I met Ramesh after a long time and enquired about his well-being. He informed me that he had cataract surgery for his right eye. He was very excited about the great improvement in his vision. The ophthalmologist advised him to get the left eye cataract surgery after 4 months, but Ramesh felt it was unnecessary since he could see very well. He was even contemplating not getting it done at all.
Like Ramesh, you may be tempted to defer health and well-being decisions without understanding the consequences. Let us look at a few common reasons why you may procrastinate on health and well-being.
Reasons Why You May Defer Your Health and Well-being Decisions:
- You search the internet and seek to know about your symptoms. There is too much information overload and that confuses you!
- Your fear of surgical procedures and potential complications. This may be because you have heard of such experiences from someone.
- The fear of the unknown, potential pain and discomfort it would cause, or a fear of diagnosis may make you defer a decision.
- You need to adopt some lifestyle changes but doubt your ability to make these positive changes.
- You do not have family or friends to provide emotional or physical support while undergoing the treatment.
- You are not covered under health insurance or do not have sufficient resources to meet the cost of healthcare, treatments, or lifestyle changes.
- Your busy schedules and competing priorities leave little time for health-related matters.
- You may not be aware of the importance of preventive care or the consequences of delaying decisions.
- Believing that you will not encounter negative health outcomes.
- Someone has suggested that you explore non-surgical options or rely on traditional remedies before considering surgery. Often, social media contributes to such suggestions.
What is your fear? It is essential to reflect on what is making you procrastinate to act on the doctor’s advice. Understand the consequences of deferring a health-related decision.Â
It is good to make a well-informed decision but remember that time plays a crucial role in health matters.
Let us Look at Some Common Health Issues:
Some of the most common health issues affecting people are Obesity, Diabetes, Mental health, High Blood pressure, Cataract, etc. Let us understand a little about a few of these ailments.
Obesity
Obesity is a problem in current times. It is affecting all ages. The new age lifestyle that all have embraced effortlessly includes processed food, sitting hours with gadgets including the phone, and no exercise. Lifestyle changes are what it needs to get healthy and fit.
As per WHO, more than 1 billion people in the world are now living with obesity. Worldwide, obesity among adults has more than doubled since 1990, and has quadrupled among children and adolescents (5 to 19 years of age). The data also show that 43% of adults were overweight in 2022.
Diabetes
Are you a diabetic? This is one of the most common questions asked when you visit a doctor or hospital for any ailment. Over 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which is driven by socio-economic, demographic, environmental, and genetic factors. The key contributors to the rise in type 2 diabetes include decreasing levels of physical activity and increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. Stress and lifestyle disorders also add to the problem.
As per the International Diabetic Federation (IDF), in 2021 worldwide there were approximately 537 million adults (20-79 years) living with diabetes. The total number of people living with diabetes is projected to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045.
It is possible to reduce the impact of diabetes by taking preventive measures for type 2 diabetes and providing early diagnosis and proper care for all types of diabetes.
Mental health
One out of every two people in the world will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime, according to a large-scale study co-led by researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of Queensland. The findings are based on structured, face-to-face surveys of more than 150,000 adults across 29 countries of varying wealth from all of the regions of the world. The results were published in September 2023 in The Lancet Psychiatry.
We see too many people prefer to be by themselves. When they have problems they go into a shell, they don’t want to face people. Husbands don’t discuss office problems with wives or vice versa. They suffer all their problems by themselves. Sometimes, family members refuse to accept that something is not fine with kids, especially those in their teens. Do you see mental health as a taboo? It is just like any illness and needs to be addressed. If treated, you can be fine.
Mental health problems may also occur when parents are too busy with their careers and have no time or energy to spend quality time with family. Despite all the connections on social media, there are no real connections. Loneliness is a killer of joy. Don’t all human beings need love and affection?
Open communication within the family where members feel safe to confide in each other and get emotional support, will help to improve mental health.
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Tips To Start Making Health and Well-Being Decisions:
When it comes to your health, make it your priority. Do not defer acting on the doctor’s advice, it may land you into emergency life-and-death situations. You surely do not want to face such a situation and put your family in a problem.
- Take insurance to cover medical expenses. Save money for health issues It may not be needed, but you have the comfort that if you are not well, you can get treatment done. If you put off your hernia, kidney stone, or any surgery because it is not troubling you, it can become an emergency and cost, you more in terms of both money as well as risk to life.
- If the doctor has advised you to go for walks, start. Don’t wait for a perfect time or day to start your walk. Don’t walk with the thought you are doing it because the doctor advised you, to do it. After all, it is good for you. Go out and enjoy nature, you will start enjoying your walk and making time for it. Adopting a new habit or lifestyle change requires consistent and sustained efforts. Willpower and perseverance are key to working the magical change.
- Being hesitant about surgery and delaying necessary procedures can sometimes lead to complications. It’s crucial to be thoroughly aware of the risks of deferring surgeries. Consult a doctor for personalized advice to discuss healthcare and well-being issues. If you are not convinced with one doctor, take a second opinion. Please do not neglect them.
- Procrastinating health and well-being decisions in younger days could lead to complications or incapacitation as you age. Do you want to be confined to your room or bed because you neglected to lose weight or did not take care of your bone health? Leading a healthy lifestyle makes life enjoyable.
- Make time for your family members. Observe your children/friends and see if they need help to open-up to someone. Mental Health is not a taboo. There is nothing to hide, seek help. It needs to be treated and cured.
- Lastly, excess of everything leads to problems. Do you love junk food? If yes, start by reducing the number of times you have it in a week. If you love your phone and social media that keeps you awake, slash the time you spend on it so that you sleep well and exercise. It is easier to let go of the wrong things once you identify them, start working on them, and experience the difference in your life. Moderation in everything brings in a balanced lifestyle.
Are you still contemplating deferring a decision regarding your health decision or changing your lifestyle?
Let your health and well-being be your priority so that you may live life to the fullest!
Make your decisions so that there is no room for regret later.
