Smoking reducing stress is another common misconception. I cannot argue with you that it may APPEAR this way, but again this is what Neil Casey calls 'the nicotine trick'. The illusion that smoking causes relaxation, when in fact it is only relieving (temporarily) the effects of the stress caused by the previous cigarette. Add to this the vitamin C depletion that smoking causes, not to mention various other nutrients, which is needed in the production of stress response hormones.

As a smoker you are likely to have certain stress triggers when you reach for a cigarette. It is worth while tapping on a few of these triggers, to help dissolve the association of smoking in stressful situations. Look at the following and use these to help formulate setup phrases specific to you.

'Even though I need to smoke when the bills come in, I deeply and completely accept myself'

'Even though I must smoke to relax when George tells me what to do, I respect myself and release this need and association'

'Even though though I have an unstoppable urge to smoke when stuck in traffic, I love and accept myself anyway'