Physical Health

When we think of health, we typically think of physical, visible health; this is the antiquated health narrative. This outdated concept of health typically considers that which we can see. It's easy to “see” when our health is off by simply looking in the mirror: body weight, clarity of skin, brightness of eyes, and other superficial changes. But our physical health is often a reflection of what's going on where we cannot “see.” Physical ailments, unless we're talking scrapes and bruises, are often the manifestation of the unseen. Now, technological advancements (otherwise known as health‐tech) are progressing both the visible and invisible realms of health.

Technological advancements are bringing visibility to the invisible attributes of physical health. Here are some relatable examples. A few months into the pandemic, I bought an Apple Watch, but I didn't buy it to tell me the time; rather, I bought it to monitor my blood oxygen level. There's no way I (or anyone else) could “see” my blood oxygen level without the help of the Apple Watch (which is considered wearable technology). Another relatable example is the Oura Ring, which is also a wearable providing visibility into the invisible. Over brunch, a friend showed me her Oura Ring analytics while scrolling through the sleek user interface on her phone. We could see all the biometric data the ring collected, which was organized in a fun and visually informative way. It's mindblowing how much information is now at our fingertips (sourced from our fingers). But like all types of information, it's what you do with it that really matters. This biometric data can inform how we structure our days (how we eat, sleep, and exercise), in order to optimize our health. In other words, we can use quantitative data to make qualitative changes.

Consistent health monitoring and data streaming enhances the ability to personalize and customize health regimes. My Apple Watch shows me tons of personalized and customized information. For example, it tells me how many calories I burn exercising in the morning. Personalization. And it also tells me what the current UV index is here in Miami. Customization. Melding these two together, the UV index influences when I exercise outside, because I try to avoid peak UV times. Sunscreen is helpful, but not when it's dripping off my skin. My friend's Oura Ring gives her a sleep score each day, after measuring the previous night's rest. The ring measures metrics like REM sleep and nightly heart rate. Based on this information, she wakes up to a sleep score that influences how she might structure her day. A 90% sleep score means heading to the gym and taking on those heavy weights. A 65% sleep score means taking it easy and leaving the heavy lifting for another day.

This leads me to the point that managing health is behavioral; behaviors that technology can influence and support. Digital natives (i.e., millennials) are most inclined to buy and use wearables to measure and inform their daily health decisions. Millennials are a subset of consumers who really value personalized health. But regardless of how much quantitative data you have, qualitative behavioral changes are hard, which is why wearables and health apps are implementing the power of gaming. Healthcare gamification means applying gaming principles, gaming design, and gaming mechanics to improve the health of the user.⁵ Health is much more than just avoiding the flu these days. A Goldman Sachs report captures this perfectly: “Defining Healthy. For millennials, “healthy” doesn't just mean “not sick.” It's a daily commitment to eating right and exercising.”⁶ Needless to say, everyone is reimaging their health practices, especially since the onset of the pandemic. During the pandemic, I researched which vitamins were best to prevent contracting the virus. I bought all the vitamins and lined the jars along my countertop, like a row of toy soldiers willing and able to combat the bad guys.

In addition to wearables and health apps, advancements in health‐tech extend beyond the way we prevent ailments, and into the way we identify and treat ailments. Think telehealth: seeing a doctor without “seeing” a doctor. This is another example of the advancements in health, à la technology in the digital world. Remember when we thought WebMD was the (online) place to identify an illness without stepping foot into a doctor's office? Telehealth is an example of technology making healthcare more accessible, in other words, democratized. Moving healthcare online enables more people to access healthcare services (by taking geography out of the picture). This is particularly special for accessing specialists in times of urgent need. Often, time is of the essence with health concerns, and telehealth options allow for quicker diagnosis and treatment. Remote‐treatment monitoring supports self‐care processes and aftercare. Additionally, telehealth technology can be used to see psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors—who help with all things relating to mental health (more on this in the next section).

The digitization of health and healthcare provides X‐ray vision into our health and habits. Perhaps the cost of an Apple Watch or an Oura Ring may seem out of budget, but the upside is optimization of health and avoidance of large medical bills in the future. We each have to weigh the pros and cons for ourselves, of course. But it's fair to say that investing in yourself, in your health, is a good move—financially, too.

