The Stress of Quitting Smoking

While our ability to manage stress improves once we recover from nicotine addiction, early smoking cessation can actually temporarily increase the level of stress most of us feel.

How successful we are in managing this intense, though thankfully short, phase of the process depends in great part on our level of preparation.

Physically, we are reacting to nicotine withdrawal and the absence of the many thousands of chemicals in cigarettes.

As harmful as smoking is, our bodies become accustomed to receiving doses of those chemicals multiple times a day. When we quit, we're going to feel a variety of physical reactions to that.

Sometimes referred to as quitter's flu, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can make us feel like we're sick, even though we're not.

Common symptoms of nicotine withdrawal:

• Cravings to smoke
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Crankiness and irritability
• Lack of concentration
• Headache
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Postnasal drip
• Dry mouth
• Constipation, including gas/stomach discomfort
• Sore tongue/gums
• Tightness in the chest

Most new ex-smokers will experience some combination of the symptoms above, but if you are ever concerned about how you're feeling, don't hesitate to contact your doctor. A check-up early on in smoking cessation is a good idea, regardless.

Thankfully, nicotine withdrawal and the stress associated with it is a short-lived event. Better days are soon to come.

Apart from the physical side of recovery from nicotine addiction, we must also begin the work of dealing with the feelings associated with our cigarettes -- the psychological side of smoking.

• Changing Our Relationship with Smoking

When we quit, we quickly start to feel the stress of emotional loss, which is triggered by the many associations we've built up around smoking over the years. We smoked when we were happy, angry, sad, bored, lonely... you name it. When we stop smoking, the emotions that bubble up are often powerful and can take us by surprise.

• Deciphering the Urge to Smoke

Healing the mental side of nicotine addiction is where the real work of smoking cessation lies for most people.

As you erase old associations and habits one-by-one and replace them with new, healthier choices, quit-related stress will be reduced and your ability to manage stress in other areas of your life will improve.

Pamper yourself throughout the early days of smoking cessation.  Indulge in a few treats and get some extra rest if you can.  And above all, remember that the discomforts and stress associated with quitting are temporary. 

Recovery from nicotine addiction is a roller coaster ride for most of us. Having a support network in place to help manage the ups and downs is an essential ingredient for the long-term success we're all after. Enlist friends and family to cheer you on, and reach out to our online smoking cessation community for support that never sleeps.

So often, we're in a rush to get things done; to see instant results from the challenges we take on. Smoking cessation is one area where we must suspend that desire for instant gratification.

Most of us smoked for decades, and erasing years of habit takes time.

• Patience with the Process
• There is No Substitute for Time

Be patient and don't put yourself on a timetable with smoking cessation. Allow recovery to unfold for you as it will, and you will find your freedom, just as others before you have.