How to Take Charge of Your Health: 10 Smart Steps

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Looking after your health can get pushed down the list when work, family and everyday life demand your attention. But some of the most useful habits are surprisingly simple. Learn how to take charge of your health in 10 smart steps.

1. Make Movement Part of Your Day

You don’t have to become a gym regular to get more active. Even something as simple as a brisk stroll for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, is enough to reduce your risk of several age-related diseases and support your cardiovascular health.

If you find it hard to do, start by looking for opportunities to move throughout the day. Take a walk while you’re on the phone, use the stairs when you can, stretch between tasks or put on some music and dance around your living room.

2. Eat to Feel Good

Healthy eating ensures that every trip to the kitchen is about more than negotiating with yourself. You can enjoy a burger and still care about your health. The trick is making nutritious choices the usual routine. A simple way to do so is to fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, one-quarter whole grains and one-quarter healthy protein.

Notice how different foods make you feel, too. Some meals leave you energized and satisfied, but others can make you feel sluggish, bloated or ready for a nap. Keeping those patterns in mind can help you figure out which foods to keep on your plate.

3. Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is easy to sacrifice when your to-do list keeps growing, which may explain why many people struggle with it. If you’re one of them, give yourself a better chance at a decent rest by keeping your bedtime and wake-up time consistent, including on weekends. Turn down the lights, put your phone away and give yourself some quiet time before bed.

Pay attention if you regularly lie awake, wake up repeatedly or feel exhausted despite sleeping enough. Persistent sleep quality problems may have an underlying cause, so speak with a healthcare professional rather than accepting them as part of getting older.

4. Keep up With Preventive Screenings

Knowing how to take charge of your health means staying proactive, even when you feel perfectly healthy. Some health conditions can develop without obvious symptoms, which is why it’s vital to get preventive screenings. Your schedule will depend on things such as your age, family history and personal risk factors, so ask your healthcare professional which checks you need and when.

And while you’re booking those screenings, remember the everyday appointments that keep you healthy, too. Make time for your regular dental cleanings, eye exams and checkups, even when nothing seems wrong.

5. Learn to Manage Stress

With one in eight American adults regularly dealing with feelings of worry, nervousness or anxiety, you’re definitely not alone. When those feelings become a frequent part of your day, finding ways to manage them can be a crucial step toward taking charge of your health. While it’s difficult to remove every source of stress from your life, you can find healthier ways to handle it.

Go for a run, read a few pages, listen to music, talk to someone you trust or simply give yourself 20 minutes to relax. Small breaks can be important when your schedule is packed. Taking a few slow breaths before a stressful meeting or stepping away from your desk for a short walk can give your mind a chance to reset.

6. Plan for Your Future Health

Taking charge of your health means thinking about the future. Keep track of your medical history, medications and family history so you have useful information if your health needs change. It’s also a good idea to consider how you’ll pay for care later in life, especially if you develop a chronic condition.

You may consider qualifying for premium-free Medicare Part A, which helps cover inpatient hospital care. You’ll generally need to have paid Medicare taxes for a minimum of 10 years, or 40 quarters, during your working life for eligibility. Understanding how this works and looking into other insurance options can help you prepare for the healthcare costs you may face later.

7. Go Outside Every Day

Your body was not designed to spend every waking hour under fluorescent lights. Getting outside gives you a chance to move, get some daylight and take a break from screens and the same four walls. Grab your coffee and take a walk, eat lunch outside or spend time at a nearby park.

Spending time in nature may improve your mood. Even a short walk through a green space can give you a change of scenery and make an ordinary day feel special.

8. Set Aside Time for People

Your calendar may be packed, but staying connected deserves a spot. Strong social connections can improve your mental well-being and physical health, and research has linked friendships to longer life. So, if you’ve been treating social plans as something you’ll get around to when life calms down, consider this your nudge to stop waiting.

Have dinner with a friend, call a family member, join a local group or send someone a message just to say hello. A quick catch-up can do more for your well-being than another hour mindlessly scrolling through social media.

9. Find a Hobby You Enjoy

Not everything you do for your health needs to feel productive. Give yourself permission to have an activity that exists purely because you like it. It can be reading, painting, cooking, baking, gardening, learning a language, playing an instrument or picking up an old hobby you abandoned years ago.

Hobbies can give your brain a break from work and responsibilities. They may help reduce your feelings of depression, anxiety and stress as well. You don’t need to become particularly talented or turn your new interest into a side hustle. If it makes you happy and gives you something to look forward to, it’s doing its job.

10. Correct Your Posture

Your phone and laptop may be winning the battle for your attention, but they don’t have to win the war against your neck and back. Pay attention to how you sit, stand and move. If you spend hours working at a desk, keep your screen at a comfortable height, relax your shoulders and avoid staying frozen in one position for too long.

Good posture means holding your body in a way that supports you while you’re moving or sitting still, which may help prevent or reduce pain, injuries and other health problems. Your back will probably appreciate the memo.

Take Five… Then Take Care of Yourself

You can slip most of these 10 habits into your day almost unnoticed. Keep the ones that work for you, make adjustments when life gets busy and avoid waiting for a health scare to start paying attention. Taking charge of your health is built from the choices you make on ordinary days, too.