When our bodies are like well-oiled machines, life is good. Things flow. But when we’re out of whack — say, from a chronic illness, a broken arm, or high blood pressure — it completely changes things.

I know someone who came down with covid. Okay, so I know several people, obviously. But this person that I’m talking about, prior to getting covid, was the healthiest person I knew. They’re in their early 20s, vegan, have a secure living situation, and generally take really good care of themselves. At two weeks in with their infection, they were still only about 70%.

This got me thinking about the costs of not being well.

There are the obvious ones, like big hospital bills and co-pays. You could also include the price of medications — and not just the financial cost of the meds (thank you, Big Pharma) but also the long-term side effects of taking them.

Not to be left out, we could add the future problems with your current health issue (think: having a stroke in the future because your blood pressure has been high for a long time) as well as the financial burden of being down for the count for any length of time. Whether it’s two days, two weeks, or two months, you a) don’t get that time back, and b) there’s usually a negative ripple effect to taking unplanned time off.

Another cost of not being well is the impact health issues can have on relationships. If you suddenly find yourself the caretaker of another human and you hadn’t planned on that being the case, it can create issues within the relationship dynamics. I’ve seen it happen with several people I care about, and it’s an intense situation.

Your personal energy is also impacted. This could mean your energy levels are low, leaving you feeling drained and uninspired, or maybe you don’t have the energy to do fun things that feed your soul such as playing with your kid/grandkid/pet. It could also include your subtle energy body, which, without going full woo woo, also has a direct impact on your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

Take a moment and think of the ways you could improve your overall wellness, down to a cellular level. How often do you feel crappy? What’s your sleep hygiene like? How do you support yourself with the foods you eat? If you feel like crap a lot of the time, ask yourself: Do I want to continue to drag that forward? What’s the price to pay to continue on in this way?

Once you decide to make shifts in your life, the ripple effect will be positive, and your life will turn to one of being absolutely vibrant.

It’s time to live in Technicolor, my friend.

If you need help and support on your wellness journey, join the Rituals For Longevity Program and learn the tools you can carry with you for the rest of your life.