Health is more important than wealth

“Health is more important than wealth.” – English proverb

In the area of ​​personal finance, all sorts of articles have been written about the importance of money, wealth creation, and financial security. And that’s not bad.

But I rarely see anything written with the intention of putting money in its rightful place in the balance of our lives. There are many things more important than money, and the old adage health is more important than wealth of course true.

On some level, I think we know this, but unfortunately it may take tragedy to make us truly believe that this is true and will change the way we live.

I am by no means an old man (unless you ask my children). But I’ve gone through life enough to really begin to realize that pursuing wealth (or just worrying a lot about money) at the expense of my health isn’t worth the cost.

When you are young, you can feel invincible – working more than 80 hours a week to climb the corporate ladder, or building your own business, powered by caffeine and adrenaline. But sooner or later, this lifestyle will overtake you, and hopefully you’ve tuned in enough to catch the first warning signs.

What is health?

What is health? It seems like a silly question, but it’s almost a philosophical question if you stop and think about it.

We usually think of health in a physical sense. Being healthy means being strong and not getting sick. This is definitely a part of it, but there are many more aspects to health.

Psychologists point to many different aspects of health, but some of the main ones are:

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Social
• Spiritual

Physical health

As stated above, physical health refers to the condition of the body. A physically healthy person takes care of themselves with exercise, proper nutrition, and sleep. They are healthy and do not get sick.

Mental health

Mental health is more than just the absence of mental health problems. It includes the ability to concentrate, think and reason.

The World Health Organization defines it this way:

“A state of well-being in which a person is aware of his or her own abilities, can deal with normal life stresses, can work productively and productively, and can contribute to their community.”

Emotional health

Being emotionally healthy does not mean that you are always happy, it means that you are aware of your emotions, whether positive or negative. You are able to cope with your emotions and manage them, to cope with everyday situations and stress.

Social health

Social health refers to your ability to form meaningful relationships and includes your interactions with others one-on-one or in a group. We all have a need for social interaction (even introverts like me).

Spiritual health

Although spiritual health includes your religious beliefs, it is more than that. To be spiritually healthy, you also need to have a sense of purpose, hope, and value to the world.

Why health is more important than wealth

What is your most important asset – your most valuable possession? Is this your home? Or your 401 (k)? What is your liquid net worth in the reserve fund? Maybe even your time?

If you really think about it, your most important asset is YOU – and in particular, your health.

In other words, your health is the foundation on which you can build every other aspect of your life, including wealth. And whatever you accumulate means nothing when your health deteriorates and you cannot enjoy what you have built.

I may talk about this more in the future, but I have had my own personal battles with current health issues and would happily trade my 401 (k) balance to be 100% healthy. Here are some reasons why.

1. Without health, it is impossible to earn wealth

Ironically, rich people seem to understand this best. If you look at the habits of successful people, many of them involve diet, exercise, meditation, and relaxation for friends and family. They understand that they cannot achieve peak performance in their profitable venture without taking care of their health.

Unless you start with a trust fund, it will take a lot of hard work to build wealth. If you put a lot of time and energy into dealing with a chronic illness or even the effects of stress on your body and mind, you may not be able to fully devote yourself to achieving other goals in life.

From my own experience, I know that I am limited in what I can achieve due to chronic health problems. I can’t be the person who doesn’t sleep until midnight and wakes up at 5 am every day. I need more sleep than most. I’ve learned to manage and prioritize what I focus my time on. In a way, this allowed me to get rid of a lot of nonessential activities and avoid the “shiny object syndrome” because I know my limitations.

And to be honest, I think that if I never had any health problems, it would be easier for me to fall into the trap of pursuing wealth and neglecting my health. So in a way, it’s a blessing to learn this lesson before most others. This brings me to my next point …

2. Wealth cannot ultimately make you happy

Study after study shows that having big money doesn’t necessarily make you happy. A recent report found that income between $ 60,000 and $ 75,000 per year is ideal for emotional well-being.

