Have you ever thought about how attending your seemingly routine medical check-ups can be one of the best forms of self-care and self-love there is? This is a concept that never crossed my mind, until one of these seemingly routine checks ended up possibly saving my life.

You’ve maybe heard this before, but self-care is self-love. And what better time to love yourself than around Valentine’s Day! Did you know that attending your regular medical check-ups is self-care? Think about it. What better way to love yourself than to take care of yourself?

I know how easy it is to put off those routine appointments. You feel fine, you are too busy, there’s nothing wrong, the excuses can be a mile long. Despite how busy our lives can be, those visits are important in keeping us our healthiest. So, show yourself love by going to those necessary routine wellness checks! Your body will thank you later.

I was one of those who comes up with all of the excuses. I feel fine, I eat healthy, I exercise, so why do I need to go in? Well, just this past month I had an eye-opening experience during one of my routine appointments.

My primary has been telling me for a few years that I should see a dermatologist for a routine skin check. I have a lot of moles, and it would be good to keep an eye on them. I kept putting it off and putting it off, but this year I finally went in.

While I was there, my doctor found a spot on my back that was suspicious. She did a biopsy of the spot that day to make sure nothing more was going on. The mole was pre-cancerous, and she wanted me to come in for further removal of tissue around that area. By finding this spot and going through the necessary procedures to resolve it, I have saved myself and my body from a whole lot of future issues that may have come from it.

When I attended this routine medical visit, I showed myself the best type of self-love there is by taking care of my body. What better form of self-love was there for me than taking the time to go in for my routine appointment, in which something was actually found! I showed myself love by going to that appointment and possibly saved myself from further health problems.

Keeping yourself healthy is the biggest form of self-love and self-care there is. It should seem obvious that attending your recommended routine check-ups should be a normal part of self-care, but with our busy lives, it is so easy to put them off. I’m here to say, don’t!

Take care of yourself and your body by attending those seemingly routine medical visits. It really is the best kind of self-love.