You know that your health is important. Without it, you can’t enjoy life to the fullest! But you may not always look at your health as an investment – and that’s a mistake, because viewing your health in that way can help you understand how and why to manage your health needs. Here are just a few ways in which your own health is like an investment.
Good health earns interest
You want to be healthy so that you can enjoy life, of course. But you should also remember that good health is profitable!
This is true in obvious ways – a healthy person can go to work, while an unhealthy person can’t always do so – but it’s also true in more subtle ways. Dental and orthodontic work, for instance, can give you a winning smile that may help you get ahead at work. Don’t laugh – subtle things like height and good looks have been proven to matter in business. So invest in your health: a winning smile, a trim physique, and healthy skin can actually make you money.
Neglect will cost you big-time
Ignore your investments, and you’ll lose a lot of money. Decline to invest at all, and your nest egg will slowly lose value over time. That’s why we put our money in investments and savings accounts at banks and credit unions, rather than only in checking accounts or under our mattresses.
In the same way, ignoring your health will cost you. It will cost you in health terms, because early treatments and preventions are more likely to be effective than last-ditch cures and surgery. And it will also cost you in financial terms, because emergency care is a whole lot more expensive than preventative care.
You need to start now
Thanks to compounding interest, investments made now will be worth more and more as time goes on. The sooner you start saving, the more you end up with!
Once again, this is true of your health as well. No amount of catch-up care can fix poor health habits now. That’s true both because of the difference between emergency and preventative care (as mentioned above) and because your lifestyle choices will affect your health outcomes. So invest early with exercise and healthy eating. Choose not to smoke. Drink only in moderation, or not at all. Start your new life now, not later: your body will thank you for it.
You need to diversify
Just like with investments, your health needs a little bit of everything. Caring for just one part of your health is like investing only in one stock: it’s risky! So take a wide view of your health and make sure that you get all of the care you need, from regular visits to your primary care physician to consultations with specialists. Care for your health at home by maintaining a balanced diet and exercising to stay trim and fit. Don’t forget about the dentist, either – and while you’re at it, consider making appointments with mental health professionals. We too often neglect our mental health while focusing on our physical health!
So start now, care for your body’s diverse needs, and reap the benefits of your health investment in the long run.
