Good Health Starts in the Moments Before You Need It
Discover what you want before you need it.
So much of our health destiny is shaped long before we realize we have a say in it.
We often think of “prevention” as scheduling the mammogram, getting the lab work, or catching a disease in its early stage. But let’s be honest—most of what we call prevention in healthcare is really early detection. It’s important, of course—but it’s not the same as preparing ourselves before there’s a problem.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the power of thinking ahead—and how crucial it is that we start redefining what real prevention looks like. Not just screenings and check-ups, but intentional, thoughtful choices that shape our health trajectory before we’re forced to act.
This idea bubbled up again during a conversation with a few incredible brokers earlier today—people who are truly trying to help others think differently about their health. Leadership in health isn’t just about offering programs; it’s about helping people see differently, plan differently, and live differently.
This article is inspired by them—and by anyone who believes in changing the conversation around health. It reminds us that if we want to change how we heal, we have to change how we think before healing is even needed.
The Core 4—nutrition, movement, sleep, and hydration—are the foundation. But the way we engage with them starts in the mind. That’s where the real shift happens. That’s why my book is named Health Shift: Your Personalized Guide to Making Strategic Health Decisions.
Change doesn’t always arrive with a trumpet. I’m mainly referring to health changes. Change slips in quietly—through a decision we haven’t made yet or one we’ve made so many times it’s practically automatic. Eat this. Try that. Trust them. Ignore that.
Change also happens when we are diagnosed with a health issue or feel different. Maybe we implement change when we learn something new. We might consider change when we discover some information on Google when searching for a symptom. Change also can be instigated by a well-timed article, advice from our doctor, or a conversation that opens the door to change. And yes, those moments matter. But discovery and knowledge alone don’t help change us. If they did, we’d all be well-rested, perfectly hydrated, and wildly consistent with our workouts by now.
The truth is, we don’t change because we know more. We change because we decide differently. And deciding differently—especially when it matters most—rarely happens in the heat of the moment.
That’s the catch no one talks about. Our brains crave ease when we’re in pain, overwhelmed, or scared. Certainty. The familiar. That’s when we default to what everyone else is doing, what the doctor says without question, and what seems safest. Not because we’re weak. Because we’re human, but the problem isn’t our reaction. It’s that we didn’t pre-decide.
A kind of strength comes from knowing yourself well enough to make a plan before you need it. I call it a health philosophy—a stance, a perspective, a foundation you can return to when things get messy. It’s not rigid. It doesn’t promise perfection. But it gives you a center point.
When you know what you value—what you’re willing to try, what matters to you most, how you want to feel—you no longer have to scramble for the “right” answer when life gets loud. You can make choices that are aligned instead of reactive.
That’s the shift we need—not just more health education or better data (though those matter), but applied clarity—the kind that shows up in the small decisions and builds confidence with every one you make.
I’ve lived in that space—the messy middle. The health grey zone. It’s where I spend most of my time. For example, there are moments I’ve tried herbs I thought might help. Some did. Some didn’t. The ones that didn’t weren’t “wrong” or “bad.” They weren’t what I needed in that season.
I don’t believe in sameness. I believe in individualness.
Menopause is one of those chapters where this becomes so clear. I know women who’ve thrived on estrogen therapy, and I know others who leaned into more natural options. And you know what? They’re both happy. They both made the right decision—for themselves. But the danger comes when we believe our way is the way, when we start to sell our path as the path.
It’s tempting, isn’t it? When something works for someone we trust, we feel the pull to follow. “It worked for her, and maybe it’ll work for me.” But that’s a shortcut to someone else’s life.
Your body is not her body. Your story is not their story.
The real strength is resisting the urge to copy and choosing instead to craft—something tailored, thoughtful, and truly yours.
We live in a world that loves absolutes—this or that, right or wrong, natural or medical. But the truth is that health rarely exists at the extremes of a spectrum.
It lives in the grey.
It lives in the and.
Eastern wisdom and Western science, rest and movement, structure and intuition—healing is often a dance between opposites—like the yin-yang symbol, swirling in motion and balanced in tension. That’s not indecision. That’s mastery.
When we begin to pre-decide—when we take time to define what we stand for before we’re forced to choose—we become more than reactive. We become responsive. Nimble. A little bit ninja, honestly.
This doesn’t mean you have all the answers or things won’t change. They will. But it does mean you’re building a kind of inner scaffolding. A framework you can lean on when life throws its next curveball.
Instead of panic, you find your footing.
Instead of grasping, you pivot.
Instead of falling into someone else’s plan, you remember you already have one.
Start now—not with a grand plan or a list of goals, but with something quieter. Begin by simply noticing how you tend to make health decisions. Are they rushed? Emotional? Based on what someone else said or did? Or are they reflective and grounded in what truly matters to you?
Start by naming what matters to you. Maybe it’s minimizing medications or prioritizing quality of life over the latest health trend. Perhaps it’s feeling empowered in conversations with your provider. Maybe it’s choosing food and movement that feel joyful, not punishing. Whatever it is—name it. Write it down. Let it shape you.
That’s your health philosophy. It doesn’t have to be rigid or polished—it just has to be yours. Something you can return to when things get messy. A steady thread you follow when decisions feel hard.
Then, try, learn, notice what helps and what doesn’t, and be willing to adjust as life changes—and it will.
Because when the moment comes when you need to make a significant health decision—and it always does—you won’t need to react in panic or default to what everyone else is doing. You’ll already know your way forward.
You’ll make your choice with clarity, not confusion.
With confidence, not fear.
With care, not chaos.
And that’s how good health starts in the moments before you need it.
“The best health decisions are made before the pressure to decide begins. When you know your stance, you’re already halfway to healing.” Dr. Alice Burron
A little more about Dr. Alice Burron and Strategic Action Health:
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Health Shift: Your Strategic Guide to Making Strategic Health Decisions book will officially launch on May 17, 2025! Mark your calendars! And if you’re in Cheyenne, join us for our party at Blacktooth Brewery. Have a beer on us! More information is coming soon.