I had my twice yearly physical last week. It was also the annual Medicare wellness check. I dread these because I worry about being prescribed additional medicine. Anxiety starts at the scale when I first go in. Same with blood pressure. Don’t you think these should/could be done on the way out??
Naturally, I went in expecting a lecture and was shocked when ALL of the lab tests came back better than the last visit. Blood pressure was beyond good. In fact, all the tests are the best they’ve been in the past five years. That alone feels like a small miracle.
At first I thought the lab techs mistakenly switched my blood with someone younger? Is this just a dream? And to top it off I was down four pounds. I haven’t exactly turned into a “green-smoothie-forget-to-eat” kind of person so how did this happen? The only thing I can think of is I now use a small lunch size plate for my meals. My wonderful Chef Son in Law is used to filling plates to the very edge (and often twice) for teenage sons who now eat like lumberjacks. I have no willpower growing up in an era where clean your plate because of all the starving children in ________ (fill in the appropriate country) so be grateful.
Despite such great news, I named this blog “Bad News”. I could have named it something happy and wonderful (because this really is great news) but I have noticed negative titles or sarcastic titles or titillating titles tend to attract way more attention and clicks. Our brains are wired to notice danger or problems. “Celebrating Good Health at 73” would get 3 views yet ”Bad News” seems to draw in those of us who have FOMO (fear of missing out). Negative titles often hint at a problem we want to avoid or understand. Maybe readers think “Is this something I should be worried about too?”
In addition to all the lab work, weight loss and passing the dementia questions, I have maintained my height! Take THAT osteoporosis spine!
Congratulation on your "bad news" and that title did draw me in as I was going to read it later, after an event here on campus, but I clicked right away. I have mixed feelings about using titles as 'click bait' because if you do it often enough people will stop clicking all together. That said, I find coming up with titles the hardest part about blogging.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings also and will use them sparingly. Maybe I will try AI to come up with titles that will grab! I took myself out for a fabulous lunch to celebrate my bad news. (And I got ALL the answers right in the wellness memory test) So proud!
ReplyDeleteYep, the Blog Title Hooks do often draw Readers in and Good News Post sadly don't draw like a Bad News Post does. Glad you had Good News actually and not Bad News, too much of the latter going around. I'm glad to Read something Positive.
ReplyDeleteHow do you get AL to come up with titles? I think I'd like to try that.
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