While technological advancements are advancing visibility into the invisible, thereby informing and changing our lifestyles for the better, there is the potential pitfall of becoming too addicted—dare I say—to technology. Consequently, this is a great segue into discussing mental health.

Mental Health

This particular section (in this chapter) is dedicated to mental health; thereafter, we'll transition to the section on spiritual health. But first, I wanted to point out that the two carry similar archetypal, characteristics, with mental health referring to the health of the mind and spiritual health referring to the health of the spirit.

By definition, and in essence, mental and spiritual health embody the invisible archetype, because of their intangible, ethereal nature. What's beautiful is the high value people are placing on the invisible forces of mental and spiritual health. The qualitative aspects of invisible health are hard to pin down, but society is increasingly open to appreciating and prioritizing them anyway. Mental and spiritual health naturally highlight the need to honor invisible health. After all, what's the use of having money and a healthy body when your mind is anything but? Your mind and spirit are the operating system of your hardware. Put simply, the mind and spirit animate the physical body.

It’s also worth spotlighting that there is a bridge between mental health and physical health. Good mental health positively affects physical health, and good physical health positively affects mental health.⁷ This is often referred to as the mind‐body connection. Further, adding a temporal element in here, studies show that your mental health in the past affects your physical health at present, and your physical health in the past affects your mental health at present.⁸ Our intuition knows this. Because humans have subjectivity, mental health is different for each person—based on each person's complex matrix of being. That said, there are fundamental undercurrents of commonality representing a healthy (and an unhealthy) mind.

In the past, a person's mental state was often discussed in terms of “mental illness” rather than “mental health” or “mental well‐being.” Mental illness focuses on the presence of disorder, whereas mental health focuses on the absence of disorder. There used to be an emphasis on illness rather than on health, but the sentiment and language shifted around the 1980s, when the topic of mental health became more accessible and better understood.⁹ This positive shift in narrative aligns with the current emphasis placed on prevention (rather than treatment), which we also see in the physical health arena. Prevention is now at the forefront of physical and mental health discussions, made possible by all the research and information available on the topic, plus technological advancements within the space.

To preserve a healthy mind, we must consider what causes an unhealthy mind. Ultimately, there are many factors at play, but one thing is for sure: stress is likely involved. Stress is the largest and most prevalent strain on mental health. The tensions of stress comes from many sources, which mirror a lack of each of the 5 Principles of Invisible Wealth; stress comes from a (perceived) lack of money, health, knowledge, status, influence, time, energy, experiences, and relationships. Our body's stress responses aren't designed to handle the multiple streams of stress that are consistently coming toward us these days, due to our increasingly high‐octane, multidimensional world.¹⁰ Because constant stress is so prevalent today, we even have a term for it: chronic stress.

“Constant stress draws from the invisible field around our body and depletes our vital life force, leaving little energy for repair and restoration.”

—Dr. Joe Dispenza

Chronic stress impacts both physical and mental health. The American Psychological Association's latest survey revealed that 66% of people said chronic stress causes them physical symptoms, and 63% said chronic stress causes them psychological symptoms.¹¹ Physically, think diabetes, cancer, and an overall weakened immune system. Psychologically, think anxiety and depression. Studies suggest that American's are more stressed today than they were in the 1990s, largely due to technological shifts creating a nonstop flow of information and expectations from device to person. Additionally, the pressures and stressors of the pandemic certainly boosted this reality. In 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, the focus was squarely on physical health—and rightly so. In 2021, the American Psychological Association issued a warning of a second pandemic, the pandemic of mental health, that would persist even after the physical threat of the virus was addressed.¹²

We're living in wildly unique times, where external events are beyond the scope of what anyone's seen before. As a result, the effects on our mental well‐being are beyond the scope of many people's coping capabilities. We're revisiting our mental models and concept of the world in order to make the day‐to‐day more manageable. This is inspiring us to think about the way we think. Fortunately, many people can now access psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors through telehealth sessions to help navigate and manage these turbulent waters.

Speaking of water, have you heard of the stress bucket model? It's a model used to visualize and identify what's causing you stress, and what can be done to reduce that stress.¹³ It's a constructive analogy and goes something like this: pretend you're holding a bucket, and different streams of stressful events pour into that bucket, gradually filling the bucket up. When you pour water (aka stressful events) into the bucket, it is fine for a time, until the water starts getting too high (aka a breaking point). In order to prevent your bucket from overflowing, you can create holes (stress releases) at the bottom of the bucket to release the water—keeping it from getting too heavy and overflowing. This model helps in conceptualizing the fact that too much stress gets heavy and leads to a mess. Not good. Therefore, managing stress is essential for your mental health.

