxiety from time to time in difficult situations, but feel better when the situation ends. Anxiety can be a problem if it continues. You might feel sad or depressed and have trouble sleeping or concentrating. Your heart might race or you could feel faint or have stomach problems.

Some regular smokers believe smoking eases anxiety and they report this is a reason they continue to smoke. However, that’s because smoking relieves their nicotine withdrawal symptoms. This relief is only temporary. Unless they deal with what’s bothering them, anxiety is likely to return and the cycle will continue.

There are many smokefree ways to handle stress and anxiety. Explore these ways to find one or more that works for you.

Quit Notes Photo of a blonde woman stretching her arms overhead with text saying "stretch out." Photo of a blonde woman stretching her arms overhead with text saying "stretch out."

Feeling stressed out? Stretching can reduce muscle tension when you feel stressed.

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Coping With Stress Without Smoking

Part of quitting is finding ways to cope without cigarettes. Try these better ways to deal with your emotions. Photo of a smiling mom, dad, and baby boy. Dad is holding the baby up and gazing lovingly at mom.

Causes of Stress

Everyone feels stress when things get hard. Knowing what makes you feel stress can help you plan ahead and cope. Photo of a woman concentrating on her laptop. She sits at a table and has a cup of coffee.

Stress & Smoking

Some people use smoking as a way to cope with stress, but there are problems with using cigarettes to cope with unpleasant feelings. Photo of a woman walking along a raised path through a sunlit forest with a lake in the distance

Practice Mindfulness

Many people who quit smoking find mindfulness helps them cope with cravings and work through stress and depression.

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