I recently asked my teenage children what’s the one thing on their phone that gets their attention. I was expecting a SnapChat notification or maybe an Instagram post, since I know from their behavior it’s definitely not a text from Mom! It may come as no surprise to some of you that their No. 1 answer was the “low battery” alert. For them to think about losing a charge and not having access to their “lifeline” was the one “warning sign” that grabbed their attention and got them to focus.

I’m always telling my kids, “You know you have a battery sign and number that tells you what percentage you’re charged at, right?! Well, why don’t you look at that and plug your phone in before you get to the low battery sign?” (Oh, if only teenage behavior change were that easy.)

What we know about the smartphone is that it’s taking in the data it has built into its system to know when to send out the warning sign. Guess what? Our bodies have those signs, too! Sometimes it’s a physical sign, such as waistline increasing or feeling a tightening in our chest. More often, it may be an emotional sign, such as getting frustrated easily or feeling lonely.

That’s what we’re doing in the Clinical Strategies team at Holmes Murphy…sharing notifications as we take in data for populations and help our clients see the warning signs. And believe me, the signs are out there in the data. Our research is proving that.

But, our goal is two-fold — AVOID and REDUCE! Not only do we want to do something to help those who are at a “low battery” alert, but we also want to keep people from ever getting to that point. I know this…if we continue to ignore those signs and just wait until we get to the low battery alert, it’s going to be a longer road to get back to fully charged.

Fortunately, our one-battery-only physical body is a rechargeable battery. We can plug into the good things and watch our battery life soar back to 100 percent daily.

There are many ways to get ahead of those warning signs. Some of my all-time favorites are eating right, moving more, stressing less, staying connected, and finding purpose. Figuring out what works for each person and group may be the hardest part in all of this. I know this, it has to be simple, targeted, and measurable. And, when others around you see it working, they are more likely to follow.

So, maybe it’s time for you to have some of what we at Holmes Murphy call Courageous Influence. Check that battery percentage level you’re at before it gets to “low battery” and start doing something to recharge. If we challenge ourselves and let others around us see this, it could just be that notification they need to remind them it’s time to plug in.