How To Stay on Top of Your Health.
The importance of centering your physical and mental health in the new year.
In a busy world, where there’s a million and one things to do, health often takes a back seat for a number of reasons. Here’s a few of the most common ones:
Not enough time for doctor visits.
Lack of funds to cover said visits.
Mistrust of the healthcare system.
While all of these reasons are oftentimes valid, not prioritizing our health is a recipe for disaster.
Your Physical and Mental Health Impacts Every Aspect of Your Life.
“How healthy we feel affects our mood, energy levels and how we show up for work and with family & friends.”
Take my friend, Vanessa, for example:
Last year, every time I saw Vanessa, she could barely keep her eyes open, she was so exhausted. She missed many of our friend group’s hangouts, and she was irritable and moody during the few outings she did make.
When I asked her if she planned on going to the doctor to see what was wrong, she not-so-kindly told me no and her reasons were, and I quote, “Ain’t nobody got time to go to the doctor. I just need to catch up on some sleep - besides - who's got doctor money?”.
For months, this went on and Vanessa got weaker and more exhausted, until one day, she passed out at work! Her boss called an ambulance, and Vanessa had to spend two nights in the hospital. For anybody who has experienced an ambulance ride and a stay in the hospital, you know both are thousands of dollars more expensive than a regular doctor’s appointment. And, to make matters worse, do you want to know what was wrong with Vanessa? Low iron.- Something incredibly common, preventable, and treatable.🤦🏾♀️
Months of discomfort, missed time with friends, and now a ridiculously expensive medical bill could have been avoided had Vanessa taken a few hours to schedule and attend a doctor’s appointment.
Proactivity is Better than Reactivity.
We’ve likely all heard about or personally lived an experience like Vanessa’s. When it comes to our health, it is so important to address matters before they snowball and negatively impact our lives.
So How Do You Stay on Top of Your Health?
Follow These Steps & You’ll Be Off to a Good Start:
1. Assess your health - Answer these questions for yourself:
Do you just need the usual check-ups (Yearly physical, dentist cleaning, and gynecology visit) or is there more that you need (physical therapy, a dermatology appointment, etc.)?
Have you been having any concerning symptoms that you want to get checked out (Ex. achy tooth, nagging back pain, anxiety that you can’t shake, etc.?)
Make a list of the doctor appointments you’d like to make and symptoms you’d like to address and set aside time to schedule your appointments.
2. Understand Your Healthcare Budget -
One of the biggest deterrents to seeking out healthcare is the expense. Some of us have health insurance, some of us don’t, and everyone’s budget for healthcare will look a little different. What’s most important is that you know how much you have to spend on your health and that you utilize your resources wisely.
If you have insurance, here are some questions you can call and ask your insurance provider to better understand your benefits.
What is my co-pay?
What preventative care visits are completely covered by my insurance plan?
Are alternative therapy services covered (e.g. physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture)?
Are mental health therapy services covered?
Does a provider need to be in-network in order for my dr. visits to be covered?
If you don’t have insurance, here are some questions you can ask yourself?
Can I afford an insurance plan?
How much can I afford to save towards my healthcare expenses on a monthly basis?
If you need help figuring out your budget for your health, check out our free budget sheet here.
3. Face your health fears -
Vanessa later confided in me after she got out of the hospital that another reason why she didn’t want to go to the doctor was because she was worried her concerns would be dismissed or even worse, she’d find out that something truly terrible was wrong with her.
Both of these concerns are valid - but short-sighted. If something was terribly wrong with her, wouldn’t it make more sense to address the issue before it got worse? And, if she was dismissed, couldn’t Vanessa get a second opinion or advocate for herself (keep reading for tips on how to advocate for yourself).
My motto for healthcare is “Better to know and take care of it now, than not know and it progressively get worse.
Here’s some alternative solutions to help face any fears you might be having about visiting the doctor:
Talk with a trusted person about these concerns.
Bring along a trusted friend or family member with you to the doctor’s appointment.
If available, schedule a virtual appointment from the comfort of your home.
4. Find providers before you need them -
It can be overwhelming searching for providers, and for anyone who has scheduled a new patient appointment, you know it can take weeks, sometimes, months to get an appointment with a provider. It’s important to assemble your healthcare team way before you might need them.
Here’s some pro tips on how to do this:
If you have insurance, try to find providers that accept your insurance in order to decrease your healthcare costs. Sometimes, insurance companies will have a directory of in-network providers in their patient portals.
This might not always work, but if you can schedule most or all of your doctor visits in a multidisciplinary clinic and/or hospital, it will make your life so much easier. All of your records will be in one place, and your drs. Will be able to consult on your behalf more easily if need be.
Try scheduling all of your yearly doctor visits during a time of year and day that works well for your schedule. Some people like scheduling them at the beginning of the year, some towards the end. I like to do mine in early summer within a span of 1-2 months just to get them out of the way, but also during a time that’s not busy for me. If you want help finding ideal and flexible times in your schedule, try our ideal time finder exercise here.
Be flexible and choose a few different providers that you’d be open to seeing. Sometimes doctors, especially, ones that are highly specialized or sought after may not have availability or be accepting new patients, and you’ll want to have some back-ups just in case.
4. Schedule the Appointments -
You’ve assessed your budget, know what doctors you want to see, and what time of year you want to see them, now it’s time to schedule the appointments.
Find a 1-2 hour window during the morning one day (that’s usually when the dr. phone lines are less busy) to schedule all of your appointments in one sitting if you can.
5. Prepare for your visit -
Make a list of any concerns you would like to discuss with your provider- I don’t know about you, but my mind always seems to go blank as soon as I step into the doctors office. I forget all the aches and pains I’ve had over the last few months, and have found myself telling my dr. I’ve been feeling fine, when I’ve been the furthest from it. Feel free to make a list of concerns in your phone notes and read them out to your dr. during the appointment, so you don’t forget anything.
Arrive early and prepared- If you can check in online, (and feel comfortable doing so), do that. It makes the process so much smoother.
Advocate for yourself - It is necessary that you know how to advocate for yourself, especially, if you are a part of a marginalized group. Take up the space and time that you are paying for and ask the questions you want to ask and receive the services you need. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are some of the questions that I’ve found most effective when needing to advocate for myself at the drs. Office:
Advocacy Qs:
When discussing diagnoses:
What are the treatment options for the diagnosis? And the pros/cons to each?
Based on my symptoms, are there any other diagnoses that could explain my symptoms?
When discussing recommended medical procedures:
How long will this procedure take?
Will this procedure hurt?
What pain relief options are available for me?
How long is the recovery period?
Is this procedure medically necessary?
When discussing medications:
What are the short-term and long-term side effects of this medication?
Are there alternative medications or treatments that can be considered?
Remember: You can always opt out of doctor recommendations and treatments, get second opinions, or request some extra time to think about any health recommendations.
That’s all for now! We hope this post has been helpful! If you still need a little extra help organizing this part of your life check out our other resources here or book a personalized organization planner here!
XOXO,
TULU Team