Uncharacteristically, I'll approach the topic of managing stress with a glass‐half‐empty perspective, for sake of conversation. Stress is hard to manage, because of its nebulous nature. Stress is the nervous system's response when situations demand more resources than are available; pragmatically, much the same as financial stress. Managing stress is especially challenging when you're unable to peg it to a particular origin, situation, or stream of conflict. However, the holes at the bottom of your stress bucket are designed to release pressure regardless of what stream contributed to the pressure. The more holes, the better; the more stress management tools, the better.

A holistic approach to stress management is essential, so what are the best tools to manage this intangible force? Consider:

1. Physical exercises
2. Breathing exercises
3. Eating nutritious, well‐balanced meals
4. Getting proper sleep
5. Limiting alcohol and caffeine intake
6. Connecting with others, laughing
7. Positive thinking
8. Limiting (social) media

These tools are fundamentally familiar, but they too, deserve revisiting. The last tool on the list, limiting (social) media, is an important one, because technology provides a nonstop flow of information and expectations from device to person. While there are positives to this, there are also negatives. Chronic expectations lead to chronic stress, which is why a “media diet” is on the menu of stress management tools. A media diet is to the mind, what a food diet is to the body. The point is to screen your screen time. The phrase “don't let the tail wag the dog” comes to mind. In this context, it means don’t let technology control you, but rather, you should control technology. The absence of technology can be just as mentally healthy as the Apple Watch constantly monitoring your physical health—it’s all about balance.

We don't know what the future holds, in terms of external stressors and pressures, but we do know that some level of stress will always exist in our lives. It is the inherent nature of this game called life, full of twists and turns. Even positive changes cause stress on our systems, like getting married, receiving a promotion, or having a child. These events are fundamentally positive yet paired with change and, therefore, stress. The key is developing mental strength so that you have the capability and capacity to take things on—head on.

Spiritual Health

Spiritual health, the health of your spirit or soul, is the least definable and quantifiable aspect of health, yet it's receiving lots of attention and priority these days. There are many broad‐reaching, fluid definitions of spiritual health—some intertwining with religion, others with the meaning of life. The etymology dictionary provides the following, for “spirit” as a noun:

Mid 13‐c., “animating or vital principle in man and animals,” from Anglo‐French spirit, Old French espirit “spirit, soul” (12c., Modern French espirit) and directly from Latin spiritus “a breathing (respiration, and of the wind), breath; breath of a god,” hence “inspiration; breath of life,” hence “life;” also “disposition, character; high spirit, vigor, courage; pride, arrogance.¹⁴

Additionally, let's read the definition of spiritual health from the National Library of Medicine for guidance. Its study concluded: “Participants defined spiritual health in three dimensions: religious, individualistic, and material‐world‐oriented. The study revealed four types of connection in spiritual health: human connection with God himself, with others, and with nature. The majority of participants stated that spiritual health and spirituality were different and pointed out the following characteristics for spiritual health: it affects physical, mental, and social health; it dominates other aspects of health; there are religious and existential approaches to spiritual health; it is perceptible in people's behavior; and it can be enhanced and improved.”¹⁵

To distill this all down, it feels appropriate to say that spiritual health does not relate to the body or the mind, but, rather, something bigger than us, something supernatural that is consequential in the way we find meaning in our lives. It's what we “see” without our eyes and without our minds. That said, it's easy to see why so much value is placed on spiritual health for those it resonates with. The question then becomes, how do we fortify spirit? Timeless tools include:

1. Spending time in nature
2. Expressing gratitude
3. Watching the sunset or sunrise
4. Finding and indulging in your creative outlet
5. Living in the present
6. Practicing yoga
7. Meditating
8. Breathing exercises

Each of these tools embodies the invisible archetype, and you can trust that your intuition knows which tool(s) is best for you. For example, you might turn to the power of positive thought, focusing on the quality of thought. Or to meditation, focusing on the stillness or absence of thought. There are technological innovations that support mental and spiritual health, like meditation and breathwork apps. But ultimately, spending time in nature and watching the sunset is the antitechnology; the antitechnology that updates your software (programming). By definition, or rather, by nature—spirit maintains its integrity by just being, the value of which is not measurable by metrics; it is unquantifiable.

