For many people, the main goal of life is to be wealthy. Choices start early in life by focusing on getting a good education, finding a reliable, well-paying job, and then saving or multiplying your money in various ways.
The goal to be financially secure can be all-consuming. However, sometimes the obsessive pursuit of wealth can cause one to sacrifice one’s health.
People are willing to work longer hours to make money and advance their careers—all at great expense to their health and well-being. To a certain extent, this is counter-productive.
And here is why: you need your health to be able to enjoy your wealth.
Furthermore, if you don’t mind your body, you will get burnt out at work, anyway.
Let’s look at the ways that health is equally as important as wealth. Then, we will look at how you actually increase your wealth by improving your health.
The importance of health
The importance of health should be self-evident—without our health, all is lost. Our health encompasses our physical, emotional, and mental well-being; it is the state of who we are. Let’s take a closer look at each of these areas.
Physical health
When it comes to physical health, some people are content with having just the bare minimum to be able to carry on with their day. As long as they can get up in the morning and work, they give little attention to whether their physical health is functioning at its optimum level. They might begin to only pay attention to their physical health when it shows clear signs of deterioration. Many times, this approach can be too little, too late.
Our physical health encompasses
- Eating nutritious foods,
- Getting enough exercise, and
- Having enough sleep.
To truly look after our physical health, we need to ensure that we are paying attention to all three of these areas. All of this takes some effort. Our physical health will not take care of itself if we do nothing.
Bottom line, we need to actively look after our physical health so that we can be energetic and strong on a daily basis.
Emotional and mental health
While physical health deals with our external bodies, emotional and mental health are related to our internal thoughts and feelings. How we are feeling throughout the day indirectly manifests itself in how well we respond to challenges and stress. When we are feeling good on the inside, we can make better, healthier decisions.
Throughout most of human history, people have been told to ‘just suck it up’ when experiencing emotional and mental hardship—if you asked for help it indicated to others that you lacked strong character.
Modern understanding of emotional and mental health suggests that this is not necessarily the case. People can experience mental illness in quite the same way people experience physical illness. Mental disorders such as depression and anxiety are being seen in a similar light as physical illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure. In other words, people with emotional and mental need to be helped, not rebuked.
It might be helpful to us if we viewed our own emotional and mental health the same way as our physical health. Just like physical health, we need to allocate time and energy to ensure that we look after our own emotional and mental well-being.
Here are signs to look out for to know when our emotional and mental health is deteriorating:
- Feelings of being overwhelmed,
- Prolonged periods of sadness,
- Loss of appetite, and
- Unhealthy sleeping habits are all telltale signs.
When this happens, we should seek professional help. We need to ensure that our schedules are not too tight and that our workload is not too heavy. Prioritizing our emotional and mental well-being is the key to long-term success in our worldly pursuits.
Building wealth through wellness
Having looked at the importance of physical, emotional, and mental health, let’s look at some ways we can ensure that all three areas are well-looked after.
Keeping your body fit
As we have seen, physical health and energy levels are closely linked. If we want to be able to build wealth sustainably, we must ensure that our physical health is at its sharpest.
The most practical way to do so is to join a gym and to use the equipment frequently. Allocate at least half an hour every two or three days to work out. It can be before or after work, or even during a lunch break.
Some people find working out to be boring and repetitive. If you start to have these feelings, it can be a good thing to find a workout routine that you enjoy. For example, some people love to run while others love to swim. Some others might find pleasure in working out through dance. How do you want to live and enjoy your life? Do it!
The point is that there are a great many forms of exercise available, and you might find one that suits you best. If you want to be at your best in your career, you need to prioritize your physical health— there are simply no shortcuts.
Eating healthy foods
Obesity is a modern health crisis. A huge cause of it is the availability of cheap and unhealthy fast food. Fast food is appealing precisely because it is fast. It often comes ready-made and doesn’t require a long time to prepare. In other words, it is convenient, and everything about our modern world is about convenience.
However, eating healthy foods does pay off. Food affects us in so many ways, including in our moods and energy levels. It is worth ensuring that we eat foods in quantities appropriate to the food pyramid, avoiding foods that are high in sugar and fat while consuming more fruits and vegetables. It is also a good idea to consume organic food whenever possible.
Eating healthily is a habit that we can choose to form, it just takes time and effort. The more we pay attention to its importance, the more we can instinctively avoid fast-food restaurants and choose healthier alternatives instead, and we would be better off for it.
Keeping your mind healthy
Earlier in the article, we discussed the importance of emotional and mental health. We also discussed the importance of looking out for signs of emotional and mental distress and seeking professional help when necessary.
To truly be in the frame of mind for success, we need to be able to make smart, informed choices based on sound reason and not impulse. The best way to secure this frame of mind is to prioritize emotional and mental well-being.
Practically, this means to give yourself ample time for rest and rejuvenation and to ensure that you have friends that you can speak to when you’re going through a rough patch.
Know when to let certain things go when work becomes overwhelming and learn to practice mindfulness. By keeping your emotional and mental health in check, you are ultimately investing in yourself and setting yourself up for success.
Conclusion
As we go along pursuing our goals, we need to ensure that we are not sacrificing our health – physical, emotional, or mental. We must be aware that our ultimate success in building wealth comes from investing in our own wellness and health, and that no lasting success can come at their expense.
If you liked this article, you should also read: Is There a Link Between Earning More and Living Longer?