Your health is an investment. Not an expense. Expense vs. investment:
Expense vs. Investment – What’s the difference?
An expense, or cost, is simply the dispensing of time, money, or resources.
An investment, while an expenditure (you do have to dispense time, money, or resources in an investment), comes with the expectation of a return.
Shifting our mindset on this expense vs. investment issue can help us reframe the way we DO spend our time, money, and resources when it comes to our health.
Expense vs. Investment – Ways we spend when it comes to health and wellness:
Expense vs. investment: time, money, resources.
TIME
It takes time to exercise, for one thing. It’s so easy to shrug off a busy day and not make time to take a walk or hit the gym or do some yoga or whatever exercise suits your fancy. But your physical and mental health will thank you when you invest that bit of time regularly. That’s the return– stronger bodies, healthier bodies, a more positive mood.
MONEY
This is a big one, the one that probably requires the largest shift in our minds. “Being healthy is so expensive!” “How much will it cost?” “This is SO expensive.” These are all common statements we hear AND say. Most of us don’t have unlimited financial resources lying around begging us to throw them at the latest health and wellness fad. We get that. “Do what you can with what you have” is key here- that’s the most any of us can do.
When it comes to your health, if you have a strict budget with no wiggle room, that could mean spending more *time* finding a provider that suits your personal needs and preferences within that budget. This can be tricky but is 100% worth the time and effort, and doesn’t break the bank!
If you regularly assess your budget or spending, you may be able to find a few places you could tweak– temporarily or permanently. None of us finds this particularly enjoyable, right? But it IS helpful. If you don’t currently budget or pay attention to your expenses, downloading a budget app, using old fashioned pen and paper, or evaluating your expenses for a couple of months might be insightful!
When we’re serious about investing in our health, or saving money for ANYTHING, cutting unnecessary expenses can be really helpful! You get to decide what’s unnecessary, and you get to decide when it gets to get put back into the budget!
By cutting some non essential expense(s) from your budget, you may be able to invest in more fruits and veggies, start a wellness program, see a therapist, join a gym, or book an appointment you’ve been wanting to schedule. The return? Feeling better, body, mind, and spirit.
(Fun Fact: Naturopathic care can actually LOWER your healthcare costs. AND- our team includes a board certified Naturopathic Doctor!)
RESOURCES
Even with the time and money, sometimes investing in your health and wellness can be a daunting journey. Maybe the mental energy required to do a deep dive researching healthy swaps for snacks or over the counter medicines makes your brain hurt just thinking about it. Or maybe finding out you need to cut refined sugars or gluten or dairy seems completely overwhelming. Or you know what you need or want to do, but lack the confidence to move forward. There are all kinds of mental or emotional barriers that can get in the way of our health journey.
It’s good to remember the effort you put into reading books, researching recipes/alternate products, setting aside space and time in your day to pray or be mindful, isn’t in vain. This expenditure of your resources will yield a return of confidence and certainty.
And guess what? When you’ve got questions, we’re here to help!
Our Team
Our team has years of experience with dietary changes, safer medicine swaps, and helping people feel confident in their personal healthcare goals and decisions! We offer multiple services (with more on the way!) including naturopathic care, lab testing, and thermography. Listening to your story and equipping you to move forward in health and wellness is our favorite part of the work we do! Give us a call today at (405)306-6340 to get started!
