Recession Proof Yourself

My grandfather used to say, "Better tighten up your belt". He was referring to the conscious act of being conservative in times of financial strain. I grew up with a lot of common sense references just like that one. I use them on a daily basis to help me make decisions.

This may be the first time in the lives of most that we may actually begin to see (reap) what we have sewn. So batten down the hatches, tighten the belt, weather the storm and do what you have to do to survive. Interestingly enough, this depreciation comes to light in a time when our early ancestors were doing this very same thing. Preparing themselves for the long winter ahead meant rationing of food and supplies that they had secured during the three previous seasons.

I will speak more about the meaning of the solstice in my next post. Today I want to make some comparisons to what you can do for your health and well being as they can be related to the economy and the housing market. In other words, how to recession proof your health.

I just finished reading an article about how one can retain value within the home during a time of falling real estate prices. The first tip was to buy a home in a neighborhood of better homes. This simply means to be sure that the neighborhood you choose to buy in has as good or better quality homes than the one you own or are considering for investment. This will help your home to hold it's value. One can compare this to the quality and retention of your health and wellness by looking at the individuals you choose to maintain in your social circle. Quality, health conscious individuals will set an example, maintain consistency and provide social support for their peers when times get rough. Social support is among the top three reasons exercisers and those concerned with their health stay strong and succeed where others may fail.

The next tip is to make sure the home's infrastructure is sound. Plumbing, septic systems, wiring and foundation all play a vital role in value retention. How's your infrastructure? Eating well, exercising, challenging your brain and stress relief all have great influences on how your body will hold up and function as we age.

So what can one do if maintenance has not been a priority? This question brings us to the next tip which is a remodel. Bringing up the value of a home with a remodel can be a tricky thing. Surface remodeling may help a little but to really get the value of your efforts and your dollar to increase, one needs to remodel the most important parts of the home. Remodel the infrastructure first. Take care of the foundation of what holds the home together and makes it functional. Just like the home, the body needs to be remodeled from the ground up. Get all the moving parts in working order. Fruits, veggies, essential fatty acids and clean, lean protein with adequate exercise, social support and stress management will grease the joints, patch the cracks, clean the pipes and insulate the walls.

It's time you know. Avoidance can only keep us from truth and reality for a short time. Maybe only until the foundation gives way. The harshest part of this reality is you never know when it may happen since you really can't see the condition of the vital parts of the foundation.

Get involved and take action. A remodel doesn't happen over night. Changing your lifestyle for the better doesn't either. Small projects everyday is the key to home and self improvement. Exercise and eat well the Habitsforming way.

Rochelle Gravance
Habitsforming.com