Anxiety Stress and Quitting Smoking
Author: Darren O'Connell
When you are running late trying to finish a project at work it is not uncommon to start feeling major anxiety. Plus, the fact that a disagreeable boss may be breathing down your neck does not exactly make the day go by easier. The anxiousness of anxiety is not exactly easy to deal with and that is why many people reach for certain calming agents to minimize their "jitters." Unfortunately, one of the most common items people reach for are cigarettes and these bring with them a host of additional costs and problems that make anxiety and nervousness pale in comparison.
While it is not the intention of this article to psycho-analyse people who smoke (we'll leave such discussion to mental health professionals) it is important to note that many psychiatrists have pointed out that many people smoke as a way of curbing anxiety and stress. Often, the physical act of puffing away on a cigarette provides a calming action that allows a person to slow down and relax. But, there is a serious price to pay for such relaxation and it comes in the form of the multitude of health problems that smoking yields. While you may end up feeling a little relaxation thanks to dragging on that Winston the truth of the matter is that the carcinogens in the cigarette will give you something major to stress over later in life in the form of heart disease and respiratory problems. Because of this it becomes critical to curb one's anxiety with something that does not come with smoking related health problems and risks.
If you are looking for something to act as a substitute for a cigarette you will probably be delighted to learn than many of the substitutes are common to find. Believe it or not, one of the best substitutes for smoking is drinking water. If you start to drink full bottles of water when the urge to smoke comes over you then the pangs of smoking may decrease. There is a feeling of fullness that comes over a person when they drink water and this can often dull the sensation of smoking. This may also have the residual effect of calming anxiety as well.
While on a quit smoking quest it is a good idea to replace the smoking with a healthier choice like water, of course, water is not the only substitute that you can use. Candy and gum (hopefully of the sugar free variety) can also be used to "feed the Frankenstein" that nicotine cravings cause. Plus, gum and candy are easy to carry and can be ingested far more innocuously than water making these substitutes even easier to use than bottled water. Conversely, sometimes it is not what you take but what you don't take that can aid in curbing your nicotine cravings. If you curb your intake of caffeine then you will eliminate some of the jittery anxiety than can lead you to reaching for that pack of cigarettes. Clearly, anything that eliminates cigarettes is beneficial for one's health both mentally and physically.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/anxiety-stress-and-quitting-smoking-335279.html
About the Author
Darren O Connell - How to stop smoking naturally without patches pills drugs http://www.quit-smoking-2day.com and how to stop smoking in less than 3 hours http://www.quitfast.quit-smoking-2day.com
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My Question is about smoking and running?
If you smoke, is it harder to run or is it easier to run? Like if you smoke 4 cigs a day.
The two should never be mixed, give up smoking and let your body heal from all the poisons you’ve let into your body, then go running.
Let’s deal with the damage to your lungs first. Cigarettes contain a cocktail of harmful chemicals that attacks the delicate structures of the lung with devastating consequences. Most people think that the only consequence of this damage is lung cancer, but a more common consequence of smoking is the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
lthough this doesn’t normally manifest itself until early middle age, it is developing throughout the smoker’s life, and will actually become apparent earlier in a regular exerciser than in a sedentary smoker, because the sedentary smoker does not push their breathing to its limits. COPD causes the alveoli to collapse, reducing the surface area available for gas exchange, and the airways to become floppy.
The reduction in surface area hampers the lung’s ability to transfer oxygen efficiently. The floppy airways mean that, as you breathe out, the airways collapse. This causes increased breathlessness and also makes breathing more difficult.
The smoke also induces inflammation of the airways, causing them to swell and produce mucus (chronic bronchitis), and paralyses the cilia (small hair-like structures that propel mucus and particles out of the lungs), which increases the likelihood of chest infections.
As far as the immediate effects of smoking are concerned, the main performance-related consequence is carbon monoxide (CO) ‘poisoning’. Smokers have high levels of CO in their blood – the more cigarettes they smoke, the higher the level. CO combines more easily with haemoglobin than oxygen, so it reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, reducing maximal oxygen uptake.
You may not perceive any problems with your breathing now, probably because the damage progresses very gradually so that you are unaware that you’re more breathless. But every cigarette is inflicting damage to your lungs that will result in impaired performance and disease in the long term.
The good news is that if you quit, many of these damaging changes can be reversed. It has never been easier to get help to quit smoking, and you are twice as likely to succeed if you use the free nicotine replacement therapy.
I run with one man who smoked since he was about 13. He found it really hard to give up but whenever he ran he had to stop because there wasn’t enough getting to his lungs and it was horrible. He so desperately wanted to run, such was his willpower that he was able to stop because the adreneline and the fact of being able to run was too great for him and he wouldn’t have stopped at much to prevent him from doing so! And he gave up, simple as that.
Smoking and running how is this possible?
My friend smokes a pack a day and runs 4 miles every morning. How in the world is this possible?
It’s probably easier if they’re on the younger end and the damage to their lungs hasn’t accumulated yet as much as it will.
But they’re certainly not fulfilling their running potential and could do far better and breathe far easier without the smoking.
Every now and then you can stumble upon a smoker who runs, but they usually end up quitting (the smoking) and later can’t believe they didn’t do it sooner.
You do get actually get a lot of people who formerly smoked who use running to heal themselves and as a replacement addiction. It’s just a little unusual to have the smoking and running overlap.
I quit smoking to run faster. Will dipping tobacoo affect running like smoking does?
I quit smoking 7 days ago and it is really hard. I smoked for 12 years and to aid me when i have a big craving, i bought some of these copenhagen pouch things. One of the reasons i quit is to be able to run faster. Will using these copenhagen pouch things affect my running like smoking does?
its just as bad.
What could cause trans fluid to leak after a new radiator is installed? car is not smoking and running good.?
Radiator was installed on Friday…noticed this problem last night. There is a reddish brown liquid slowly leaking from the passanger side undercarrage…I am taking it back to the shop…Any ideas? Is the head blown?
The transmission uses the radiator as an oil cooler. Whoever fitted the radiator didn’t do up the connections properly. Take it straight back and get them to do it properly. If they try to charge you for it, hit the roof.
I feel like puking whenever my heartbeat increases(from getting nervous/excited,smoking,running, alcohol etc).?
I’ve had this problem for years. What’s the cause for this problem and how can I solve this puking problem?