Difficulty Concentrating
It’s hard enough to quit and now I can’t think clearly?
It’s hard enough to quit and now I can’t think clearly?
Difficulty concentrating is one of the most common withdrawal symptoms. Quitting may slow the activity of different brain chemicals; this slowdown may cause drowsiness or poor concentration. If this occurs, take a break to relax and refresh yourself. Do important tasks at those times of the day when you feel most alert.
What To Expect
- You may feel unable to do one task for a long time.
- You may put off or avoid difficult or unwanted tasks.
- Cigarettes provided you with relaxation breaks. Now that you have quit, you still need to take a break. This may be quite difficult because cigarettes gave you a reason to stop working for 10-15 minutes and now you may have to create a new reason.
Frequency
- Recent studies found that 55-75% of quitters report problems with concentration within the first week after quitting.
- If difficulty concentrating occurs, it will usually begin within the first 24 hours after quitting, peak for the first 1-2 weeks, and disappear within one month.
Self-Management Tips
- Take a break; look at photos; look out the window; or close your eyes and relax for 10 minutes.
- Try to come up with other things that you can do on a 10 minute break. Maybe you can get some minor chores out of the way as a break from a repetitive activity.
- Do different tasks instead of focusing on any one activity for too long.
- If you can, put off work when you feel unable to do it.
- Do important tasks during the times when you feel most alert.
Nicotine: Your Mind and Body
Difficulty concentrating is one of the most commonly reported nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Results from a number of research studies indicate quitting may slow the activity of a number of different brain chemicals and this slowdown may be reflected as drowsiness and poor concentration.
Difficulty concentrating is one of the most commonly reported nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Results from a number of research studies indicate quitting may slow the activity of a number of different brain chemicals and this slowdown may be reflected as drowsiness and poor concentration.
Related Notes
Nicotine patches have been shown to improve concentration while evidence suggests that nicotine gum is less effective. Learn more about medications to help you quit and remember to call your quit coach at 1-800-55-66-222 or use WebQuit for 24/7 support.
Nicotine patches have been shown to improve concentration while evidence suggests that nicotine gum is less effective. Learn more about medications to help you quit and remember to call your quit coach at 1-800-55-66-222 or use WebQuit for 24/7 support.