Tips for a Healthier 2026: Taking Responsibility for Your Health

I hope our community members have ushered in 2026 with positivity for the coming year. The new year is a time when we typically set resolutions or goals we’d like to meet. For many, health habits and lifestyle choices are on their lists.

Many of us are also guilty of setting goals that may not be completely realistic. For example, instead of saying we’re going to graduate from being a walker to a beginning runner, we go overboard and pronounce that a marathon is in our future. Or we might set up an unrealistic weight loss goal with no specific dietary changes laid out. This is a recipe for discouragement, and unfortunately the reason why many abandon their resolutions soon after making them.

I’m suggesting that this year, it’s worth outlining goals that are measurable, realistic, and most important of all, attainable. Why not set a goal of running for 20-30 minutes or eliminating frequent trips to the fast-food drive through? These are more achievable.

Now let’s consider broader health-related targets for 2026. Here are five tips to improve your health that are not only doable, but impactful.

1. Develop a relationship with your primary care provider

Your primary care provider is your consistent caregiver, and they should be someone you feel you trust and who keeps up well with your overall health. They do so much — you can turn to them when you have a nasty virus, they can refer you to a specialist, help you manage chronic conditions, understand your family and individual medical histories, and more.

Fostering an extended relationship with them means that they will be able to identify anything unusual that emerges with your health, assess and compare screening results over time, and advise you about different approaches to dealing with health issues. They are your long-term partner in care, so if you haven’t established a relationship with a primary care provider, set a goal to do this as soon as possible. If you already have one, be sure to mention any concerns you have about your health with them.

2. Schedule your annual wellness visit

Your yearly physical is a great opportunity. Not only is it a time when your physician can assess your overall health through many lenses, from checking your cholesterol and blood pressure to monitoring your A1C level and evaluating your weight. These numbers all greatly influence your health.

You can update your health history by talking about the past year, as well as discussing your current lifestyle choices. These include diet, physical activity, how you’re managing stress, if you need help with quitting smoking or managing your alcohol intake, sexual health issues and STD testing, and looking at what vaccines you might need.

Depending on your age and gender, your provider will also discuss whether you’re due for necessary screenings, like a mammogram, prostate exam, or colonoscopy.

3. Be diligent about scheduling health screenings

I just mentioned some of the most important screenings — mammograms and colonoscopies — so be sure that you’ve got your appointments made for any screenings you need after you’ve discussed this with your provider at your wellness exam.

These screenings are critical because they can catch cancers in their earliest stages, when they’re most treatable. Other screenings that are important include PSA tests for prostate cancer, bone density tests for osteoporosis, and lung cancer screenings if you have ever smoked.

4. Don't delay needed vaccines

Unfortunately, North Carolina has seen measles cases at this early part of the year. These and other diseases that are preventable through vaccines are making a comeback because people aren’t getting vaccinated.

It’s important to stay up to date with your children’s and your own vaccines. Depending on their age, adults should be mindful about getting their RSV, shingles, and pneumonia vaccines, and everyone should get their flu and Covid-19 yearly vaccines as well.

5. Tend to your mental health

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, but there’s still a stigma attached to seeking help. There is no shame in pursuing mental health services if you’re anxious, depressed, or noticing other signs of a mental health condition.

Getting the proper care helps you function fully at home and at work, and counseling, medication, and other resources are available to ease or eliminate symptoms.

Taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give to yourself — all year long.

I and every team member at Mission Hospital McDowell wishes you a happy, prosperous, and healthy 2026.