In Canada we have a good “health”-care system. Although, not as good as we would like to think, being ranked third-to-last in a detailed new study comparing health-care systems in 11 developed nations.  For the most part, our socialized system provides essential healthcare for the treatment of symptoms and provides solutions to slow the progress of various disease processes.   Our system is focused on the treatment of diseases that are largely caused by lifestyle.  When speaking about whether you should be spending money on your health, a disease focus might be looking at the wrong question.  However, to truly see the value of spending money on your health, you could change the focus from treating the illness to nurturing health. Essentially change from a “repair shop” mentality to a prevention focus.

By making this shift the goal would be to improve health by preventing self-induced illness.  Focusing on; preventing obesity, deterring tobacco use, decreasing loneliness, addressing mental illness, and stopping drug addiction early.  Working in this way is much more efficient and effective than any later treatment.

By shifting to a prevention focused lifestyle, this allows you to explore many avenues and to expand your health.  You, as a whole-person, aren’t limited to diet and exercise or meditation. Whole-person wellbeing is understanding, tracking, and balancing all of life’s dimensions – everything you think, feel and do – for your optimal health and vitality. Our physical and emotional wellbeing impacts our energy, learning, focus, motivation, time management, communication, as well as personal and professional relationships in addition to our waistlines, blood pressures or cholesterol levels (to name only a few).

A whole-person approach requires a holistic program not limited to a diet adjustment or more exercise. These critical factors are only part of your whole-person picture. During the past two decades, developments in biology, neurology, and psychology have clearly demonstrated the mind-body connection and proven that our total wellbeing must incorporate all dimensions of our lives. And what we think and understand impacts our behavior, and that determines our choices.  This whole-person approach helps you make better choices to improve specific aspects of your life and manage your actions based on 1) deeper understanding of yourself and 2) more clarity about your current motivations. Many of these tests, assessments and support programs aren’t covered under any social health program or corporate health benefits program.

For true whole-person life-balance and wellbeing, we need to increase our awareness and self-responsibility for making change.  Individuals need to dive deeper to examine their behavior patterns and motivation.  At the Vibrant Life Project our program encourages keener awareness about behaviors in all dimensions of life.  By evaluating and tracking our biometrics and action steps, we can alter our behavior based on a deeper sense of purpose and meaning, not based on an artificial goal (e.g. losing 10 pounds in one week).  Result – sustained improvement.  Clearly, a good way to get the results you’re looking for when you spend money on your health!