Question of the Day: How Often Do You See a Doctor?

January 08, 2026

How often do you see a doctor?

This Question of the Day sounds practical, maybe even boring, until you sit with it for a minute. Then it starts to feel personal.

My answer is not often enough.

I grew up in the walk it off generation. You only went to the doctor if something was clearly wrong. Broken bones. Blood. Fever that would not quit. Everything else was handled with grit, Motrin, and pretending it would resolve itself if ignored long enough.

That mindset gets baked in early. It feels responsible. Tough. Self sufficient.

And it sticks around long after it stops being helpful.

The strange thing is, most of us know better now. We know preventative care matters. We know early detection saves time, money, and stress. We know our bodies are not indestructible. And still, many of us avoid appointments until pain forces our hand.

This Question of the Day is not really about doctors. It is about permission. Permission to admit that your body deserves attention. Permission to accept that pushing through is not always strength. Permission to update habits that made sense once but quietly outlived their usefulness.

There is a bigger reflection that pairs this Question of the Day with today’s Thought of the Day about change and identity. You can read the full combined post Thought of the Day and Question of the Day: Walking It Off, Even When You Shouldn’t.

If this question made you uncomfortable, that might be the point.

You do not have to overhaul your life today. But noticing where you are still walking it off when you should not be is a start.

You can explore more prompts like this in the Question of the Day archive, or have them arrive each morning by joining the daily newsletter here.

Sometimes the most important questions are the ones we keep postponing.