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Lord Alucard Ere Casanova
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 Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:28 am
While I was at the college, wandering around between classes, I noticed allot of people seemed stressed. That was understandable and I didn't think anything of it. Having recently taken to smoking a pipe, I decided to check out the smoking area. Also not to surprisingly, everybody there was relaxed. I decided to watch for a bit to see if anyone came in stressed and walked away relieved, but that didn't happen at all. At least for that day, everybody who came to or left the smoking area at least appeared to be relaxed.
I'm wondering, what do you all think of this?
Side-note: Just to clarify a little misunderstanding, I smoke a pipe not because I'm addicted to smoking. I know that's "what all smokers say," but I actually do it on rare occasions(once or twice a week, sometimes not at all in a month) and if ever I feel like I "need" a smoke, I refrain. I also chose to smoke a pipe because, from what I researched, it has approximately only 2% the risk that cigarettes do. Pipes are much healthier and, in my opinion, a little more classy. Anyways, I'm explaining this to get it out of the way in case anyone is wondering and because I am not posting this to be asked questions about my smoking nor receive any lectures. I just want opinions about smokers and non-smokers finding ways to relax in the modern world and their need for doing so.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 10:18 am
It depends on the person. I used to smoke cigarettes, and it made me jumpy and gave me the shakes. However, I have an anxiety disorder, so my body is extremely sensitive to things. I think those with anxiety should practice mindfulness of breathing to relax. That def helps me now.
As for smokers appearing to be relaxed. I think it could just be a repetition thing. Like..a learned relaxation trigger. In one of my anxiety self-help books, in order to relax you are supposed to create a 'trigger' you use. That way, when you say the word or do the physical gesture, your body/mind will know to go into relaxation mode. (if that makes any sense).
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 11:01 am
The relaxing effect is the short term effect of cigarettes in most people. In a smoking section, people will appear to be "more" relaxed, because they're getting the nicotine their brain is craving.
It could also be a combination of a "relaxation trigger" like what Kiwi said. Knowing that they are getting their "fix" triggers relaxation right on the spot as they walk their way to the smoking area.
People around campus who didn't smoke looked more stressed because they don't have that same relaxation trigger, or the effect of fulfilling an addiction.
Without the nicotine for a while, those same smokers will in most cases become *more* tense than the people who have never smoked at all. (Depending on what exactly they smoke.)
Either way, there are better ways to control stress than to take up smoking, or to have relaxation triggers, (I know I have mine sometimes, or I used to, I may still have, but it's not longer a "craving"; the use of a computer. haha), or to just stay stressed.
Buddhism helps with that I think, the control of the cravings and also the practice of mindful meditation helps to be calm even in stressful situations. 3nodding
But I don't think it's just because they're non smokers that those people are stressed.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:36 pm
Well... i think it just appears that way... I myself have smoked for a while and haven't noticed my stress has gone down. The more stressed I'd get the more I'd smoke until i decided it isn't really good for me and stopped smoking. Cigarette just gives you something else to deal with for a while so you don't think as much about the caused stress. I live in household with smokers and with time you notice it's not the cigarettes that are calming but i believe it's more the company those people enjoyed. Good company and people we get along with well are an amazing stress reliever... biggrin
As to how i as a non-smoker deal with stress, the answer is simple really... i do what i love the most... drawing, writing, taking relaxing walks with my friends, etc. and i think it works wonderful. <3
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 9:21 pm
It may not even be a smokers/non-smokers thing you're observing. As Naynram Ukir said, the non-smokers probably aren't stressed just because they don't smoke, but it works the other way, too. The smokers probably aren't relaxed just because they're smoking.
If you're watching people who are walking around campus and comparing them to people who are sitting in the smoking area, what you're really looking at is this:
People who are busy at the moment vs. People who currently have a break
Nicotine or no nicotine, it stands to reason that the people who have time to go sit down somewhere are going to be more relaxed than the people who are walking to class or to work.
I'm not saying it's necessarily that simple, but sometimes it's easy to see connections where you want to see them, you know?
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Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:51 pm
I'm aware that most of what I'm observing isn't directly related to smoking, but I've noticed a few other things as well.
For one thing, smokers relax not only due to smoking, but due to socializing. Smokers go to the smoking section, hang out, discuss things, and unlike any other part of this campus it doesn't matter whether or not you're butting in on a conversation. Everyone talks. Lately there have been a few people looking stressed who hang out in the smoking section and that's when I noticed the difference. The people who are there who looked stressed are also the only people who don't socialize. I thought that was interesting. I decided to hang out after I was out of class and would normally go home and I believe socialization may be the main reason for people being relaxed there because the few people who were in the smoking section at that time, two non-regulars and one regular who has always looked relaxed, all looked stressed. They were not socializing.
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Lord Alucard Ere Casanova
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