If you’re a smoker, you’ve probably lit up a cigarette on one of these occasions
- After a long day at work or stressful shift
- After an argument
- When money’s tight
- When you’re exhausted
- When you’ve a lot on your plate
Probably because you feel it gives you relief. It helps calm you down, clear your mind or take the edge off.
On the surface, these feelings are real. But what you might not realise is that they’re actually triggered by relief from nicotine withdrawal.
What this means
As you continue smoking, your body becomes more dependent on nicotine.
Once those nicotine levels start to drop in between each cigarette, your symptoms of withdrawal will include:
- Feeling tense
- Feeling irritable
- Struggling to focus
- Feeling restless
So once you top those nicotine levels back up, withdrawal disappears and you’ll start to feel like smoking fixes your stresses. Instead, the reality is that it likely adds to it because of how smoking affects your health and adds to your financial pressures.
The good news, however, is that you can get over your initial withdrawal symptoms easier than you think with the right help.
How your job can impact your smoking
If you work in a job that involves long working hours, night shifts, or where you’re on your feet or on the move for long periods of time, stress can sometimes feel heavier. This is because you could be dealing with:
- Exhaustion
- Time pressures
- Job insecurity
- Financial strain
Which is why you may turn to smoking as a way of taking a break or a moment for yourself, or with a friend.
But smoking could be negatively impacting your mental health and in turn can add to the pressures you’re already feeling when it comes to your job.
Especially as smoking can also create its own pressures:
- Worrying about money and the cost of smoking
- Worrying about your health, now and in the future
- Planning your day around cigarettes
- Running out of cigarettes mid-shift
- Having to take frequent sick days due to smoking-related illnesses
But when you quit, the mental load of smoking stops.
What happens when you stop smoking
In the short term, you’ll likely suffer from
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Low mood
- Trouble concentrating
- Restlessness
This is all normal as your body starts to get used to nicotine leaving your system.
But in just 1-3 weeks, you’ll start to notice some big positive changes to your physical and mental health – and of course your wallet!
- Anxiety levels go down
- Stress levels reduce
- Mood improves
- Overall wellbeing increases
So, the important thing is that you stick with it.
Having a few tricks up your sleeve will help with this – along with reminding yourself that you still deserve
- 5 minutes outside
- Fresh air
- A chat
- A reset
All those things are what will help you deal with the stress and pressures of work way better than a cigarette will.
So don’t forget the importance of
- Long, slow exhales to calm your nervous system
- A short walk or stretch
- Food and water
- Talking to someone
You’ve got this
Don’t forget there is free help and support from a range of local services that you can access here.
You can also get more long-term support from your GP if your mood doesn’t improve. Just take it one day at a time, one shift at a time and one break at a time – you’ll get there!
