Self Help

Smoking often seems like one of the best ways of handling stressful situations. For example, when you smoke, you may physically remove yourself from a stressful situation by going into another room or even outside the home or office. Then, after you light up, you inhale deeply to smoke the cigarette, which relaxes you because these puffs are very similar to the type of breathing done during effective relaxation techniques.

Then, nicotine reaches your brain where it acts like a relaxation chemical. Remember, smoking can be both relaxing and stimulating. Deeply inhaled puffs relax you because they deliver large doses of nicotine that stimulate the release of relaxing chemicals in the brain. Short, quick puffs are stimulating because, the current theory goes, the smaller amounts of nicotine cause brain cells to release other, more stimulating chemicals.

Smoking is also commonly used to combat feelings of anxiety and nervousness. The nicotine in your cigarettes is so powerful that it can actually regulate your moods. It’s like a fast-acting medication that can be used to instantly treat anxiety and nervousness. Once the nicotine reaches your brain, it causes chemical reactions that make you feel less anxious or nervous.