Health should be on top of everyone’s priority lists, yet it often ends up neglected and pushed to the side as we focus on things like our career and social lives. We mustn’t forget that without health, none of those will matter. We also tend to feel like we don’t have any power over our health, and that external influences are what’s going to determine whether we’re healthy or ill. However, we have almost all of the power to change our lives and our health for the better, and that’s exactly what we need to do:
Take responsibility for your lifestyle
We all have our habits, some of them good and some of them damaging. We can’t get rid of every single bad habit, but there are some that drastically affect our health and that we need to take full responsibility and control of. One of these can be smoking, and while quitting smoking is hard, it’s far from impossible and it’s a direct way you’re ruining your health. Similar to that, if you let your “fast food Friday” turn into a fast food week, you’re actively choosing to damage your body. The seemingly small and insignificant decisions we make every day – from how many teaspoons of sugar we put in our coffee to how often we skip exercise – add up to something a lot more significant than a one-time decision we might feel more guilty about. We all do this and you shouldn’t feel alone, but your health is nobody’s responsibility than your own, so before we even talk about improving it – stop damaging it.
Trust your doctor
A lot of people have a fear of the doctor’s office, the dentist and most medical professionals – which is completely irrational. There’s no reason to fear them, and what we think of as fear is actually a lot more often embarrassment. We’re ashamed that we didn’t take good enough care of our bodies or that something is wrong with us that is completely unusual. Doctors have seen it all and their whole jobs are to help you live a healthy life. With this in mind, it’s important to find a physician that you can really trust and rely on. This is especially important if you have a problem within a specific area of your health, and you need a professional like Dr Timothy Steel to be on your side and recommend the best options. Remember that they are the professionals who spent a decade going through school to give you the best advice.
Find time in your life for your health
We often skip training, meals or sleep because of “lack of time”, but the reality is that every day you skip an essential part of a healthy routine, it will come back to haunt you. Not only will you be less productive at whatever you’re trying to get time to do, but you will feel much worse physically. Lack of sleep can lead to headaches, inability to focus and worsening memory, while a bad diet and lack of exercise can take a toll on your body and, in some cases, force you to quit some activities completely due to lack of energy or stamina.
Take time for mental health
As the stigma around mental health subsides, we’re seeing more and more how important taking care of your mental health is. This doesn’t go just for people who have mental illnesses, but for each one of us. If we don’t take time to vent, to rest, relax, think and reset, we could be heading into bad waters. Taking just a few minutes every day to meditate and clear your mind can go a long way and learning techniques that can help you calm down and relax in a moment can help with stressful situations.
Know your medical history
No matter what your current health situation is, knowing your medical history is very important. Your doctors might ask you for it because comparing previous results might give them an insight into whether or not there’s a problem. Collect all of your scattered papers, test results and prescriptions and keep them in a neat binder so you always know where they are. Also, ask your parents and other family members if there is any family history of certain illnesses and write it down as well. This can all be very valuable knowledge if you were to get ill.
You might push your health to the back of your mind when you’re young and full of energy and of course – healthy; but if your health does go bad, it can literally take over your life. Don’t take it for granted and remember that there are things you can always do to make yourself healthier and to set yourself up for a healthier future, so take responsibility and take your health into your own hands.
