Health diary

The best time to remember what you ate before feeling sick, or when that headache started, is when it happens – not three weeks later at the doctor's office.

A health diary is just what it sounds like: a place to jot down things related to your body and how you're feeling. It doesn't have to be complicated. A few notes in your regular diary can work fine.

What's worth tracking

Depends on what you're dealing with. Some ideas:

Symptoms and when they happen. Headaches, stomachaches, fatigue – note when they started and what you were doing. Patterns become obvious fast.
Food and reactions. If you suspect food sensitivities, tracking what you eat and how you feel afterward is the quickest way to figure it out.
Exercise. Not to obsess over it, but to notice: does working out help your mood? Your sleep? Your back pain?
Sleep. Quality matters more than quantity. A quick note about how you slept and how you felt the next day reveals a lot.
Medications. When you took them, and any side effects. Useful when adjusting prescriptions.

For doctor visits

Doctors have 15 minutes and a lot of questions. If you can pull up notes saying "The headaches started three weeks ago, usually in the afternoon, and they're worse when I skip lunch" – that's more useful than "I don't know, a few weeks maybe?"

For chronic conditions

If you're managing something ongoing – migraines, digestive issues, chronic pain – a health diary becomes essential. It's how you see what actually helps versus what you think helps. It's how you notice triggers. It's data instead of guessing.

Start simple. A few lines when something feels off. You don't need a system – you need consistency.