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While as Medical News Today notes, most people understand the importance of great health, many people find it challenging to navigate health care providers, health insurance, or even to make healthy lifestyle changes. Whether it’s learning to ask questions, finding new ways to communicate with your doctor, researching helpful products, or identifying supports to help you advocate for your health, taking small steps to put your health first is important. For a few easy ways to advocate for your own health, Chantel Keona invites you to consider trying these small changes.

Live Healthy

Living healthily and building healthy habits can be tricky. It can be overwhelming to think about a lifestyle change, especially for people who work a lot or who have set routines. However, the great news is that living healthier doesn’t have to mean major changes, and it can be the best way to advocate for your health.

Maybe you’re someone who works a lot and isn’t sure how you can incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Someone like you could be taking walks on lunch breaks, biking to work, or taking the stairs instead of an elevator. Even small changes will add up to better physical health and could impact your mental wellness, too.

When considering ways, you can live healthier, the US Department of Agriculture suggests thinking about diet, how much downtime you have, and if you’re taking care of basic self-care needs like making time to do things you enjoy. 

Create a Digital Health File

Once you’ve done all you can to ensure you’re living healthier, think about creating a digital PDF file that you can easily share with health care providers, specialists, and your insurance company. Having your medical information on hand in an easy digital format is a great way to communicate with the people you’re entrusting with your health. 

Having your own medical PDF file saved to your phone also means you won’t need Wi-Fi to access your records. This could be extremely helpful in the event of an emergency. If you have someone you trust to advocate for you, you could also give them a copy of this file. One of the many benefits of using PDFs as digital documentation is that you and your healthcare professional are able to fill them out and sign them as needed; an online tool like this may be helpful.

Identify Supports

Part of learning to advocate for your health means having the ability to identify people and places that feel right for you. No two people or their health concerns are ever exactly the same. Getting involved with support groups or finding friends or family to go with you to doctor’s appointments could be a great way to take better control of your health needs.

If you’re someone who is shy about asking questions or talking to doctors and other health professionals, bringing a list of questions, practicing with a friend, or even bringing that person to your appointment might be helpful.

Your Health Counts

Whether your first goal is to create the perfect digital file, move to a diabetes-friendly diet, or find an online support group, understanding the importance of your physical and mental health is the best way to become an advocate for yourself.

How do you take charge of your health? Let me know in the comments.

–Chantel Keona