Overview
Introduction to the Four Circles of Health and the interconnectivity and health and money.
Health Connections
For the financial wellness cold open, let's jump straight to a game of "Would You Rather."
Scenario A
Would you rather...
(1) Earn 3x the national average salary, but feel excessively stressed daily
(2) Earn 1.5x the national average salary, but never feel stressed
Scenario B
Would you rather...
(1) Be wealthy, but never feel good enough
(2) Be financially comfortable, and feel good about who you are
Scenario C
Would you rather...
(1) Spend heavily and often on new fitness tech and "miracle" supplements
(2) Maintain sustainable, affordable diet and exercise habits without the latest gear and trends
How did you answer? Did you have to carefully consider each option? Have you already made some of these decisions in real life, but are reconsidering your approach?
At this point in my life, I would opt for Option 2 in all three scenarios, because I value health over wealth (though I certainly aim to have both). In questions A and B, the premise is that you can have more money, but for some reason, your health is worse. In question C, you choose between trying to buy wellness, or simply maintaining physical health using proven, unflashy methods. These are very common decision points for people in the real world. To be completely honest, I spent a lot of good years in the Option 1 camp, where I thought money was the solution to everything. Eventually I discovered that wellness is a more worthy goal. The good news is, with the right mindsets and methods, you can make choices that are good for your money and your health.
Simply put, money don't exist in a vacuum. Your financial health affects and is affected by the rest of your life, especially your other health factors. Depending on who you are, that might be a really, really great thing! Or, it might really suck. Let's quickly define financial health.
Financial Health Defined
Financial health is a state of being where your finances are a consistently healthy and positive part of life. This means that the way you earn, spend, invest, and view money should be a quality, sustainable part of your existence. For that to happen, it needs to also perform positively alongside your physical, mental, and social health.
Financial health is a state of being where your finances are a consistently healthy and positive part of life.
The Four Circles of Health
Check out my diagram of the Four Circles of Health. Notice how each circle overlaps with the others, implying situations that involve two or more circles. In the very center, you can see that all Four Circles can overlap. Can you think of anything - good or bad - that would hit the bullseye?
Here is a crash course on what each of the Four Circles of Health represent:
Physical health = the health your body
Mental health = the health of your mind
Social health = the health of your relationships (including family, friends, romantic, coworkers, strangers, and perhaps most importantly, self)
Financial health = the health of your finances
The graphic below is another way to visualize how the Four Circles of Health represent your body, mind, relationships, and money.
A traditional example of the intersections of health and finance lives in the relationship between money and mental health. In recurring studies conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA), Americans list money and work among their top
stressors. In the “Stress in America” survey conducted in 2022, the APA reported that 66% of Americans were stressed out about money, and 66% were stressed out about work (also worth noting is that 49% were stressed about personal health concerns).[i] The funny thing about money is that most people have to work for it – it isn’t optional. My conclusions from these survey results are that the majority of American households have to work for money, and work is stressful, and so are finances. And ironically, people often think a promotion and higher salary is the solution for most of life's troubles. Ouch.
The correlation between financial health and stress levels (mental health) is undeniable. And don't forget that stress negatively affects the body, and it can certainly show up uninvited to our social interactions. Here is a short list of some other common intersections between a person's finances and their physical, mental, and/or social health:
•Medical debt and divorce are consistently among leading causes of bankruptcy
•Mental health and social health impact job opportunities and performance
•People do their best work when healthy (I know from experience)
•Money issues are a leading cause of divorce
•Toxic relationships can be physically, mentally, and/or financially unsafe
•Certain employers require credit rating thresholds for prospective employees
•People try to buy self-esteem and self-confidence
•Financial stress strains the mind, body, and relationships
I could keep going for hours, but honestly, it's better practice for you to come up with other examples. What other examples - positive or negative - can you plot on the Four Circles?
My Four Circles Journey
I discovered the Four Circles of Health as part of my own wellness journey. Realizing these connections helped me find my way out of recurring patterns where I placed too little value on my health, and for that matter, my value as a person. Binge drinking, emotional eating, obesity, high blood pressure, chronic pain and inflammation, to name a few. Exploring the Four Circles also helped me find methods to manage the anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and excessive stress that I've experienced throughout my life. By incorporating the Four Circles into my decision making, I've been able to improve how I feel, how I spend, my relationships, and my work performance, all while feeling more fulfilled.
Pics or it didn't happen? Here are some photos of me at 25 (left) and 21 (right). Hung over in both frames, 50+ lbs above my current weight, stage 2 hypertension, constant pain, and no healthy habits to manage my anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Woof. The physical appearance wasn't the problem, though I admit that during this era I looked like I'd been stung by a bee. The problem was that I wasn't giving my life the respect it deserves. I kept thinking that more money would make me feel better, and despite meeting my financial goals consistently, it never really did.
Here I am at 32, after completing the Tacoma City Marathon. This was five months after releasing my financial wellness book, Healthy Dough: Ingredients for the financial health you crave. What a stretch of fulfillment! It was a day to celebrate the many gifts of life, the health of my mind and body, and my commitment to seeing the value in being who I want to be. One of the happiest days of my life.
Wrapping up
The Four Circles of Health are the foundation of my content and every decision and perspective in my personal life. Hope you find it helpful!
Here is your homework:
Think about what you want your Four Circles to look like. Assess where you are now, and what you might be able to do to get where you want to be.
In the comments... what are some other situations, behaviors, circumstances etc. that you can place within in the Four Circles of Health?
References
[i] American Psychology Association & Harris Insights & Analytics LLC. (2022). Stress in America. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022/october-2022-topline-data.pdf
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