Are you looking for a New Year’s resolution that is totally attainable? Resolve to become your own health advocate in 2024!
At LC Medical & Support, we have made it our goal to provide services that promote individual health, especially in the younger portion of our population. Through education, health services, and support, we do just that. Our goal is to inspire and equip people to become their own health advocate.
What Does Becoming Your Own Health Advocate Mean?
The word, “advocate” can be synonymous with the word “supporter.” A health advocate is a person who supports and promotes the health of a specific person or people. At LC Medical, we advocate for your health as soon as you walk through our doors. We love to support and aid the health journeys of our patients. But our goal is to show patients that the most important health advocate they can have is themselves. It is completely possible (and often necessary) to become the one who speaks on behalf of your own health and safety.
Why is This Important?
In a world with so many different voices and opinions, it can be very difficult to figure out who to trust. At LC Medical, we know that this is also true from a healthcare standpoint. You need to stay alert and educated as you navigate your health decisions. Unfortunately, there are individuals and organizations who claim to value your health, yet do the exact opposite. Becoming your own health advocate can help you stay careful and safe. This is especially important to remember when you interact with those who financially profit from your medical decisions.
Becoming your own health advocate means that you are in charge of making the healthiest decisions for your life. It means that you have committed to protecting you and those you care about. It may sound daunting, but we’re challenging you to make it your New Year’s resolution! Here are 5 steps to becoming your own health advocate in 2024:
#1 Evaluate Your Ambitions
Knowing where you want to go is crucial in figuring out how to get there! Visualizing your goals is a big step in becoming your own health advocate this year. We say this because your health often has a large impact on your life. Being motivated by your dreams and ambitions can make prioritizing your health a lot easier.
This involves taking the time to think about what you really want out of life. Sit down, grab a piece of paper, and start thinking about some goals you have for yourself this year, then 5 years from now, and finally some lifetime goals. Just a simple exercise like this can help you determine what decisions need to be made about your health.
#2 Protect All Areas of Your Health
Becoming your own health advocate means that you are taking up the challenge of becoming healthy in every area of your life. This means more than just eating veggies and running on the treadmill; overall health is more complicated than that. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
When you are committed to keeping your health protected, you must acknowledge your physical, emotional, intellectual, social, financial, relational, and spiritual health. Ask yourself how you are doing in each of those areas. Find ways to grow in all of them. Surround yourself with friends who are also choosing to make healthy choices in these areas. Be honest about habits or lifestyle choices that could be unhealthy for your future. Often this can become uncomfortable because we don’t often want to make the healthiest choice all the time. But the more you choose health, the easier those decisions become. Trust us.
#3 Speak to Yourself Kindly
Let this be the year that you commit to speaking to yourself in an uplifting way. Becoming your own health advocate means recognizing that you are deserving of good health. Unfortunately, not every message you’ll hear this year is going to be helpful or positive. Take it upon yourself to be your #1 cheerleader in 2024!
Remind yourself that it is okay to ask for help.
Maintain a healthy body image and work to become confident in your own skin.
Give yourself compliments when you wake up in the morning!
Don’t let the negative words of others stick in your mind.
#4 Know Your Resources
A large responsibility that comes with becoming your own health advocate is knowing the help that is offered to you. Stay up to date on the resources that are around you. These can be health clinics (like us), educational materials, community events, and organizations dedicated to providing helpful services.
The good news is that many resources like these are completely free, and we can help you find them! LC Medical is part of a non-profit organization that has been offering free health services and information for over 36 years. In that time, we have collected so much information that can help you find the resources you need!
#5 Do Your Research
This step may be the most important one in the list. Good research is absolutely necessary if you are making your own health decisions. Be very thorough when researching healthcare centers, health procedures, and medical prescriptions. Make sure that you are getting your information from unbiased and verified sources. It is also important to take note of your own beliefs and emotions as you are making your health decisions. Do not substitute your own feelings or desires for the facts.
Your safety is so important to us, and we want you to know that here at LC Medical, we care about you. We care about your future and your well-being. It is our goal to give you trustworthy information and helpful services so you can become your own health advocate!