The stress-relieving cigarette is a motif we see all the time.

That could be the wound-up office worker ducking out for a quick fag break, or the protagonist in pretty much every film when we need a visual cue about just how stressed they are.

If you’re a smoker, the idea that lighting up calms you down can also make you more reluctant to kick the habit.

But it turns out smoking isn’t quite the stress reliever it feels like it is.

We spoke to psychologist Dr Meg Arroll and Oxford pharmacist Stuart Gale to find out why.

Just like those restless Sunday nights you spend worrying about not getting enough sleep, smoking because you’re stressed is a classic example of a vicious circle.

“Smoking feels like stress relief because the body’s craving nicotine,” explains Dr Arroll.

“In a sense, the act of smoking is relieving a stress, but it’s only related to the physiological addiction to this substance.”

“Once the nicotine cravings begin, you enter a ‘mini-withdrawal’ state,” adds Gale.

“You become anxious, nervous, on the edge. This increases stress and irritability. When you light up, it’s this craving that’s relieved rather than the stress itself – hence the false sense of stress relief.”

If you’ve swapped a stress ball for cigarettes, it might actually be having the opposite impact.

“Smoking is not a stress relief as it actually leads to a type of stress (reliance on a substance),” says Dr Arroll.

“The anxiety of running out of cigarettes, not being able to smoke when you’re travelling, or knowing the health risks associated with smoking can actually increase anxiety.

“Research shows that anxiety decreases once people are able to quit long-term,” Dr Arroll continues. “Smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs are all forms of maladaptive coping strategies.

“While they may make you feel better short-term, they’re not adaptive ways of coping with stress, as they don’t result in beneficial emotional, psychological and behavioural gains such as resilience.”

So, you know that smoking could be the cause of your stress as opposed to the relief of it. And you also know about the health risks (70% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking).

The next question is, how do you swap your cigarette break for something that feels just as relaxing?

“Cigarettes facilitate a ‘time out’ period,” explains Gale.

“Generally speaking, you have to be outside and you don’t have to explain what you’re doing. 

“When you stop smoking, you no longer have this so-called legitimate excuse to step away from whatever is causing you stress.

“The reality, however, is that the benefit comes from being outside, slowing down and taking deep breaths – not breathing in toxic smoke which is, in fact, killing you.

“Ideally, this ‘me time’ should not be the preserve of the smoker. When we feels stressed, we should all take a moment to step away from the situation.

“Get a little vitamin D, maybe have a drink of water and a five-minute walk away from your screen. This moment of mindfulness can act as a huge stress reliever.”

When you take the step towards quitting smoking, studies show you’re actually better off when it comes to stress (as well as everything else health-wise). 

Research from King’s College London and the Universities of Southampton, Oxford and Cambridge showed that people who stop smoking experience reduced anxiety.

Something to bear in mind next time you’re craving that stress smoke…

To find out more about the benefits of giving up smoking cigarettes, visit Change Incorporated.

Advertisement paid for by Change Incorporated (VICE) for its Quit Cigarettes initiative. Philip Morris International funds this initiative but has no editorial input, so may not share the views expressed.