Better Late Than Never - Strategies To Help You Quit Smoking

If you remember, in my blog post regarding things that may affect your Life Insurance policy, you learned that smoking is probably THE biggest "red flag" to an Insurance Carrier. 

To understand why a carrier would be leery of smokers, you have to consider that cigarette smokers are a liability for them. If you smoke, chances are you may become ill and pass away at a younger age than a non-smoker. That increases the possibility that the carrier would have to pay out a death benefit sooner rather than later. 

Smoking can cause a range of different Cancers including:

*Head and neck

*Esophageal and Lung

*Leukemia 

*Stomach

*Kidney

*Pancreas

Other health problems created by smoking include:

*Stroke

*Blindness

*Gum infection

*Aortic Rupture

*Heart Disease

*Pneumonia

*Hardening of the arteries

*Asthma and chronic lung disease

Were you as surprised as I was by the number of illnesses cigarettes can contribute to?

I'm glad I quit around 23 years ago!

When I was a teenager, my mother had quit smoking, but she didn't tell anyone!!!

My younger brother and I were goofing around, or maybe arguing about something. I don't remember what we were doing but I will never forget my mother's reaction. She said (rather yelled) some choice words and proceeded to get in the car and go flying down the road. The tires squealed and it sounded like she was doing 115 miles per hour down the road. 

My brother and I got very quiet, looked at each other and said, "What the *beep*? What's up with her"? We later found out that she went down to the bar for a drink. Very uncharacteristic of my mother. She was clearly dealing with some withdrawals and didn't know how to deal with them.

We can laugh about that story now, but I definitely researched some strategies to use when I was ready to quit.  

One thing I learned is that it takes 3-4 days for nicotine to leave the body. 

Pay attention to your triggers. It won't take long to figure them out! Anything that stresses you out and causes you to want to light up, is a trigger. Do your best to avoid them if possible. Triggers can lead to cravings.

Cravings are awful, but realistically, they don't last. After about 20 minutes they should subside. 

My best advice is to find distractions!

*Do Crafting- I painted pictures. I wasn't so good at painting, so I started collaging. Collaging kept my hands busy, distracted my mind and I couldn't really goof it up.

*Exercise- Participating in walking, biking, dancing or gardening seemed to reduce my cravings. My cravings seemed to not only leave quicker, but they didn't come as often.

*Meditate- Many people have used meditation. Meditation helps to relieve stress. Remember, stress leads to cravings!

*Gum/Candy- Some people chew gum or candy. Be careful with sweets and other foods to distract or reward yourself. That is how many people gain weight when they quit. 

*Change the scenery- Have your morning coffee in a different spot in your house or drink it outside. Do something to change up your routine, especially the parts that used to include smoking.

*Medications and gums- There are several brands of medications and gums that can help when you are quitting smoking. Talk to your doctor for the best option for you.

Although smoking will increase your monthly premium, the best time to get a Life insurance policy is now. We never know how much time we have left. Some carriers will review your policy a year after you quit and lower your premium at that time. They will probably request that your doctor verify that you quit.

Contact me to set up a free consultation to go over your options. 

Carolee Hollenback

(315) 200-4326

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*We write policies for American citizens in every US state*