The FIRE (financial independence / early retirement) community has been criticized for a lot of things, but I think one thing they generally get it right is trying to define the concept of “enough.” While society is constantly trying to keep up with the notorious Jones, being content with what you have can lead to greater happiness than making more money.

And if you’re in the consumer rat race, there is always a new bar to match. If you are not Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, there is always another class of people out of reach who can afford a lifestyle that you cannot afford – whether you are making $ 30,000 a year or $ 1,000,000 in year.

Focusing on all the different aspects of health (physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual) has been proven to be far more beneficial to your happiness in the long term than the number in your bank account.

3. Health cannot be bought for money

While good health gives you the time, energy, and drive to make extra money, with rare exceptions, it doesn’t work. You cannot neglect your health in 40 years of your career and then expect to get it back by spending money on it.

But, oddly enough, this is what we (at least in Western society) seem to be trying to do. Rather than resorting to holistic health practices like diet, exercise, meditation, or just a night out with friends, there are prescription drugs in the US for anything that bothers you.

According to a recent Harvard study, the US spends $ 9,400 per capita on healthcare, compared with $ 5,400 in other high-income countries. This is a large percentage of the average US budget. Despite the increased costs, our health is certainly not better, and in most cases even worse. Life expectancy in the United States is 3 years less than other high-income countries, and we have much higher rates of preventative diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

In fact, the relentless pursuit of wealth or simply trying to keep up with peers is a constant source of stress and busyness in our lives. Despite all the promises we are given about how ideal life will be, when we finally reach the next level of financial security, we are killing ourselves to get there. And often, it’s only if and when we truly peak do we desperately realize that we will happily trade our wealth for the holistic health we have ignored for so long.

How to make your health a priority

The good news is, it’s never too late to come to understand that health is more important than wealth.

And if it was unclear above, being healthy is more than just physical health. Due to health problems, I have diligently pursued all kinds of treatment, be it medical, nutritional, holistic treatment, etc.

While it definitely helped me cope, and I felt better than without it, I understand that health, especially physical, is not always under your control. By focusing on other aspects of health, you can find happiness and joy in life even without perfect physical health. (But don’t take it as something that allows you to work hard to maintain your physical health to the best of your ability!)

Here are some actionable tips to help you prioritize your health:

• Incorporate exercise into your daily routine – You don’t have to be in the gym for 2 hours every day. Just change your daily routine to include an active lifestyle (walk more instead of driving, or trim your yard instead of renting it out).
• Spend more time eating and preparing food – In everyday life, the prevalence of fast food and snacks with sugar has reached unprecedented heights. Take your time and take the time to cook and eat healthy foods. You can still eat healthily while saving on groceries.
• Make dates with family and friends “So no work, no cell phone. Making meaningful connections with people is a huge part of your mental and emotional health.
• Take time to read – Instead of turning on the TV at night, take a book. Whether it’s just for fun or personal development, learning new things is part of your journey to holistic health.
• Maintain your spirituality – It may look different for everyone. I am a Christian and these beliefs define the very essence of what I believe in about myself, the world, and even how I spend my money. It gives a sense of hope, community and purpose greater than me. It has been proven that even for those who consider themselves irreligious, having meaning and purpose fosters an overall sense of well-being.

In general, health is more important than wealth

Modern society has taught us to pursue wealth – whether in the form of money, property, or status. At the same time, most of us neglect our most important asset – health.

Health includes not only physical fitness, but almost all aspects of our life – mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual. Each of them plays a role in our overall sense of well-being, happiness, and purpose in life.

While money is also an important part of life and is necessary to meet many of our daily needs, money is not the most important thing. Too much attention to it can harm our health. And, as they say, on their deathbed, no one regretted that they worked more hours or saved more money. NOW is the time to find balance in your life and spend time on what really matters to you.