How to take back control of your mental and physical health

What a year these past 12 months have been.

A pandemic, new financial concerns, home schooling, changes at work, social distancing, those darn masks — along with all our normal stressors — have really changed our perspective on life.

In my role as a family physician, I am seeing more patients with a higher acuity of health problems. It appears to be driven by the fear of the unknown that surrounds us.

By giving into fear, we can easily lose control of what needs to be done. By empowering ourselves, we gain that control back.

So, let’s take back control and reflect on what is truly important in our lives, starting with our mental and physical health. Grab your phone, a pen and some paper and let’s make this happen now.

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Missed or delayed medical appointments? This needs to be a top priority. I always tell my patients there is nothing wrong with being selfish when it comes to your own health.

If you canceled your mammogram, delayed your colonoscopy or have chosen to wait to see your doctor, there is no better time than now to call your physician and reschedule that appointment or missed procedure.

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Next, a healthy diet is a great way to feel better both mentally and physically. Go look in your kitchen and write down how many fruits and vegetables you see.

Your goal should be to eat five to nine servings per day. If you don’t eat this many, that’s OK. We can start by writing out a grocery list and making that our priority.

Fruits and vegetables will help increase your energy and improve your mood, making it easier to manage through these challenging times.

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Exercise is so important to your mental and physical health. If you have concerns about starting an exercise program, call your physician and schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns.

Once you are cleared to begin, you can use the pen and paper to schedule 30 minutes a day, five days a week – that’s just two-and-a-half of the 168 hours in a week. Easy, right?

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Finally, write down the things that you enjoy, things that make you happy, things that make you laugh and then empower yourself to make them happen.

Michael Spellacy, D.O., is a family physician with UPMC Hamot Primary Care Partners.