Health is wealth

I mean, I already know that health is wealth — my experience last year was definitely a validation and verification of that ten times over. But it really hit me this week in how it relates to my literal wealth.

Right now I work in jobs where my health is important, critical, to my ability to earn income.

While I was working in corporate at a desk job, it kind of was okay if I got sick because I could still work from home without infecting the entire office (maybe in Australia you get sick leave but in my jobs in the US I definitely did not, though I do know a few people working in the States who do have sick leave separate from paid time off) whereas now if I get sick, my employers definitely don’t want me working — can you imagine your yoga teacher is guiding you in a croaky voice while hacking up a storm, or your barista at your favorite bakery coughing over your coffee and croissants?

And then there’s the matter of income. Back while I was in corporate I was working salaried jobs where my income was set by a yearly rate, regardless of how many hours I worked, whereas now I’m working as a casual employee, which means that I’m paid by the hours I work. Now my ability to earn money to support myself is actually dependent on being healthy both in medical terms and physical fitness.

Then there’s not just a matter of sickness but also the physicality of my work. At the studio, I’m moving with the students as I teach. I also program my own classes which means regular self practice and movement. At the bakery, I’m standing on my feet for 8-9 hours a day, sometimes carrying heavy items. My work depends on my ability to remain physically healthy, so it’s imperative to take care of my body.

I wonder if people who work more physically demanding jobs take better care of their health. Now that I’m generating income from these types of work I’m more aware of how important health is for certain jobs in order to make a living — I’m thinking fitness instructors, tradies, hospitality staff, sex workers, and more. I’m not sure if it’s necessarily meant that I’ve taken care of my body differently — for one, I’m definitely not getting enough sleep as I'd like to, but a big part of that is staying up late after work to work on the job search — but I’m definitely more cognizant that if I don’t take a break and properly rest, I’ll run myself ragged and screw myself over in the future.