The Importance Of Health Check Ups

We all know the importance of health check-ups, on a practical level, yet we often put these off.  Some people may view this as extreme as ‘self sabotage’ though in reality, the reason people put essential health check-ups off tends to be due to the fear of finding out something they feel they would be unable to handle.

In this sense, many people would prefer to live in a state of fear and anxiety over what something might be rather than have their worst fears confirmed by undergoing a health check-up. 

In doing this, however it’s essentially like burying your head in the sand, and the problem with this approach is that a) it will cause more anxiety than is necessary, and b) you aren’t in the empowered position to address any health issue that may be present. 

In a moment we’ll look at these two factors, but remember this isn’t just about big issues such as cancer check-ups or STI tests… it can be just as relevant to smaller check ups such as eye tests and hearing tests, which really aren’t anything to worry about, as gone are the days of having to wear large hearing aids that can make people feel embarrassed.  You can learn more about the different styles of hearing aids here.  

Getting different tests can also improve your quality of life, as you learn more about yourself and how you can better meet your needs. For example, you may be eating foods that you are actually allergic to or intolerant to, which is bad for your overall health, can cause both short term and long term problems and increase your anxiety, which is why, with this example, it is a good idea to get expert allergy treatments. In any case of doubt about your health, it is best to see an expert and put that anxiety to rest once and for all.

In truth, the best way to deal with your health is through preventative medicine, which could be as simple as ensuring you get plenty of exercise, fresh air, hydration and nutrients.  Yet, no matter what we do, holistically, we are all mortal meaning at some point we are going to face a challenging health situation that scares us. 

Now, let’s go back to the challenges people face when burying their head in the sand and avoiding getting a health check-up. 

The first issue is that this approach will cause more anxiety than is necessary as it will niggle in the back of your mind, constantly there, draining your energy, until it is addressed.  It’s akin to flipping over a stone; you are so worried about what may be under there you don’t want to flip the stone over, but it’s only when you pluck up the courage to turn the stone over that you know whether there’s anything to be worried about. 

In this sense, people are often fearing the state of fear itself.  The truth is, human beings are very resilient and you have reservoirs of personal power within you that mean you can deal with all manner of circumstances - yet, we prefer to put things off, as we get ourselves in a state of fear.   

It’s the fear, itself, that is the problem - not the thing we fear. 

The more we fear things, the less action we tend to take, and as such the more anxiety we feel in response to this state of procrastination.  When it comes to health concerns, they can keep us up at night as we are fearing the worst.   

A much better approach is to investigate the fear, see the situation for what it is, rather than what it might not be, and be in the empowered position to address it.  The same is true for people that are in debt, and fear opening their mail due to the possibility of it being really bad news from a debt collector. 

It’s only when you start to take action that you can break free from fear, and start to resolve situations.  It’s therefore imperative to realise that, often, when people are not getting health check-ups it’s because they are stuck in a state of fear… yet, all the need to do is take the necessary action and the fear will dissolve. 

The second aspect, mentioned above, is that burying your head in the sand means you’re not in the empowered position to tackle the health condition (should there be one).  We all know, on an intellectual level that early diagnosis leads to a much better prognosis, yet people will drag their feet all the way to the doctor’s surgery in fear of getting bad news. 

The truth is, the longer you leave it, the worse a condition is likely to get - therefore, pull yourself out of fear and put yourself into action.  Get it checked up, work out what it is you’re dealing with, and then get the support you require. 

In conclusion, it’s much better to address health concerns by getting health check ups rather than leave them lingering.  After all, you might be worried about nothing - wasting all that emotional energy, presuming the worst, when in fact, there was nothing to fear other than the fear of fear itself. 

If this resonates with you, you might want to read the book “Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway”.