Icy-cold water (in a refillable bottle, if you can) is a powerful tool to keep in your handy “quit kit”, and is an effective cravebuster, regardless of where you are on your journey.
DID YOU KNOW?
* Very cold water should be sipped (remember “brain freeze“?). This forces us to stop, stand (or sit) still, breathe, drink, calm down, and think. Sipping an entire bottle full of frigid water is a good way to “chill out” for the 3 or 4 minutes it takes to ride out a sudden urge to smoke.
* The mouth and throat are rich with blood vessels and nerve endings. Sipping cold water during a crave “numbs” the nerves in the roof of the mouth, creating a soothing effect in the face and neck. The cool drink also “chills” the web of blood vessels under the tongue, which drains the (slightly) cooled blood away from the mouth and throat, soothing the shoulder girdle. And, as the water travels down the esophagus, even more nerves and veins are “numbed“, which soothes the diaphragm, and calms both breathing and heart rate. (I feel more relaxed just thinking about it!)
* Speaking of the neck, this perch for our noggins contains 2 major blood arteries and the spinal cord, itself. Applying that cold water bottle to the back and sides of the neck “chills” the nerves and blood (just a little), and triggers a sympathetic relaxation effect that is felt in the stomach and limbs. (The same effect happens when the cold bottle is rolled across the forehead, too.).
* Carrying a bottle of cold water, sipping from that bottle, or pressing the cold bottle to your neck can all be done in public or at work, openly. This makes it both effective and accessible, at any time. And, staying hydrated is key to good daily health, as it is, but is even more important for new quitters beginning their recovery.
AND, THERE’S MORE…
* Rolling an ice cube around in your hand and rubbing it on your wrist are both effective ways to chill and massage a few acupressure points in the lower arm. And, popping an ice cube in your mouth (wet it first!) can really jolt your senses and crack a crave!
* Massaging your hands under cool, running water is an effective cravebuster in 3 ways : It forces you to stop and stand still at the sink for a few minutes (of self-talk?); it cools the acupressure points in the palms and wrists (see above); and it can be thought of as a “cleansing and purifying meditation ritual” that “washes away” the urge to “taint our hands” by touching a dirty cigarette.
* “Stick your head in the freezer!” is one of the most common cravebusters shared here at EX. Doing this in the heat of an urge forces us to stand still, breathe, “chill out” (literally, too!), and think things through. The cold air soothes a flushed forehead and neck (see above). Breathing the frosty mist in through the mouth also soothes the soft palate nerves (see above). But, did you know that the insides of our nostrils are densely-packed with blood vessels and nerves? Deeply sniffing the freezing air has a very sharp cooling effect on an agitated temper, and sends a blast of chilly air to the lungs.
* Finally, when all else fails, nothing beats the mind-sobering and brain-rattling power of a cold shower to snap you out of it (just ask a pubescent, hormonal teenaged boy…)!
Water is essential to life, itself, so let it be an essential element of your quit and recovery, too. As you can see, H2O works in so many ways!
STORM: 514
(Do you have a frosty water quit tip that I missed? Add it to the comments!)
