Every January, a representative from my health insurance company calls to schedule my annual wellness visit. Hard to believe? I thought so too, but it’s true. The calls continue until I’m reached and make an appointment or decline the visit. A couple of years ago, two women wearing white coats and stethoscopes around their necks knocked on my front door. The reason: I had not scheduled my annual home visit. Let it be known that the wellness checkup is a really big deal.
Understanding the value of good health, I’ve participated in the wellness checkup a couple of times. Plus, the reward for doing so is a $50 gift card, and I think that’s a pretty big deal. A nurse practitioner conducts the exam, and when she was recently at my home, I asked why so much emphasis is placed on the in-home visit. She explained that during these visits, sometimes she can identify an indicator of an underlying health issue before it becomes a crisis. Some examples include high blood pressure or a heart rhythm that doesn’t sound quite right, as well as signs of depression and anxiety. After all, mental health is a big deal, too.
The nurse’s explanation definitely sold me on the importance of a wellness exam, but what about mental health? I haven’t received a call to schedule a mental health appointment. Maybe it’s too invasive, especially since people historically have considered a conversation about mental health to be taboo. Sadly, many have suffered in silence or were misunderstood and considered crazy. Fortunately, I believe this sentiment is shifting and that more people understand the importance of reaching out when you’re not quite feeling like yourself.
Do you check in with yourself regarding your mental health? Monitoring mental health is mostly an internal job. What I mean by that is you need to know your baseline and be able to recognize when you’re deviating from it. Your baseline is unique to you – only you know how you typically feel, your usual behaviors and daily routines and how you feel and respond when interacting with others.
Knowing your baseline is integral for the other part of the equation – deviating from it. Pay attention to changes in your typical sleep pattern, whether it’s too much or too little. Are you easily agitated and irritable? Is your behavior different when interacting with friends, family and colleagues, and are you withdrawing from the people who care about you? Has your best friend, spouse or a trusted family member asked recently if you’re OK? If you notice a couple of these signs and they’re lingering, this is when you know you’re deviating from your baseline. And, only you can determine if you have the coping skills to get back to baseline or if you need to talk with your physician.
Make a personal resolution this year to go the extra mile in caring for yourself by spending time in the quiet and assessing how you feel. Treat this like an appointment that recurs on a regular basis; put it on your calendar and be sure to show up for yourself. Learn what your baseline feels like so you’ll be to notice subtle changes. Sometimes mental health can change so gradually that it’s like walking with a small rock in your shoe. Initially, you notice the discomfort, but if you ignore it and push on through it can become an open wound and a crisis.
The resources provided by the National Alliance on Mental Health Illinois ( https://namiillinois.org/) have everything you can imagine to prepare you to make the most of your mental health appointments. On the home page there’s an orange box labeled “In Crisis.” If you’re feeling the need for professional help sooner than later, select that box you’ll be taken to a couple of crisis phone numbers. If anyone reading this article is feeling like the world would be better off without you, or maybe you know you’re reaching a breaking point, pick up your phone and call or text 988 to get help in seconds.
Even if nobody calls or knocks on your door to remind you, it’s still worth scheduling a weekly mental health checkup for yourself. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
This article appears in January 22 – 26, 2026.
