No matter what your age, be sure that a priority in your life is to guard your health. Today, with our hectic lives, the actions we should take to guard our health often fall off the calendar. Make a list of the actions you need to take. Let’s focus on the medical appointments we should keep. These will differ depending on your age and on any health conditions you may have.
Let’s look at my husband and myself as an example. We are only four months apart in age, so our management is similar. We need:
- A yearly physical
- An eye check up every other year
- Yearly blood work to check cholesterol for him and thyroid issues for me
- A yearly mammogram for me
- A colonoscopy every 5 years starting this year
- A yearly skin check with a dermatologist for him
In order to not let these fall by the wayside, I use a free “to do” list tracker called Asana. I have one project that has each of these items as a “to do”. Each has a due date, a frequency for when it should be repeated, notes about the appointment such as who should be seen (e.g. Quest Diagnostics, our primary, a specialist), if they were seen, and what occurred so I don’t forget.
Then, commit to checking these items off as they are due! Guarding your health is no different than putting your oxygen mask on first on an airplane. If you do not take care of yourself first, you are not going to be in top condition to take care of those around you! So, make your list, determine the easiest way to track your list, and commit to guarding your health!