The smoke trap: more stress due to smoking

Stress is an omnipresent phenomenon in our hectic world. You've certainly experienced it - the pressures of the workplace, the demands of everyday life, interpersonal conflicts and much more. In such moments, many of us reach for a cigarette in the hope of temporary relief from our stress symptoms. But what does research say about this?

Studies have shown that the relationship between smoking and stress is complex. At first glance, smoking may work as a stress-coping strategy, but the long-term consequences are worrying.

Stress and the smoking ritual

One of the main reasons people reach for cigarettes when they are stressed is the apparent feeling of stress relief. Nicotine, the addictive ingredient in cigarettes, can temporarily relieve stress symptoms by affecting the central nervous system. This short-term effect can be perceived as calming and explains why many of us are quick to reach for cigarettes when we are stressed.

In addition, the smoking ritual plays a psychological role. Lighting a cigarette, inhaling the smoke and watching the smoke can be experienced as relaxing and calming. This fatal psychological effect reinforces the idea that smoking can relieve stress.

The dark side of smoking

Despite these temporary benefits, there is a dark side of smoking related to stress. Numerous studies have shown that smokers who cite stress as their primary motivation for smoking cigarettes are more stressed in the long term than non-smokers or former smokers.

The apparent stress relief offered by smoking is insidious. The short-term reduction in stress levels provided by nicotine is often accompanied by increased stress levels later on. This usually leads to a vicious cycle in which smoking increases the stress response and smokers, in turn, seek more nicotine to cope with this increased stress.

It's in your hands

There is a way to manage stress in a harmless way and quit smoking at the same time. Our iQuit offers you this natural and nicotine-free way.

Your iQuit provides an outlet for the extra stress that comes with quitting smoking, so you don't have to worry about using food and sweets as a nicotine substitute and gaining weight.

Smokers and vapers benefit from a healthy, stress-free and weight-neutral withdrawal.

Overall, research shows that while smoking may temporarily relieve stress symptoms, it can lead to worsening stress levels and mental health in the long term. If you are looking for the best ways to manage stress, choose iQuit as your stress-free smoking cessation companion.