If a financial planner told you not to bother saving for retirement and that you can “worry about it when you get there”, you would probably think he was crazy. Most of us know the importance of putting money into 401(k) plans and other investments while we are working so that we can enjoy our golden years. If a doctor told you not to worry about your health and that “we will fix it when it becomes an issue” would you think that doctor was crazy?
For many their attitude towards health is just like the statements above, a “I’ll worry about it when I have a problem” mentality. In some ways health and finances are similar.
Let’s try out this analogy:
When it comes to finances some of us inherit money, some are born into poverty. Some of us get good paying jobs, while others struggle to get by. Some of us make smart decisions and plan for the future while others live paycheck to paycheck and scramble to pay bills when they empty their bank account and/or need to rely on assistance from the government or others.
In health some of us inherit good healthy genes while some of us inherit genetic diseases. Some of us grow up in a healthy environment while some of us are exposed to dangerous chemicals. Some of us take care of ourselves and make healthy decisions while others wait until they are sick to start making changes in their life and/or need to rely on outside intervention to help them.
Whether we are talking money or health don’t we all want to be in the first group of each statement? Unfortunately we don’t have any control over the situations we are born into or our genetic inheritance. Those circumstances also determine to some extent what obstacles we do or don’t have to overcome later in life. We do, however, have a lot of control over how we live our lives and the decisions we make every day. Making poor decisions in either health or finances will eventually catch up to us.
Just like with retirement planning, the sooner you start working on your health the better you will be down the road. If you wait until you get older it is possible to still be healthy into your “golden years” but it will take much more work (and expense). The groundwork for our adult health is laid during childhood, and many chronic diseases that become a problem for older generation are to due changes that start to occur as early as adolescence.
Unlike most medical treatments you do not have to wait to be sick to start using acupuncture. It is perfectly safe and suitable for healthy individuals. When added to a healthy diet, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep it can be a great way to keep oneself healthy. So if you have not tried acupuncture before consider giving it a try and start contributing to your “401(k) of health” today.
