Wellness is a hot topic right now, but do we really know what it means? It ties right into the #selfcare movement, which is another often misinterpreted topic. We have been led to believe through advertising that self care is eating a donut when you feel like it or “treating yourself” to a new outfit. Maybe you have heard of self care as skincare and meditation.
What we don’t realize is that wellness or self care is not just one thing. Wellness is a journey that encompasses balancing all of the different aspects of life in a way that is healthy for you. There are eight dimensions of wellness: Physical, emotional, intellectual, social, environmental, spiritual, vocational, and financial. That is a lot to balance. Add to the stress of being a woman on top of that, and it is easy to become overwhelmed. If you are in a great relationship, but you have a negative bank account balance, it affects your overall wellness.
Advertisers will tell you that they are selling you the key to wellness with their detox teas, special diets, face masks, waist trainers, and yoga classes. The answer is not external. It’s internal.
As most of us can’t juggle three balls, eight seems impossible. But how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. That’s exactly what you do here.
The best place to start is your financial wellness. It feels easier to gain control of a physical aspect of your life first. And as money is always top of mind (as well as one of life’s biggest stressors), getting your financial house in order will also help other areas of your life fall into place. Do you fight with your partner about money? That affects your social wellness. Have a plan for your money? Your stress goes down and helps your emotional wellness. If you create a budget and a plan for your money, not only does it help your financial wellness, but the arguments will go away as well and help your social wellness.
Creating a budget will also help you understand where you might be lacking. Are you making enough at your current job to support your lifestyle? If the numbers come out negative, that is the answer to why you might have debt. From here, you have two options: Make more money, or change your lifestyle. Seeing the numbers makes it much more clear.
While this scratches the surface, I have videos on my Youtube channel, Glam Life by Meg, devoted to helping you learn to manage your money and live your most efficient and glamorous life. My goal is to help you achieve wellness, and it all starts with a healthy budget.
So what are you waiting for? Add up your expenses and subtract them from your income, and you are on your way to a healthy budget and overall wellness! For more detailed explanations on how to create a budget, hop over to my Youtube channel with a notebook, a pencil, and a calculator!
By: Megan Gordon