Health Confidence - What is it?

Health Confidence is a very important part of health care. People who are very confident use less medical care and do much better than persons like them who are not as confident. So we all want to be as confident as we can be.

The creators and destroyers of health confidence are the same as the creators and destroyers of our confidence in how we live life.
The lower arrows in both diagrams list those things that we often have not chosen and are difficult to change. These can destroy our confidence.

• Social Connections: if we are surrounded by smokers we are much more likely to smoke.
• Finances: if we have limited finances often have more limited health and life choices.
• Problems and Habits: it is difficult to be confident when we have many problems or bad habits.

The upper arrows lists the creators of health confidence. These three elements can help anyone improve their confidence and follow a very good personal health plan.

• Useful Information: when we understand what can improve confidence we are able to make and carry out a useful Health Plan.
• Useful Tools: tools such as HowsYourHealth,  Problem Solving, and Decisions in the Grey can make our Personal Health Plan better.
• Helpful Friends and Professionals: help us see things differently and help us make good use of tools. They can also help us "stay on track.”