It's a Real Drag to Relax

For many people it is not the nicotine addiction that will be most difficult to overcome (otherwise how else can you explain why nicotine gum or patches are not 100% successful?). Most people describe how they smoke when they are bored or need a cigarette when they are upset or under pressure. Even though it may not sound like it these are all stressful situations. You may have heard pressure and stress called positive stress. Boredom and lethargy are sometimes called negative stress.

Positive stress is that stress which originates from our earliest instincts of fight or flight. Our response may be the same as if we were confronted by a fearsome animal – our adrenaline starts pumping, our heart beats faster, we may feel short of breath, our palms get sweaty and our mouth dry.

Negative stress has the opposite effect – all our get up and go has got up and gone. We feel lethargic, we are bored but don’t have the energy to get up and do something to alleviate the boredom.

You may find in a single day that you can easily experience both of these feelings and both sets of experience were met with the same response – a cigarette. Well now you have a new response to both of these which is to relax.

Just take a big deep breath in, count to 5 and then let it go as slowly as you took the breath in.

Breath in, 1,2,3,4,5

Breath out and let it go 5,4,3,2,1

And again

Breath in, 1,2,3,4,5

Breath out and let it go 5,4,3,2,1

This is now your talisman for dealing with whatever stresses and challenges life throws at you – a big deep breath in and then let it go slowly and with it let go of either the positive or negative stress.

Sounds easy and it is and did you know this is exactly what you have been doing as a smoker. When you were bored, tired, frustrated, angry, under pressure you got out a cigarette, you took a break, you lit the cigarette and took a deep drag in and then slowly let it go…sounds familiar. Well now as a non smoker you don’t need the props just a good pair of lungs.

Breath in, 1,2,3,4,5

Breath out and let it go 5,4,3,2,1

And again

Breath in, 1,2,3,4,5

Breath out and let it go 5,4,3,2,1

And you’ve taken a break, you’ve let the stress just wash over you, you’ve deflected any anxieties away from you and you are ready to continue the day relaxed and refreshed. Well done.