5 steps to building new, healthier habits
When you have high blood pressure, your goal is to minimize the impact it has on your long-term health. In short, you want to live a long time—and feel great every step of the way.
But sometimes, that seems easier said than done. Maybe you forget to take your medication, or get bored with your new diet. “Change is difficult,” says Noreen Clark, PhD, director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Managing Chronic Disease. “That’s why knowing what to do isn’t enough. You need a strategy for getting yourself to do it.”
So here it is—5 simple steps for turning your doctor’s advice into action:
Get Organized
Chances are, your treatment plan isn’t just one thing—it is a laundry list of changes. This may include taking medications, making healthier diet choices, losing weight, getting more exercise and reducing stress.
“Managing high pressure begins with making some key lifestyle changes and continuing them--even if your doctor prescribes medications to help lower your blood pressure,” says Simeon Margolis, MD, PhD, at Johns Hopkins.
So, when your physician rattles off all of your to-dos, the first step is to write out a list of all those recommendations. This will make sure you are completely clear on everything your doctor wants you to do.
Remember, this is just the first of many conversations and doctor’s visits you will have to manage your high blood pressure. Preparing for each visit, and staying organized in between, will make it much easier to start and fine-tune your treatment plan. For tips, see High Blood Pressure: Make Doctor Visits Count.
Choose One Change
Change requires time and energy—especially if you want it to stick. That’s why we recommend choosing one area of your treatment plan to focus on first. Channeling all of your efforts in one direction will give you a much better chance at success. For instance, in addition to taking medication, your doctor may want you to quit smoking, get more exercise and cut down on salt. Pick just one of these recommendations to focus on and set the others aside for now. After you’ve accomplished one, you can move on to the next.
Make sure you ask your doctor which change to begin with, since some (like taking medication and quitting smoking) will produce results more quickly than others.