(And no, you don’t have to be a Type A human to make it work)
Let’s be real. Life is chaos, and healthcare? Even more so.
You’re juggling appointments, symptoms, weird side effects, insurance nonsense, and the occasional panic spiral — and somehow, you’re expected to remember everything when you sit down with your doctor?
Spoiler: You won’t.
That’s why you need a health journal. And no, not the cute kind with pastel stickers and quotes about self-care (unless that’s your thing — in which case, live your truth).
Why Bother?
A health journal = your healthcare superpower.
Why? Because your brain is busy surviving. It doesn’t have time to keep a flawless mental log of every ache, lab result, or new med.
When you actually track your health, even in the simplest way, you’ll:
✔ Spot patterns you didn’t realize were happening
✔ Get answers faster
✔ Advocate like an absolute badass
✔ Prove (with receipts) when something is working — or when it’s definitely not
✔ Stop leaving appointments thinking, “Dang, I forgot to mention that.”
What Should You Actually Write Down?
Not a novel. Not a memoir. Just the essentials:
- When symptoms started, how long they last, and what makes them better (or worse)
- Medications & supplements (what you’re taking, how much, any side effects)
- Test results and doctor notes
- Mental health check-ins (because stress does show up on your labs)
- Questions you want to bring up at your next visit
That’s it! Keep it simple, keep it real, keep it helpful.
Why Does This Matter?
You know that deer-in-the-headlights feeling when the doctor asks,
“So when did this start?”
and you realize you have no clue?
Tracking your health helps you avoid exactly that. It helps your doctors help you — faster, smarter, and with less trial-and-error. It’s like giving your future self a huge favor (and probably saving yourself a few co-pays along the way).
PS: I Made This Way Easier for You
Don’t want to DIY your health journal from scratch?
I got you.
✨ Grab my FREE Health History Template to help you organize all the basics. Get your Free Template Here!
✨ Or level up with the Symptom Tracker Bundle (only $11) — it includes a Symptom Tracker, Medication Tracker, and Doctor Visit Tracker all in one Google Sheet you can access anytime, anywhere. Get your Symptom Tracker Bundle Here!
Because here’s the deal:
The system may be a mess, but you don’t have to be.