Colleen Flaherty – Health On a Budget

I recently had a conversation with my sister Theresa who is a 48 year old single mother around the difficulties that many encounter when trying to get quality healthcare on a budget, often choosing to put their children’s health before their own. After giving me permission to use her images and statements 2023-06-20_21-46-36 we discussed the stress of going to the doctors, how healthy eating isn’t affordable and what we can do to find some peach and relaxation at the end of the day.

The ability to go and actually see a doctor is taken for granted by many people.  Even with insurance, the co-pays, prescriptions and missed hours at work often overshadow the benefits of taking the time to go in.  Mixed with the balancing and prioritizing of appointments for self vs child(ren), the scale often tips on the side of the family.  Going to see a physician often comes at a personal risk of judgement and questioning the reasons of why one waited so long.

With a record number of children and families that are food insecure, issues with local/regional farming industries, and the still existing impact of inflation, that number will soon be on the rise again.  Beyond the cost of fruits and vegetables, the gift of time is something that many who are balancing it all don’t have a lot of.  That includes cooking and sitting down to have conversations as a family unit.  One way that has been addressed is the increased trend of fast food taking the place of the home cooked meal, which is not the best for your health.

While food and healthcare may not always be affordable to the busy, working families, there are options out there that can be embraced.  Taking a walk during a lunch break, or doing some breathing exercises at your desk will help to reduce stress (and they are free); Head to the beach for a mini-daycation and leave the rest of the stress behind you.  We only have one life, we need to live it, enjoy it and find peace and beauty in it.