Why Invest in Your Health and Wellness?

Esther J Trotman

Sep 29

4 min read

As we come to the end of September, did you know that this month brings awareness to over 30 health conditions including polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), Sickle Cell Disease, Prostate cancer, Suicide Prevention, Alzheimer’s Disease and Ovarian Cancer, just to name a few.

Now, if you’re anything like me, you may struggle with consistency when it comes to making healthy lifestyle choices.

However, over the years, I’ve become really motivated to keep at it, as I understand more through lived experience and being a doctor, the importance of taking care of our body, soul (mind, will, emotions) and spirit.

So this month, with all of the health awareness going on around us, I want to encourage you to really become aware of your own health and truly invest in your wellness!

I won’t lie, sometimes it feels like we’re fighting an uphill battle with so many things around us trying to steal our peace and joy, break down our immune system, burden our souls and make us throw up our hands in defeat.

But we can’t give up! We must press on towards the mark of the higher calling and keep walking hand in hand with our Creator. We have to keep planting the seeds and let God water us and develop us into healthy, beautiful trees.

Yes, obstacles will come and at times we may struggle with illnesses out of our control. Trust me, I know it gets hard sometimes, but we need to keep pressing on by the grace of God, to make the best choices for our body, soul and spirit.

Today, let’s talk about the purpose of eating healthy, exercising, resting and investing time and money into our health and wellness.

Let’s recap that according to the World Health Organization (WHO); health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Whereas, wellness is “an active process of becoming aware of, and making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life. It is a dynamic process of growth and change.”

Okay… so what’s the big deal? Why do we need to be healthy? Why can’t we just live our lives how we please? Why should we even invest in our health and wellness?

To invest is “to devote (one’s time, effort, or energy) to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.”

We invest in our health because…

1. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It’s the only body you and I have and how you feed it and treat it results in what it gives back to you.

2. God wants us to be in good health, as our souls prosper (3 John 1:2).

3. Taking care of your health and wellness means that you can be around longer for your loved ones and your children and children’s children.

4. We limit our full potential if we are not in good health. I know from experience that it’s so much more difficult to accomplish responsibilities and help others when I’m not mentally and physically well. We need to take care of ourselves to show up as our best selves.

Trust me I know you may have questions like “but why does God allow people who take care of themselves to die from diseases like cancer, lupus, and asthma? Why must some die so young? What’s the point of all of this?”

Yeah I have those questions too and I certainly don’t have the answers but I’m learning to trust the sovereignty of God. He doesn’t want any of us to suffer but unfortunately we live in a broken world. So all we can do is give of our best and trust in our loving God to keep us for our time here on earth.

So, what does investing in your health and wellness look like?

A few examples include…

• Choosing to plan out healthy meals rather than waiting until last minute to eat fast food (which just steals your money and clogs your arteries)

• Taking time to move your body every day (doing stretches, going to the gym, swimming, dancing, walking etc.)

• Seeing a counselor or psychiatrist to help you heal from trauma or just to improve your mental health

• Buying and reading books, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube videos that will help uplift you and improve your overall well-being

• Taking supplements daily e.g. multivitamins, vitamin C, D, zinc, probiotics, Omega 3 etc to help boost your body’s cellular functioning, immunity and promote healthy metabolism

• Staying connected with a community who will help to support you in your health and wellness journey

• Making time to rest and regularly investing in self-care activities and hobbies

• Connecting with worthy causes through volunteering with non-profit organizations like Let’s Unpack It, Barbados Association of Endometriosis and PCOS, Barbados Cancer Society or any organizations near you.

So, will you take the time, money and effort for the rest of the year to invest into your health and wellness? How will that look like for you?

Consider purchasing one of our Wholistic Wellness Journals (available in Barbados or on Amazon) to help you plan, monitor and execute your goals towards living a healthier lifestyle.