Comparatively speaking, think of your health spending account as your bank account. You can have a positive balance, also known as ‘savings’, or your account can be in a deficit.
Each day, you can make decisions that directly affect both of these accounts. There’s an argument to be made that they are in fact linked (we’ll save that for another day).
MAKE YOUR DAILY DEPOSIT
- If you are eating a balanced breakfast, lunch and/or supper featuring vegetables and whole foods, you are making deposits into your ‘health spending account’
- If you take time to prep your lunch with greens and healthy snacks, there is another deposit
- When you complete a 30 minute workout or go for an evening walk, you make another deposit
- When you get seven or more hours of sleep, the account grows
- When you stay hydrated throughout the day, the account grows even more!
As you carry out your daily healthy habits, this account builds to a POSITIVE balance.
DEPOSIT MORE, SPEND LESS!
Then, when you decide to attend a social event like a birthday party or a night out with friends, you can indulge and enjoy a slice of cake, or your favourite drink with apps. You can happily consider this as a small withdrawal from your health spending account – without panic and without making a huge negative impact on your overall health.
BUILD A BUFFER
Everything you have done to build that health account has helped create a buffer, which allows for occasional diversions without bankrupting your level of health.
So, what IS the balance in your ‘health spending account’? Are you engaging in activities to manage that account in a positive way, or are making more withdrawals and digging yourself into a health debt?
If you don’t know what your ‘balance’ is, or you are looking to build habits to effectively manage your own ‘health spending account’ with a Coach at Catalyst, book your FREE Healthy Habits Intro call here!