Money may not buy happiness, but, spent in the right way, can certainly move you towards better health.
The global trend towards income as the deciding indicator of success is worrying. The pursuit of income often comes at the expense of all else. At the expense of health and wellness in all its forms – social relationships, sleep, exercise, nutrition, happiness and more.
It’s a difficult cycle to break. But maybe we don’t need to break it, maybe it just needs reshaping.
Currently we sacrifice our health in pursuit of income. We exchange our time for money. And sure, to a point this is necessary. Like it or not, we need a baseline income for the necessities of life.
But beyond this point, we should consider not exchanging time for money, but exchanging money for health.
We are so fixated on accumulating more resources, that we forget the power of redirecting these resources towards improved health and happiness.
Now sure, we’re all for ‘future planning’. We’re not suggesting draining your bank account today and kicking financial responsibilities down the road to ‘future you’. But we do believe that, directed correctly, money can improve your life today, this week, or this month.
Here are some of our favourite health problems that can be solved by throwing money at them.
1) Sleep: You should be spending a third of your life in bed. It makes sense that this environment is optimised. Throwing money at a new mattress, a new pillow, or a temperature controlled fitted sleep is money well spent.
2) Nutrition: Improving your nutrition comes down to making healthier eating more convenient. How can you spend your way to convenience? How about subscribing to pre- made meals or getting your shopping home delivered? Need more accountability? A Nutrition Coach could be a great asset.
3) Exercise: Accountability is key here too. Committing to regular exercise sessions under the guidance of an exercise professional removes the need for willpower.
4) Mental health: The options here are endless. A Psychologist can help immeasurably. But don’t just think of a Psychologist as someone who can help you when ‘something is wrong’. They can give you strategies to improve all areas of your life, no matter your starting point. A mindfulness practice can also help your mental health. Maybe you’re self motivated, and can follow an app-based guided mindfulness exercise. Or maybe you need more accountability and can find a professional or a group to engage in a mindfulness practice with.
5) Environment: The concept of ‘outer order, inner calm’ refers to the peace of mind that comes from a well organised, uncluttered, clean, tidy, minimised environment. Which environments do you spend most of your time? At home? At the office? In the car? How can you throw money at these environments to make them places that bring you joy? Ideas like paying for a cleaner for your home, buying plants and other greenery for your office, or getting your car professionally detailed every few months can make a huge impact on your mind.
6) Physical: The health of your musculo-skeletal system can be improved with money too. Getting regular massages or soft tissue treatments can give you not only physical relief, but mental escapism too.
Ramit Sethi talks about the concept of ‘money dials’, a series of dials you can adjust based on your priorities. You may have money dials for family, travel, fitness, socialising, or a wide range of other areas. If you turn one dial up, you may need to turn another down. Money, after all, is finite.
Our question to you, how can you ‘turn up’ your ‘health’ money dial to benefit your future?
