The Power of Prevention To Improve Your Health

Smart prevention: Simple steps to avoid costly mistakes and stay healthy

Ever heard the saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure?” It’s so true. In a nutshell, it means that the emotional and physical toll of dealing with certain kinds of chaos—like injury, accident or illness—is far more than it would cost you to simply take measures to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here are some easy ways you can head disaster off at the pass and keep life running smoothly along. 

The number one rule of prevention applies to your overall health: Get check-ups early and often. When it comes to potentially fatal conditions like cancer, early detection can sometimes literally be life or death. That’s why it’s so important to be diligent about scheduling regular pap smears, skin screenings, prostate exams, mammograms and colonoscopies. They can alert you when something is really wrong and needs attention ASAP. Staying on top of these appointments will pay off in dividends and keep your health going strong.

While you’re practicing prevention, don’t forget to stay far away from the habits that can put your health in major jeopardy. Quitting smoking—even the occasional social cigarette—can save you from a world of trouble. You’ll avoid costly dental bills, throat troubles and minimize the threat of lung cancer. Sounds like a no-brainer. 

Next up is dental care—because teeth are expensive. Extractions, cavities and root canals are costly and can be a huge drain on your pocket book, just to name a few things that can go wrong in your mouth. Skipping your annual cleaning? Not so fast. Lax about flossing? Don’t be. Another great saying goes “Only floss the ones you want to keep.” A simple but effective reminder to invest a few minutes each night getting the food unstuck from your teeth to keep those teeth from rotting out of your head.  

Another important preventative measure in life is practicing safe sex—by using condoms, birth control and IUDs—to make sure you’re not in a position to deal with an unwanted pregnancy or STDs. Just evaluate the cost of raising a child against a box of condoms and the choice is pretty easy. 

Finally, make sure you’re covered in case of an unwanted and unexpected disaster. Insurance doesn’t just apply to health—although that’s obviously super important, too. Since your home is your safe space (and the place you keep all your valuables), rental or homeowner’s insurance keeps you in good hands in the event of water damage, theft, and even fire. Pet insurance is also a smart thing to have in the event that your furry bestie contracts a serious illness, breaks a bone or has an accident. For a nominal fee a month, you could save on a surgery that might cost thousands. 

The bottom line is that when you take extra steps to prevent the worst from happening, you save yourself time, money and heartache. That’s why we think prevention is such a powerful tool—one that will keep you three steps ahead of disaster and one step closer to a worry-free life. 

Elle Kensington is a lifestyle writer based in NYC.