Starting healthy habits for family: John's health story

After smoking for nearly half his life, John Agin, 35, finally had enough. What started as a way to hang out with friends in college had turned into a two-pack-a-day habit that nearly consumed him. The Columbus, Ohio, laboratory supervisor found that he was always thinking about his next smoke break, calculating whether a two-hour movie or a long plane ride was worth the agony of skipping a cigarette. (It almost always wasn’t.)

But more than anything, John and his wife Brittany, a casual smoker, wanted to start a family. John knew what it was like to grow up in a tobacco-soaked home ― his grandfather and father smoked well into their 50s ― and he saw the physical toll the habit took on both men. He knew he wanted his experience as a father to be different, healthier. So on January 15, 2016, John and Brittany stubbed out their last cigarettes and began their new life as non-smokers.

The couple leaned on each other daily, especially in the beginning. John also found support through Martha Buko, a wellness coach at Aetna. A former smoker, Martha taught John strategies to help him cope with the cravings and anxiety, like replacing thoughts of smoking with happy memories, or forcing himself to go to a store to buy a pack instead of bumming a cigarette from a friend. She also urged him to remember why he wanted to quit in the first place: to be healthy for his future child. (Learn more about Martha here.)

The strategies worked. John and Brittany haven’t picked up a cigarette since quitting last year and no longer have the urge to. Now that smoking is in the rearview mirror, John continues to focus on living a healthy life. Every day, he walks his three dogs in a nearby park or hits the elliptical trainer at home. And he and Brittany are cooking healthier meals for each other ― grilled chicken sausage and vegetables is a favorite recipe.

The couple is also preparing for their next adventure: parenthood. Baby Agin is due in April, and John says he’s proud his child will grow up in a smoke-free household. Though kicking the habit wasn’t easy, he says it has allowed him to reclaim his life. “I tried to quit a few times before, and the longest I went without smoking was six months. But I was still craving cigarettes,” he says. “This time, I no longer crave nicotine, and that’s been incredibly freeing.”