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What is Self-Check?
Sounds like it could be another set of promises to make and not keep. As I have written before, maybe you already know that 92% of New Year’s resolutions fail, 80% of them failing by mid-February, and 64% of us making the same resolutions over and over again every year. Same 5 lbs. every year or whatever it may be for you.
On the one hand, that should make February, National Self-Check Month, a great time to check in on how we are doing. On the other hand, who are we kidding, given all the broken promises already made? Why wouldn’t self-check become just another set of those?
Those broken promises are expensive because there is something about not being able to count on ourselves that shapes our lives. For one thing, it is harder to leap beyond our comfort zones to reach for something new and amazing when we are not even sure we can count on ourselves to see things through.
So what is self-check? And how can it help? Let’s hear it from Joan Peckolick, who founded the non-profit, Self Chec:
…using emotional connections to help save precious lives by raising awareness of the importance of early detection and preventative actions that help keep us healthy from cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity; chronic diseases that often, unnecessarily take the lives of some of our loved ones much too early.
Peckolick’s goal is to empower people to:
- Take control of their own health
- Reduce health risks that are often preventable or treatable
- Facilitate healthy habits and conversations
- Confront difficult health subjects for themselves and loved ones
Self-check is a little catchier than the self-care we hear so much about, but neither is all that new.
Socrates and Self-Check
Surprisingly, self-care dates back to Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher often regarded as the father of Western philosophy. While “self-care” may seem like a modern buzzword tied to bubble baths and mindfulness apps, Socrates had a much deeper perspective. He believed in the importance of knowing oneself, famously declaring, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”
For Socrates, self-care was not about indulgence but about cultivating a thoughtful and virtuous life. He encouraged individuals to nurture their inner world, reflect on their actions, and align their lives with higher principles of wisdom and goodness.
This ancient approach to self-care reminds us that taking care of ourselves goes beyond physical well-being—it’s also about tending to the mind and soul, something that resonates just as powerfully today as it did thousands of years ago—especially in such trying times for so many.
Although Peckolick’s emphasis appears more on physical health, she does emphasize the importance of our relationships in helping to keep us well, which is a point I would also like to expand upon.
The 3 Tips (Expanded)
Peckolick and National Day Calendar founded National Self-Check Month in 2018, with tips on how to observe:
- Do some exercise
Exercising is a great form of self-care. It is of absolute importance that people of different ages engage in some form of exercise.
- Maintain a healthy diet
Eat healthily. More than half of the illnesses that befall us can be prevented or controlled by simply eating healthy and maintaining a healthy diet.
- Share health concerns with family
When you have concerns regarding your health, particularly if you already live with a chronic illness, it serves you best to share these concerns with family (and your doctor too). Don’t keep it to yourself.
Numbers 1 and 2 speak for themselves, so it is number 3 that I would like to expand upon, i.e., inviting other people into our lives.
In “The Anti-Social Century,” Derek Thompson explores the deepening loneliness in American life, touching on findings from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s “Epidemic of Loneliness” report that links social isolation to serious health risks. Loneliness isn’t just an emotional struggle—it’s a physical one, too. Murthy points out that the health risks of chronic loneliness are as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Being socially disconnected is associated with higher risks of heart disease, stroke, and even premature death.
Thompson reflects on how the erosion of in-person connections—like fewer meals shared with friends or less time spent in community spaces—affects not only our emotional well-being but also our resilience and capacity to thrive. Studies show that people with strong social networks are more likely to live longer, handle stress better, and maintain cognitive health as they age.
Taking time to nurture relationships, whether through small gatherings, or simply reaching out to a friend, can act as a self-check for both your physical and emotional health. Connection isn’t just nice to have—it is essential to living well.
For help with this or something else, contact me at weissmadelaine@gmail.com
With love,
Madelaine
Photo by Freepik
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