Health, quite literally, before wealth

It’s easy to say health before wealth. The reality and the execution of it is much harder.

Of course, we should put our health first, but also, isn’t life just a bit much sometimes? Maybe the world is stressing us out. Maybe we haven’t slept well. Or our kids do what kids do and disrupt our lives in so many wonderful and stressful ways. Or maybe you’ve been laid off and money is tighter than ever.

Or perhaps, you’re like my most recent life example, and you have suddenly become a carer to your parent.

It’s so easy to say waking at 5am will do us wonders (I actually did this the other day, for like the first time willingly in years and it was amazing, but unsustainable in my situation). Or journaling clear our minds. Or that eating the perfect food will energise us.

My life is pretty balanced, but my habits still need improving. I’m incredibly grateful for the lifestyle and the flexibility that I have, but damn perhaps I’ve had it too easy and a little bit extra here, and there has put me out of touch with my health needs.

Also, my life is a bit wild at times (5 kids, 2 businesses, unschooling, being a carer to family, etc…) and I always put other people’s needs first, for better or worse. The first thing that goes is my strictness with my health.

The last thing I want to hear these days is people preaching how to ‘do it’ 🥱

But I’m going to tell you what I’m doing and what I feel works best (for me) 😂

And it means taking the phrase ‘health before wealth’ literally: doing the things that I know are good for me early on in the day and before I start working.

This doesn’t mean early starts. It just means doing health first.

This means exercising in the morning, not in the evening.

It means cleaning, shopping, prepping and cooking in the morning.

It means not doing work until my basic health needs are met.

Sometimes it means my work day doesn’t start until midday. Sometimes I’m up early, sometimes not! Regardless, I aim to cover my basic health needs first.

And for me, it works, cause I don’t know about you, but once I sit down at my laptop, I struggle to pull myself away to do anything else. My mind goes into that zone (which I love it), and I struggle to switch off.

When I do my health things first, it helps me focus the rest of my work day. I know I’ve earned my work time. There’s no guilt about not having done it and it frees my mind. I can go into my zone relaxing and doing good work with good energy.

Of course, all rules can have flexibility, but waking up knowing I need to attend to my health first gives me that sense of motivation to get going.

That’s health before wealth, quite literally.

Originally published: https://www.indiependent.land/p/health-quite-literally-before-wealth