Getting help to quit smoking: Sarah's story part 5
There are many reasons why people try to quit smoking. Health implications and cost are two of the biggest. However people often worry how they will cope without cigarettes in stressful situations.
Smoking and Workplace Stress
A recent study showed that stress in the workplace has a significant effect on smoking intensity. E-cigarettes can be a good alternative for many of our customers and they can also be a useful way to quit smoking, even when under stress.
Many smokers reach for a cigarette in stressful situations. Your mind has become conditioned to think that having a cigarette will help reduce your stress levels. However in the workplace this is rarely an option. A workplace smoking ban has been enforce in Ireland since 2003 and many workplaces won’t allow vaping either, although it is not illegal.
Finding alternative ways to deal with stress can help. Exercise, deep breathing, taking a break, and talking to somebody are all alternative ways recommended for coping with stressful situations.
If you are trying to quit smoking, it’s a good idea to have a good stress management system in place. This will help keep your will power up, even when you are under pressure. If you are thinking of quiting smoking, it is usually recommended that you don’t do it during a very stressful period of your life, for example a divorce or job loss.
24 days later
In part 5 of her video diary, Sarah talks about how stress at work has affected her trying to quit and how she has been coping generally over the past 24 days without cigarettes.
Despite a couple of slip ups, Sarah is very proud of how she has been getting on. “I know I can go without cigarettes. I don’t need them.” She is also determined to keep up her good work so far:
“The worst thing I could do now is to keep smoking”
