5 Things You Must Do to Prioritise Your Health
Every year, World Health Day reminds us that health is everything. Yet somehow, many of us treat it like an afterthought until it’s too late. As the world marks the World Health Day, 2025, today the theme this year, Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Future, goes beyond raising awareness, it is a reminder for conscious efforts to safeguard our well-being.
In the rush of daily life, health is often the first casualty. We shortchange ourselves by skipping meals, pushing through stress, and ignoring early signs that something might be wrong. The demands from work, family, and society don’t make it any easier. It feels almost normal to wear exhaustion like a badge of honor. But beneath the surface, the body keeps score, and eventually, it demands a price we can’t negotiate.
If you’ve ever found yourself brushing off chest pain as “probably just stress” or skipping meals because “there’s no time,” this is your cue to pause. Health is is a state of complete physical, mental, and emotional balance, and it needs deliberate, daily effort.
Here are five things you must start doing today:
1. Go for Regular Checkups
Most people only see a doctor after a breakdown. We manage symptoms, self-medicate, and hope for the best. Regular checkups help detect potential issues early, sometimes before symptoms even show. A routine blood test, blood pressure reading, or simple screening could be the difference between catching a problem early and fighting a late-stage battle. Don't wait for your body to scream before you listen.
2. Prioritise Rest
Rest may sometimes feel like a luxury, especially when you go about listening to motivational speakers who tell you to work yourself to exhaustion, minimal sleep if you want to be great in life. But, reality check, rest isn’t. It’s a necessity. Sleep heals, rebuilds, and resets your body. Even short breaks during the day can reduce your stress levels. If you don’t make time to rest, your body will eventually force you to in ways you won’t like.
3. Eat Healthy, Not Just When It's Convenient
Fast food and skipped breakfasts may seem harmless now, but the long-term effects can be brutal. Eating healthy is about fueling your body with the nutrients it needs to function well. Think colors on your plate—fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains. Your future self will thank you.
4. Move Your Body Daily
You don't need a fancy gym membership to stay active. A brisk walk, a 10-minute home workout, or even dancing around your room counts. Movement improves circulation, boosts mood, strengthens your heart, and keeps your body agile. Find what you enjoy and stick with it.
5. Manage Stress Before It Manages You
Stress shows up physically too, leading to high blood pressure, headaches, digestive issues, and more. Find healthy outlets for stress: journaling, therapy, prayer, meditation, a hobby you love. Protect your peace like your life depends on it, because it does.
Health is a long game. It’s not built in crisis moments, it is in the small, everyday choices we make. This World Health Day, choose yourself, not just for today, but for every day after.
