Aleksandra Friedel for XYZ: “If I Want to Live a Long and Healthy Life, I Have to Take Care of It”

We want to live long, healthy and peaceful lives. The problem is that we often take better care of our car or our phone than of our own health and security. Aleksandra Friedel, President of the Zacznij od Siebie Foundation, spoke with XYZ journalist Magda Brzózka about why longevity starts with everyday decisions and why each of us needs a Plan B.

“If I want to live a long and healthy life, I have to take care of it. It will not happen by itself,” Aleksandra Friedel emphasizes.

Sounds obvious? And yet our everyday choices show that, in practice, it is not. Every year, we remember about the mandatory inspection of our car. We protect phones worth several thousand złotys. At the same time, we often postpone preventive check-ups or securing our own life and health until a problem actually appears.

Plan A: what we can do today

The philosophy of the Zacznij od Siebie Foundation is based on a simple equation:

Plan A + Plan B = Life and Health.

As Aleksandra Friedel explains, the equation is complete only when it includes both elements.

Plan A is everything we can influence every day: a healthy diet, sleep, regular physical activity, prevention, diagnostics and consciously taking care of ourselves.

These are decisions that may seem small, but when made consistently, they build something much bigger: a better chance of living a longer life in good health.

What if Plan A is not enough?

We can do many things right, but we cannot predict everything. Illness, accidents and unexpected events do not ask about our plans.

And this is where Plan B comes in.

“Plan B can take many forms. What matters is having one,” says Aleksandra Friedel.

It may be properly tailored insurance coverage, but it can also mean savings, access to specialists or a network of people we can rely on in a difficult situation. Plan B does not replace taking care of yourself. It complements it.

Start with Yourself first

At first, the Foundation wanted to focus primarily on protection against unforeseen events. However, a more important question quickly emerged: can we talk about protecting life and health without also talking about what each of us can do for ourselves today?

This is how the combination of Plan A and Plan B was created.

Because taking care of the future does not begin when something difficult happens. It starts much earlier, with the decisions we make today.

Longevity will not happen by itself. Neither will security.

So instead of waiting for the moment when “something has to be done,” it is worth starting with a simple question:

What can I do for myself today, and what is my Plan B if life takes an unexpected turn?

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/JMrVNTBGMr0?si=w8PksK-nmjk-j-bb