Business ROI of Good Health

Feb 10, 2014, Written by Sue Miley


You create your luck by being healthy and not regretting the past or being anxious about the future.

I was thinking about the past two weeks this morning.  I slept through the entire night last night.  Finally, after two rounds of meds the doctor has tried, I can finally breathe.

Now that I can breathe and sleep, I feel 300% better.  I can concentrate again.  I can get things done.

The interesting thing is the change in my mindset.  I feel energized and excited about my business and the prospects of the future.

Good Health Pays

Two weeks ago I was so run down I was fantasizing about downsizing.

Our health makes a huge difference!  Almost immeasurable.

Nothing has changed externally.  Well actually, here in Southern Louisiana we had below freezing temperatures, a little rain/sleet, and the city shut down for 3 days.

Since I started breathing and sleeping better during that 3 days, the impact to business didn’t bother me at all.  I just shuffled appointments and got caught up on many production tasks.

Our health makes a difference.

Poor Health Leads to Poor Attitude

So this morning I was reading an article or list by James Altrucher called “The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Starting and Running a Business.”  The very last line said:

You create your luck by being healthy and not regretting the past or being anxious about the future.

It was interesting that I was thinking about writing this post about how feeling good physically really changes our mind set.  That worry about health can take away significant focus and concentration and actually make us feel trapped.

Now, I am not into luck per se and if you read his article he isn’t really either.  He is saying we need to make wise decisions about our business to create our own business success.

I believe that we need to certainly do our part and use the gifts and skills that God has given to help us achieve His God-given vision.

But I think maybe James Altrucher has experienced the negative drain of poor health, both physically, and then caused by anxiety.

Three Areas of Health

Here are a few thoughts on healthy living, healthy mindset, and dependence on God as the Great Healer:

1. Physical Health

We all have our areas of weakness, our kryptonite.  Mine is sinus problems.  Yours may be heart issues, auto-immune problems, chronic pain, etc.  There is a plethora of information on the web now about how to be proactive about caring for our health.  Yes, it is the now common, “wellness approach.”

Think about God looking down.  He is saying to himself, “ You are really going to overeat (gluttony) consistently, over-drink, self-medicate, not exercise, and ignore your doctor?  Now you are praying to me about your health problems.”

As a society, we do this.  (Not everyone, just a ton of us!)  We eat fast food, we sit at our desks for hours, we use caffeine and energy drinks to pick us up and cover up the headache, and then we go home and sit in front of the tv.

And we are frustrated that we don’t feel good!

I do it with my sinuses.  I want to use the nedi pot, take the antibiotics, and stop drinking milk and wine (two irritants) when I am completely stopped up.  Once I can breathe again it all goes back in the cabinet til the next time.  And the time in between keeps getting shorter.

One key step to better health is to change to preventative, proactive, healthier living with a focus on our own particular kryptonite area.

2.   Mental Health

Mental health is putting the past behind us and not worrying about the future.  We can learn from the past.  We can repent about the past that we caused i.e. my unhealthy sinus habits.  But dwelling on the past and worrying about how it will affect the future is a waste of time.  Analyze, learn and move on.

The Bible, in Matthew 6:26-34, tells us that it is a sin to worry.  Verse 34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” We are called to trust Jesus to take care of our needs.  Worrying about the future only:

  •  creates self-fulfilling prophesies
  •  affects our mental health which research says impacts our immune system and creates physical health issues
  • affects our relationships because we are distracted and usually a bit grumpy.

Worry has no benefit in the long run.  Again, analyze what you are worrying about (quickly), see if there is anything to learn, and then move on.

3. Spiritual Health

I don’t believe we can have a wellness lifestyle without our spiritual health.  And having the true blessing of a life with Jesus requires us to seek and work on this relationship constantly.

I still believe we are all different and our relationship with Jesus will match us, and our path of seeking may vary, but I think that all of us need to be:

  • proactive
  • dependent (on Him)
  • consistent

This alone can have an impact on our mindset, but I believe that Satan uses our physical and mental ailments to pull us down in our attitude and confidence about our business endeavors and other activities.

We may cling to God more.  And yes as He promises in Romans 8:28 He can use all for good for those who believe.

But we don’t have to go there.

We will all be better off just focusing and maintaining our relationship with Jesus proactively, rather than using him like an antibiotic to fix everything after we feel terrible.

His timing may not align with ours at that point.  And who could blame Him.

Basically, my summation from the past few weeks of on again off again health is that having good health, physically, mentally, and spiritually, will have a significant return on your investment.  This return will be realized in all areas of your life, including your business.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sue Miley

Sue Miley MBA, MA, LPC helps small business owners build successful businesses on a foundation of Christian values. After 20 years in business, and 10 years as a Christian counselor, Sue uses a combination of faith, business and psychology to help clients in business and in life.

Related Posts

you are replaceable at work

“You are replaceable”

By Chad Schoonmaker | November 28, 2023

We were sitting in a boardroom at an oversized conference table with the entire marketing department in the room. It was a weekly marketing meeting. […]

Read More
small business owners vacation

How Much Time Off Should Small Business Owners Take

By Sue Miley | November 20, 2023

As Thanksgiving approaches, like many small business owners, I find myself in a mad rush to complete tasks so I can take most of the […]

Read More
How To Manage Stress At Work

How To Manage Stress At Work? Where Does Your Anxiety Come From and How To Reduce It

By Jim Miley | October 26, 2023

Building a business is hard work. Whether you start from nothing or take over a large team, there are headwinds, rough seas, and obstacles you […]

Read More