Take Care of Yourself

Maintenance & Prevention

There are many ways to maintain health. This includes not only good nutrition and exercise, but also adequate rest, avoidance of drugs and alcohol, healthy sex, and living safely—wearing seat belts and bicycle helmets and observing the speed limit and other traffic laws.

Maintenance also includes other not-so-obvious aspects, such as managing stress, cultivating a spiritual connection, using good communication skills, managing finances, and helping preserve the environment (water and air quality), to mention a few. All these components are important in creating a lifestyle balance that results in a happier and longer life.

Recognizing Symptoms

Recognizing symptoms means being tuned in to your body and mind and realizing when something is out of balance.

Treatment

It is also important to recognize how best to deal with the symptoms:

• Should you modify your lifestyle or adopt some self-care practices? For example, you might decide to take a break and do some deep breathing to relieve stress that is causing a headache.
• Should you self-medicate—take over-the-counter medicines to relieve your medical conditions or symptoms? For example, you might decide to take analgesics for a headache.
• Is it best to seek medical attention? For example, you might decide it is time to see a healthcare provider about reoccurring migraine headaches.

Questions such as these lead to the efficient and appropriate use of medical services and to more informed healthcare decisions. You should know when and how to treat yourself at home or when to see a health professional. You should know when it is a real medical emergency.