3. Stop smoking
Much like alcohol, the root cause of becoming a smoker usually starts with chronic anxiety. You’ve likely seen characters in your favorite TV series take a smoke whenever times get tough, but it’s important to remember that smoking can have significant consequences in the real world.
While it’s true that you might be relaxed for a short while after sucking on a tar stick, your anxiety will only become worse in the long run if you rely on cigarettes to treat it. Studies have shown that you’re more likely to develop anxiety disorders late in life if you start smoking at a young age. There have also been studies showing a correlation between chronic anxiety and chemicals such as nicotine.
As with alcohol, becoming reliant on cigarettes to treat anxiety can even make you more anxious if you’re in a situation where you aren’t able to smoke. Smoking causes various types of cancer, so it’s far from an ideal anxiety solution.