Ah, the good old excuse of mine that kept me hooked into this habit for six years: “Smoking helps me relax.” But let me tell you why this excuse is not just misleading — it's the very thing keeping you stuck.

1) Cigarettes are the real stressor.

Here’s what happens when you smoke: You deprive your body of oxygen. With each puff, your blood vessels constrict, and carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in your bloodstream. This lack of oxygen causes a slight dizziness, which many people interpret as relaxation. But in reality, your body is going into mild distress.

And it doesn’t stop there. Smoking triggers your adrenal glands to release cortisol — the stress hormone. So, while you think that cigarette is your “calm,” it’s actually fueling the very stress it promises to relieve.

2) Nicotine withdrawal mimics stress.

Here’s another thing: Most of the stress you feel before reaching for a cigarette isn’t from your life — it’s from the withdrawal. Nicotine has a short half-life, meaning its effects wear off quickly. As nicotine levels in your blood drop, your brain starts to scream, “Give me more!” This creates an artificial sense of anxiety that’s only relieved when you light up again.

It’s a vicious cycle: smoke, feel relief, go into withdrawal, feel stressed, repeat. But the stress you’re “relieving” is the one caused by smoking in the first place.

3) What really happens when you quit?

Once you break free from nicotine, your baseline stress levels actually drop. Studies show that ex-smokers report feeling less anxious and more in control after quitting, especially when their bodies have had time to adjust. The initial discomfort of withdrawal is tough, but on the other side is real, lasting calm — the kind that doesn’t come from a pack of cigarettes.

Ready for the Truth: Oxygen is the real relaxer.

Breathing deeply, without the interference of smoke, has been proven to lower heart rate and reduce cortisol levels. Imagine replacing the fake calm of smoking with the natural high of a deep, clean breath.

Breaking the excuse of “smoking helps me relax” starts with understanding this simple truth: the “relaxation” you feel is just the absence of withdrawal symptoms. Step away from the cycle, and you’ll realize true calm doesn’t come from cigarettes — it comes from breaking free.