When you’re juggling work, family and everything in between, your own health tends to slide to the bottom of the list. The dentist appointment gets pushed back, the blood pressure check never happens, and “I’ll sort it next week” turns into a month. The good news is that looking after yourself doesn’t need a big overhaul. A few small habits, set up once, can take most of the effort out of it.
Put it in the diary like everything else
If it isn’t in the calendar, it won’t happen. Book your next dentist, optician or GP appointment before you leave the current one, and add it to the family calendar next to the school events and birthday parties.
If you’re aged 40 to 74 and don’t already have a heart or circulation condition, you should be invited for a free NHS Health Check every five years, which looks at your risk of conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. Most community pharmacies also offer free blood pressure checks to people aged 40 or over who don’t already have high blood pressure, and it only takes a few minutes while you’re collecting a prescription.
Move a little, often
The NHS recommends that adults aged 19 to 64 aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus strength exercises on two or more days. That sounds like a lot until you break it down. It works out at around 30 minutes on five days, and a brisk walk on the school run, a dance around the kitchen or a trip to the beach all count. The NHS also points out that exercising just once or twice a week can reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke, so there’s no need to feel you have to do it perfectly.
Make evenings calmer
Sleep is the one that often gets squeezed first. A simple wind-down routine helps: lights low, screens away a little earlier, something warm in a mug. If you like a cosy drink before bed, this review of a magnesium sleep drink for darker evenings might give you some ideas for building your own routine.
Make health admin easier
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t knowing what to do, it’s finding the time to do it. Getting a GP appointment around work and the school run can feel like one job too many, so lots of people now use online services for everyday health needs. DoktorABC is one option for adults, alongside platforms such as Livi, Push Doctor and Superdrug Online Doctor, which also offer remote consultations.
What sets DoktorABC apart is that, after an online assessment by a UK-registered prescriber, any prescribed treatment is dispensed by a regulated UK pharmacy and delivered in discreet packaging, so there’s no queue at the counter. It isn’t a replacement for your GP, who remains the right place for anything ongoing, complicated or urgent, but it can take the pressure off the smaller things.
Listen to your body, and mention it
It’s easy to put aches, tiredness or sleep problems down to “just being busy”. Hormonal changes in your 40s can add to all of this, and plenty of women don’t realise how many everyday niggles can be linked. If something keeps happening, or is getting in the way of daily life, it’s worth mentioning to your GP rather than waiting for it to go away.
Keep it flexible
Some weeks you’ll tick everything off, and some weeks the best you’ll manage is a glass of water and an early night. That’s fine. Start with one small change, such as booking that overdue appointment or fitting in two short walks, and build from there. Small and regular beats big and exhausting, and the best routine is the one you can keep up on a busy Tuesday.