Financial Wellness vs. Health & Wellness

Reframing the financial conversation

When I say “financial wellness,” you may be anticipating that I’m going to draw on similarities with the idea of “health and wellness,” but that’s not what I’m going to do.

I don’t believe they’re parallel concepts or that they even intersect at certain points. I want to share with you that financial wellness and health and wellness are one-in-the-same.   

Financial wellness is health and wellness; they are interconnected. It’s when these ideas are separated that a disconnect within us can occur.   

When you connect finances and health it makes you the center of the conversation. And when you take this viewpoint, an entirely different approach to the financial conversation is given life. With this in mind, let’s break down three ways finances are experienced through your wellness. 

Emotional Health 
The way you feel not only matters, it’s central to our conversations! Feelings of guilt, shame, embarrassment or stress are powerful, and their negative effects are amplified when left unchecked. A key idea, I believe, in is to embrace and honor your emotions with a judgement-free lens of understanding.

As this positive habit becomes a part of your process, it allows for productive and effective conversations on a topic that is central to your life.   

Mental Health 
When we haven’t had the opportunity to connect and work through our feelings, negative thoughts and beliefs about ourselves take over. Often, these are hidden away behind statements that we make unconsciously or in the way we react or behave with money.

Our emotional state can and will affect our mental state. Money is the greatest influencer of emotion — both negative and positive. The negative is what leads us down the wrong path and that is why financial wellness can directly lead to a better mental state of mind. 

Physical Health 
Both of the above can translate directly to our physical health. The effects of our negative feelings, thoughts and beliefs on money can directly affect how we act, move, eat and enjoy life! It’s amazing how much this can affect you and your body.

I have found, in my life, that if I’m in a positive emotional and mental frame of mind, my external physical health takes care of itself. This is not to say that this is the same experience for all, but I do believe it’s the same for all of us internally. When we can eliminate the uncertainty and connect the untruths we believe to the positive conversation around our finances, we can live a healthier life. 

This is why I believe in meaningful and purposeful Financial EmPOWERment that starts and continues from within you. And that starts by having the financial conversations in ways that we haven’t before — in the manner that paves the way for you to become more of yourself. 

For more information and resources I’d love to invite you to join my private Facebook Group Or head to www.marthaadamsmedia.com

To start building a meaningful connection with your money story, I’d be honored to continue this conversation with you in my book Cleopatra’s Riches