The health vs wealth debate

Camille Pierson asks: What do you value more your health or your wealth? 

Most people worry about money most of the time, whether you are an employee or business owner. Stats from the 2022 confidence survey states that 37% of business owners worry about cash flow with an extra 17% citing that non-payment of invoices was also a concern. 

When we break down the worries of health, most people don’t concern themselves with health – unless something goes wrong. 

So, in answer to the question – do most people value wealth more than their health?

In 2015 I founded The Float Spa, prior to that, I ran my life at a 1000 miles per hour, didn’t exercise, worked long hours, juggled childcare, feared losing my job if I didn’t stay an hour later than my finish time. Always arrived early and checked my emails in my spare time. Did this do me any favours?? Well no, in 2014 after a very traumatic event, I was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression and learned the hard way that my health is more important than wealth.

Flash forward to 2023 and my work life balance is better than ever – I am a Naturopathic Health coach and run two businesses, yes I work hard but productively. I exercise every day, eat well and overall feel happier and healthier than ever in my life.

What changed for me and how can you do the same?

Money & Time are the most common reasons for not getting healthy. 

“I do not have time to exercise or cook” is the number one objection followed very closely by “I do not have the money to buy good quality food!”

In your daily life, how many times have you heard this? You may have even said this – I did pre 2014. I would argue that these are simply excuses and psychological barriers which are easy to hide behind and here is why.

Let’s begin. 

Time: If it were for us to decide, we wouldn’t have time for anything. We are all constantly ‘busy’ and constantly doing something. Unless you make time to meditate, go for a walk, prepare your lunch, read a book or anything else you simply won’t have that time. Time really shouldn’t be a constraint you should have when it comes to your health. If you are truly honest, it is an excuse. Recognising these are excuses is the very first step to making real change. 

Here are some examples of how to incorporate movement and exercise into your day which requires no time. Take the stairs whenever there is a lift, or walk the escalators. When you pop the kettle on, why not do some push ups against the counter top or squats while it boils? After your lunch, go outside for a 5 minute walk. 

These micro-practices allow you to incorporate health into your day without taking time away. Who has a gym membership? Do you enjoy going to the gym? If you do not you will simply not go, yes you could sign up to a personal trainer and set weekly sessions, but this takes a lot of time out of your schedule. 

When faced with the concept of time, what can you do which requires a small amount of time, but focusses on your health?

My advice – if you do not like the gym, what movement do you enjoy? A dance class, a walk, table tennis, swimming, the list is endless – but finding what you like is the only way you will succeed. 

Could you allocate ‘movement time’, ‘exercise time’ or ‘me time’ into your diary? Putting equal weight on yourself and your health into your work diary validates how important your health is to you.

My favourite quote by BJ Fogg, Stanford Behaviour Scientist: “People change best when they feel not, not when they feel bad.”

The second objective is money: Yes, we are faced with a cost of living crisis at the moment – I just paid £1.45 for a cucumber, it was only 69p a few weeks ago.  

Where we spend our money is in our own control. Considering the food choices we make is an easy and simple way of focusing on your health. After a long day, it is easy to get home starving and grab a microwave meal as you cannot be bothered to cook. How about you remove the thinking of food on weeknights and meal plan (not meal prep) on a Sunday, when you have more energy. 

This simple plan, which I do with my family, is a great way for the whole family to adopt healthier habits. I plan on a Sunday and write on a chalk board, so we know what we’re having. Then after a long day, the thinking is done and it’s a cooking job. 

Yes, I make all meals from scratch. The best thing is – these meals cook in less than 15 minutes, even getting my kids involved to help. When we shop we know what food we are having for the week, so instead of grabbing a load of stuff we aren’t going to eat which ends in the bin, we only buy what we eat. This saves time, reduces waste and more importantly saves money – meaning we spend less on better quality food. Winning!!

To find out more about Camille Pierson or The Float Spa – visit
www.thefloatspa.co.uk or connect on LinkedIn.