Your proactive health plan

Topics …

• 10.1 Making a proactive plan
• 10.2 Tracking your progress
• 10.3 Technology for tracking

10.1    Making a proactive plan

Making a proactive health plan can make a significant difference to your success in adopting healthy habits and the benefits you will derive. The plan needs to set out what areas of proactivity you intend to focus on and exactly what you intend to do.

You may want to do your plan on an Excel spreadsheet so that you can include the starting date and a column for each day of the month so you can keep track of how well you are progressing. Ideally, each day you will put a tick or a cross against every step that you have decided to embark on. Remember, don’t overdo it when you start.

Proactivity focus	Details of what I am going to do	How often	Day 1
Deep breathing – see section 6.3 Breathing	I breathe deeply [in for 4 seconds; hold for 4; out for 4; and hold again for 4] and do it for 1-2 minutes whenever I need a deep breathing boost. The trigger to remind me to do this is … [e.g. when I start to lose concentration OR when I feel tense or under stress OR when I don’t feel happy, etc]	Multiple times throughout the day
Diet & nutrition – see section 2 Diet/Nutrition	I eat a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains by adding …. [state specifically what foods you are going to add to your diet]	Daily
	I limit sugar intake, processed foods and salt [be specific what you are going to reduce or eliminate from your diet]	Daily
	I boost my microbiome with probiotic and prebiotic foods [state the specific foods e.g. fermented foods – yoghurt, sauerkraut, etc]	Daily
Exercise – see section 3 Physical Activity	I do 30 minutes of … [e.g. brisk walking] twice per week before breakfast	Tuesday & Friday
	I swim for 30 minutes once per week	Saturday
	I do weights [or use resistance bands] to preserve muscle twice per week	Monday & Thursday
	I do balance exercises (e.g. tai chi, yoga) twice per week	Saturday Wednesday
	I play tennis [or golf, etc] once per week	Sunday
	I do a minimum of 10,000 steps every day	Daily
Medications	I check for interactions or side effects with GP or pharmacist if there are any changes in the way I feel and for any new drug	Insert date
Mental health	I stay mentally active by … (e.g. puzzles, reading) See section 4.2	Daily
	I learn … [e.g. about the 100 years war OR a new language OR a musical instrument]	Daily
	I work on brain health [specify what you are going to do] See cognitive training section 4.2	Insert when
	I work on being positive See section 5.2	Insert when
	I take part in a purposeful activity [ e.g. volunteering or a project such as renovating part of your garden] See section 4.2	Insert date
Mindfulness – see section 5.3 Mindfulness	I engage in mindfulness regularly during each day. The trigger to remind me to do this is … [when I daydream OR when I find my posture is poor OR when I lose concentration OR when I walk through a doorway OR … etc]	Multiple times per day
Screenings & check-ups	Blood test including PSA and blood sugar; Colonoscopy; Mammogram; Skin cancer check; Eye test; Bone density scan, etc	Insert dates (month and year) for each one
Sleep hygiene – see section 6.1 Sleep	I go to bed at 10pm and get up at 6:30am	Each day
	No screens 1 hour before bed	Each day
	Address snoring or sleep apnoea with GP	Insert date
Social connections	I join a community group or interest-based club [be specific about what and when]	Insert date
	I stay engaged with friends and family, or community groups [be specific about what you are going to do and when] See section 4.2	Weekly or monthly
Symptoms & early warning signs	I monitor changes to the way I feel and keep a written record of any signs that I think are unusual. See section 7.2	Ongoing
Vaccinations – see section 6.8 Vaccinations	I get an annual flu and pneumonia shot; I get a Covid 19 booster	Insert date for each one
Other	This is for other issues that may be important for you

10.2    Track your progress

If you want to track the effect that your new proactive health practices have on different aspects of your health, here is a simple way to do it. Most of the health indicators can be scored 1-10, but not all, which is why there is a separate column for notes. For example, in relation to digestion, you may want to note whether you’ve had any bloating or discomfort and the type of meal that caused it. In relation to weight, you may not want to record it daily – weekly is fine. Week 0 is for scoring how you feel before you start.

Health indicator	Week 0	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6	Notes
Energy
Digestion
Mobility
Mood
Sickness
Sleep
Weight
Wellbeing

10.3    Technology and tools for tracking

Cognitive apps can track memory, attention and mood. They can offer useful insights over time. Further reading: BrainTrack by Dementia Australia.