Image: This was taken while out for a run with my with my Aunt and Uncle when they came to visit us in New Zealand earlier this year.
When we talk about currency, most people think of their income as their main form of currency. When you look at this idea of currency a little closer you’ll soon realise that time is one of if not the most important forms of currency we have. You can always earn more money, but time is the finite resource we all share and deciding how to spend your time is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever need to make (that's why I'm so passionate about productivity and squeezing more out of life).
But, have you ever thought of your health as a form of currency?
I talked about this idea on Periscope and you can listen to or watch the replay by clicking below or via the video above.
If you think about it, most of the decisions you make have an impact on your health. And I’m not just talking about decisions like what to eat for breakfast. Things like working late or getting up early are going to take away from your your sleep time and this will have an impact on your overall health.
Choosing to work all day without taking a break is going to impact your health differently compared to someone who takes a mid-morning walk and is exposed to fresh air and vitamin D.
How you feel at work is going to have an impact on your stress levels which as we know can lead to a whole host of problems.
Choosing to stay in bed and get an extra hour of sleep is going to impact your health differently to getting up and going for a run.
The thing I want you to realise is this:
[ctt title=”Every decision you make will have some sort of impact on your health. It's is like a currency; spend it wisely!” tweet=”Every decision you make will have some sort of impact on your health. It's is like a currency; spend it wisely! http://ctt.ec/lwDS0+” coverup=”lwDS0″]SPENDING YOUR HEALTH DOLLARS
When you choose to drink fizzy drinks this is going to cost you in health dollars. Just one drink might not cost too much, but when you make sweet treats a regular part of your diet things can get expensive. In the short term you may find you start suffering from a lack of focus as the sugar takes you from an energy high into a big lull in focus and concentration. Over time these fizzy drinks are going to start eroding your teeth and may even cost you your teeth all together.
I'm very lucky that I have an amazing wife who makes me delicious and healthy treats like this!
INVESTING YOUR HEALTH DOLLARS
I very nearly titled this post, “Health as a currency. How are you spending your dollars?”. But when I got thinking it occurred to me that as well as spending your health dollars on different decisions, you can also earn them back (in a sense) by investing in your health.
Generally people who are overweight are going to be at a higher risk of contracting heart disease and will have a shorter life expectancy. But, if they start to exercise and eat right, they can lose some weight and improve their overall health to the point where they are no longer at risk. In a sense, they’ve put some health dollars back in the bank.
By making healthy choices you can invest your health dollars and in return you'll be paid back with increased energy, better focus, fewer sick days and a better quality of life.
ACTION STEPS
Why am I telling you all this? What can we do with this information? Really I want to get you thinking about how different decisions have an impact on your health.. We make choices every single day and by thinking about the impact these choices have not only on your wallet and time, but your health as well, we can make better decisions all around.
When you consider these three key currencies when making a choice you can improve the quality of your decision making. For example, some of the super-healthy ingredients can be quite expensive, but trading off a few financial dollars so that you can improve your health dollar balance might be a good thing. Catching a taxi is quick and can save you time, but walking could help put health dollars back in the bank.
This is a standing desk I made at home to help me get off my ass!
I’m not going to tell you what to eat or how much you should exercise. These choices and trade-offs are up to you. I just want you to put more thought into how you’re investing your health dollars.
Next to time, your health is one of the most important currencies you have.
Spend it wisely.