Are cigarettes relaxing?
A lot of smokers reach for a cigarette to calm their nerves, but actually, the opposite is happening. And smokers who quit have less anxiety, depression and stress. That’s according to the British Medical Journal. In fact, smokers who quit get a mood boost that’s equivalent to taking antidepressants!
So why do smokers think cigarettes relax them? Because they interpret their withdrawal symptoms as stress. And those symptoms can come on after only a couple hours without a smoke. Then, once they light up again, those withdrawal symptoms go away. But within 6 weeks of quitting, ex-smokers experience a significant improvement in mental health.
If you’re a smoker, maybe it’s time to give up smoking for 2019.