(Because Our Health Matters!)
Lately, I’ve been noticing something about myself. I can spend hours planning sessions, travelling to villages, talking to people, finishing reports… but when it comes to my own health, I keep saying, “I’ll check later.” Later never really comes, right?
The other day, one of the girls casually said, “Akka, my periods are very painful… but it’s normal only.”
I paused for a second, because I’ve said the same thing to myself so many times. We’ve all done this. Ignoring pain, ignoring irregular cycles, ignoring tiredness.
We adjust so much that we forget what normal even feels like.
A few months back, one of my colleagues found out she had low hemoglobin. She said she just felt “a little weak” for a long time and didn’t think it was a big deal. A simple blood test changed that. It made me think, how many things are we normalizing in our own bodies?
The Things We Don’t Talk About Enough
In the communities I work with, I hear words like PCOS more often now. But understanding? Not really. Sometimes it shows up as sudden weight gain, acne, or missed periods. And most of the time, the response is: “It will settle.”
Even I used to think like that. And endometriosis? Many don’t even know the name, but they know the pain. I’ve seen girls quietly sit through sessions, holding their stomach, thinking it’s something they just have to live with. But we don’t. Even a basic scan or test can give clarity. Not everything needs to be suffered through silently.
The Fear Around Tests
I used to feel a little scared hearing words like scan, test, screening. It somehow makes things feel “serious.” But now I’m starting to see it differently.
A Pap smear. A simple check.
It’s not about fear, it’s about knowing.
The same with breast health. Nobody teaches us properly, but even being aware of our own body, noticing small changes, that itself is a kind of care.
Small Habits, Big Impact
I’ll be honest there are days I skip meals, drink less water, and call it a “busy day.” Then I feel exhausted and wonder why.
We talk about bone health, diabetes, heart issues like they’re far away problems. But our everyday choices are quietly building towards them. Not in a dramatic way. Just slowly.
Like skipping that walk.
Or not stepping out in sunlight for days.
Or always saying “no time.”
The Quiet Topics
Sexual health is still something we hesitate to even mention. I’ve seen that hesitation everywhere, not just in villages, even among us. But the reality is, some infections don’t show any symptoms. And silence doesn’t protect us, awareness does.
Even asking one question, or getting one test done, can make a difference.
And Then… There’s Mental Health
Some days, I feel unusually low or irritated for no clear reason. Earlier, I would just ignore it. Now I try to ask myself, is it stress? Am I just tired? Or is my body trying to tell me something?
Because sometimes it’s not “just mood.” It could be burnout.
It could even be something physical like low vitamins or thyroid imbalance. We deserve to understand that too.
So Where Do We Start?
I’m not writing this as advice. I’m writing this as a reminder, to myself, and maybe to you. We don’t have to suddenly change everything.
Maybe it’s just booking that one test we’ve been postponing.
Or paying attention to one signal our body is giving.
Or simply not ignoring something that doesn’t feel right.
For me, I think I’ll start with a basic health check this week.
Not because something is wrong.
But because I don’t want to keep saying “later.”
What about you?
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