Whether corporate life is calling to you, or your interests lie elsewhere, there is one area in which we should all strive to be Chief Executive Officer – promoting personal wellbeing.
Congratulations on the promotion, boss, you are officially the one in charge! When it comes to achieving your best state of health, you call the shots. Ready for your first project? Just as bosses invest in the success of their companies, you too should invest in the success of your health. Learn how to maximize your personal wellbeing, build resilience to cope with symptoms as they arise, and cultivate positivity in all areas of life.
The following steps will help you in achieving these goals. My approach is further outlined with additional resources in the patient guide, “How to Achieve Your Optimal Wellbeing”, now available for free download.
1. Get Organized
When was your last physical exam? Are your immunizations up to date? Are you familiar with your own and your family’s medical history? Do you remember the password to your online health account?
Simple enough questions, but many of us struggle with the answers. In order to understand your symptoms and be able to communicate them clearly to your healthcare provider, it may help to gather your personal medical records in one place and review your history.
Prepare for meetings with your practitioner as you would for an important meeting at work.
Consider drafting questions and defining your immediate and longer-term goals before your visit. If you use spreadsheets or applications to record data, organize that data in a form that you can easily access and share – print it out or download it to your laptop or smartphone. Be ready to present this information succinctly to your provider; a good CEO always comes prepared!
2. Get Educated
The phrase “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” long predates the digital age. As an innovative CEO, staying up to date with new technology can hugely expand the reach of your available resources. From apps for your cell phone to wireless devices you can wear, an abundance of digital health tools are now accessible to help you understand and track your symptoms, collect data, analyze your progress and personalize your care. I have a compiled a list of these tools in my patient guide for you to explore – it’s part of your job to do the research and decide which of these resources may be most beneficial for you.
3. Get Assertive
As head honcho, one of your main responsibilities is advocating for yourself.
When it comes to your personal health and needs, it is good to be assertive. Especially when selecting care providers – it is crucial to find the right team players, who are willing and ready to follow your lead and listen to you and your body. Being a strong leader is a key step in ensuring that you get the best care possible. Show them who’s boss!
4. Get Experimental
Keep in mind that one size does not fit all when it comes to achieving your personal best health. There is ample room for personalizing your own care. Often the only way to truly know what works for you, and what doesn’t, is to get experimental with different lifestyle modifications and self-care practices.
Whether it’s modifying your diet, shifting your sleep schedule, adjusting your exercise routine, or adding movement therapy practices, a good place to start is to set specific goals, test them out for a week, and then modify and repeat until you get the results you’re after.
5. Get Collaborative
No need to stress about this promotion – being the one in charge of your health does not mean you are alone in this effort. You may find support not only from your providers, family, and friends, but also from patient communities nearby or online. So when in doubt, remember to get collaborative. We are all business partners in this journey!
For more tools for taking charge of your own health (useful checklists, interactive exercises, and more) – download a full copy of my patient guide “How to Achieve Your Optimal Wellbeing”, here .
Let us know what works, or doesn’t, for you!