We hear a lot of talk about work-life balance, and “life” in this case includes our health. After all, we must work in order to earn money for food and healthcare in order to stay healthy, but we need to stay in good health in order to do quality work for our employers.

I have to admit that there have been times in my life when I did not have a good work-health balance, and I learned a lot from those times. Please allow me to share some lessons I acquired over the years.

• Go to the doctor when you need to. If you feel really sick, call in sick. If your employer requires a note from the doctor, don’t feel intimidated about asking for one. If you go to work while sick, you will definitely not do your best work.

• Eat lunch. Even if you don’t feel hungry during your designated lunch break, eat something. Your body will thank you later. Don’t take a two-hour lunch, but eat something. (No, I have never taken a two-hour lunch, but I have made the mistake of not eating. I did not do quality work later when I was hungry and weak.)

• If you have a diagnosed medical condition, don’t skip or put off maintenance doctor appointments because you are afraid of missing work. (You may need to consult the next person up in the chain of command if your supervisor gives you a hard time about this.) After all, if you have been diagnosed with cancer or thyroid disease or anything that won’t be solved in one visit, you won’t be doing yourself or anyone else any favors if you ignore it.

• Remember that mental health is health, too. Yes, there exists a lot of stigma about going to a therapist or taking psychotropic medication, but when your mental health is good, your work output will be good, too—at least, it has a much higher probability of being good.

What are your thoughts on the work-health balance?