Ideal for those turning to cigarettes to cope with stress during this difficult time.
Those old movies or episodes of Mad Men with ashtrays on the desks and plumes of smoke filling the office air; they made cigarettes at work look a little glamorous, don’t you think? The reality couldn’t be further from the truth; smoking kills 80’000 in England and over 100’000 a year in the UK, accounting for a fifth of total deaths here annually.
That said, since the rise in home working, it’s been all too easy to reach for a cigarette and light up from the comfort of our desks. With stress levels across the country higher than ever, smoking has also provided a false sense of relief from the pressures of this difficult time.
It’s not all doom and gloom. The good news is this; coronavirus has actually led to huge numbers of people endeavouring to quit, with more than a million giving up smoking since the pandemic hit. An incredible number, indeed, but if you’re still struggling to knock the cigs on the head, then perhaps this might help; here’s 5 tips on how to stop smoking while working from home, IDEAL for those turning to cigarettes to cope with stress during this difficult time.
LEAN INTO YOUR TRIGGERS
Within the Buddhist lexicon, and adopted by mindfulness teachers and meditation practitioners the world over, is the concept of ‘leaning into’ your fears and worries. The idea is that, rather than let stress stop you in your tracks and overwhelm you, you face up to your problems, stand a little while within them, and in the process gain a better understanding of what makes you – and your fears – tick.
Much of the same mindset can be applied to your smoking triggers – times of stress and upheaval which cause you to compulsively reach for a cigarette. Don’t avoid situations and triggers associated with smoking entirely; it’s simply not a sustainable approach right now, when we’re all confined to the fall walls of home. Rather, learn to identify the onset of a trigger and how to tame it.
If you normally have a cigarette after a meal, for example, replace this with a more beneficial habit, such as having a cup of tea, taking a brisk walk or even brushing your teeth. Should a heavy dose of pent up energy after a long day’s work have you needing a smoke to loosen up, instead find a new outlet for that energy; invest in a boxing bag or stationary exercise bike, or on the flip side, try meditation and yoga. Lean into those triggers and you may very well tame them.
KEEP YOURSELF OCCUPIED & DISTRACTED
Just as much as stress can trigger smoking, so can boredom, which so many have a surplus of right now.
With the chance to smoke at your desk or give yourself a cigarette break at any time of the day, the temptation to smoke has often felt stronger during this period of homeworking and increased downtime. To avoid this urge, it’s best to plan your day out with precision and discipline, setting targets for the day more stringently than usual, both in terms of your work deadlines and your personal life.
Keep yourself distracted with positive practice like exercise, cooking and spending more quality time with friends or family members you share a house with, rather than succumbing to the most common home working distractions, such as social media and online shopping, which tend to sap productivity and leave you in a somewhat complacent and suggestive frame of mind.
TRANSITION SLOWLY WITH NICOTINE REPLACEMENTS & ALTERNATIVES
The Government recently launched a new resource, All Our Health, aimed at helping healthcare professionals promote good health and wellbeing in the UK. Regarding smoking cessation, there has been a recent shift in opinion concerning the use of E-cigarettes to help those trying to overcome nicotine addiction.
Interestingly, All Our Health advises that; ‘’Leading health and public health organisations including the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), British Medical Association (BMA), Cancer Research UK and the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine agree that although not risk-free, e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking. Based on the currently available evidence, PHE and the Royal College of Physicians estimate the risk reduction to be at least 95%’’.
Combined with other help out there and available, such as local stop smoking services, the NHS Stop Smoking Hotline and nicotine replacement alternatives like gums and patches, E-cigarettes could be a useful tool at your disposal.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Documenting the scale of your smoking can also help to put things in perspective. There are plenty of apps out there to help you monitor, moderate and minimise your smoking. Some take the form of daily motivational messages, hypnotherapy and mindfulness advice. Others help you track how much you’ve been consuming, and how much it’s cost you, both in pounds and in health.
Some of the best apps designed to help you quit smoking right now include Smoke Free by David Crane, QuitNow!, and Quit Tracker.
Alternatively, if you don’t fancy sharing your health and wellbeing with Big Data, then simply writing a journal dedicated to nicotine cessation and taking note of your daily progress can help hugely, too. Here you can list times and triggers to give you a proper overview of the problem and the most successful ways you’ve found to tackle it.
CHERISH THE POSITIVE CHANGE
We left this one ‘till last deliberately.
Say it out loud so you know how it feels…’I don’t smoke’. Sounds kinda nice, doesn’t it? Embracing and cherishing a little positivity around quitting can be the push you need to keep it going. Particularly when you’re working remotely and not seeing friends and family so much, it’s up to you to self-motivate as much as possible.
So, notice and take pride in the physical changes; a better complexion, brighter teeth, breathing lighter and exercising easier…the list goes on. Go further and acknowledge the money saved; conservative estimates put the cost at £250 each month, or £3000 a year. That’s money you could divert to more wholesome, happy pursuits like a holiday (or two, or three). Result!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Smoking is, quite simply put, a deadly vice. Despite the health warnings emphasising how smoking can aggravate your risk to COVID-19, many people find tobacco a useful coping mechanism for worry and stress. Take note of these tips discussed to steer clear of nicotine abuse while working remotely, and look forward to many smoke free years to come.