This Woman's month, Discovery Vitality's Dr Mosima Mabunda shares how a treat might be just the trick your mind and body need to get your regular cancer screening checks done and dusted.
When's the last time you did your essential cancer screening checks? Here are four reasons to make an appointment with your doctor today.
Screening for cancer can help:
- Find cancer early enough when it is easier to treat
- Find cancer early enough when it is easier to treat
- Which may mean less treatment
- And a better chance of survival if the cancer is detected early
- Plus, fewer things to worry about if your results are normal.
Not reaching for the phone just yet? Discovery Vitality's Head of Wellness Dr Mosima Mabunda shares the one trick that helps her make healthier choices daily ...
How to trick your mind into doing what's right
Dr Mabunda says: "Isn't it strange how we constantly have to trick our brains into completing tasks that are actually good for us in the long run? Like ordering in for the third night in a row instead of using those fresh vegetables sitting in the fridge to cook a nutritious home-cooked dinner? Or skipping a gynae appointment because, hey, there's nothing wrong with me so why spend the money?"
How do you cross that hurdle in your mind?
Dr Mabunda explains: "Science tells us that it would be less 'painful' to do the right thing if you combine the task with something you enjoy. Wharton Professor Katy Milkman calls it 'temptation bundling', a strategy designed to get us to do the things that we're not so excited about."
A passionate advocate for behavioural change, Dr Mabunda decided to put the theory of temptation bundling into practice. "This year, I booked a spa session directly after my mammogram and pap smear. Bundling a potentially life-saving health screening with a treat can help you build healthy long-term habits. And I can tell you it works because instead of dreading the appointments, I'm looking forward to getting them over and done with so I can get to the business of enjoying my reward."
So, when you book your pap smear and mammogram today, make sure to combine it with something you enjoy like a relaxing spa day, a delicious lunch at a beautiful café, or a weekday trip to a place that brings you joy. Plus, Vitality members can earn 2,500 Vitality points a year for a pap smear and Vitality members over 40 can earn 2,500 for a mammogram. Now that's another reason to get your cancer screenings done this Women's Month.
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