“What you think, you become.”

—Gautama Buddha

Beyond technological innovations lays the revisiting of psychedelic therapy to treat and strengthen mental and spiritual health. This therapy includes the use of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD to treat disorders like depression, anxiety, and post‐traumatic stress disorder. “Classic psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD bind to the serotonin receptors, changing how the neurotransmitter experiences mood, cognition, and perception … the networks in the brain become more connected and less organized, causing profound changes in consciousness and perception, sense of space, time and reality; the drugs also appear to promote neuroplasticity or the ability of neurons to remodel and form new pathways of communication in the brain.”¹⁶ With this in mind, it's understandable why the word psychedelic was coined by psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1956, meaning “mind‐manifesting.”¹⁷

Humans have used psychedelic substances since ancient times, finding psychoactive properties in various plants and fungi. In ancient times, shamans used drugs to access the spiritual world. Fast‐forward to the 1950s and 1960s, and much research and use was underway. Peer‐reviewed papers, books, and conferences were floating into the minds of many.¹⁸ Psychedelics expanded into consciousness and culture. Take, for example, the fact that Jim Morrison's band (The Doors) took their name from Aldous Huxley's book (The Doors of Perception). Huxley's book discusses his experiences with the psychedelic mescaline.¹⁹ Or the Beatles’ use of psychedelics as inspiration for much of their music. With expanded use, however, came expanded concern from regulators. In 1970, regulators enacted legislation, classifying many psychedelics as illegal.²⁰

Legislation aside, many—including those in the tech world—continued using psychedelics to improve their minds, souls, and … work. Famously, Steve Jobs was a proponent of LSD as a tool for unlocking his creative superpowers. That said, perhaps Apple (founded in 1976) was a consequence of psychedelic use; Apple, and other tech innovations that shape our current world (and economy).²¹ Today, psychedelic therapy is experiencing a mainstream resurgence, a renaissance, and regulation is looking supportive.

This psychedelic renaissance could have profound implications on the (holistic) health of individuals, and the economy. Here's how: Clinical trials are revealing the mind‐bending benefits of psychedelic use, which means economic benefits, as well. The psychedelics market is projected to reach $6.85 billion by 2027, and will likely grow much more as drugs are approved.²² Needless to say, this is a paradigm shift in the arena of physical, mental, and spiritual health; one that's supportive of health, creativity, connectedness, and innovation.

A final thought. Clearly, people are placing more attention and priority on health—physical, mental, and spiritual health. And with demand comes the opportunity to democratize and monetize. Entrepreneurial minds (perhaps psychedelically inspired) are creating innovative ways to support mindfulness and meditation, through apps like Headspace, Calm, and Breathwrk. These are a few examples of modern technology supporting the use of ancient technology. The wellness market is healthily growing. In a 2021 McKinsey study, it estimated that the wellness market was worth $1.5 trillion, and growing at 5–10% each year.²³ Further, the expectation is a shift toward wellness services (rather than goods)—for example, personal training and counseling. The demand is shifting from the tangible to the intangible, in health, as well.

“Whoever values peace of mind and the health of the soul will live the best of all possible lives.”

—Marcus Aurelius

Living

The quality of your life is built by the quality of your daily decisions. The concept may seem rudimentary, but daily decisions are anything but simple. Nowadays, technological advancements and societal shifts are completely changing what we value and how we organize ourselves. In practical terms, this primarily relates to the way we work and play. Working and playing (socializing) are now available and amplified via technology. We're well aware of the evolving work landscape, considering: remote work, entrepreneurship, the gig economy, creator economy, and the most recent cherry on top, the Great Resignation. Each consideration supports the notion that we are trending toward a landscape where land (geography) doesn't matter.

“Freedom is the greatest fruit of self‐sufficiency.”

—Epicurus

The shift to online has huge implications for quality of life, because it allows us to become geo‐flexible or location agnostic. Talent and relationships can live anywhere. We saw a lot of geographical exploration happen as a result of the pandemic, when people started exploring new places to live, even if just for a time. A group of people started to relocate from point A to point B, and others followed. This movement was likely (more significant) because of technology and the influence of social media. People moved like schools of fish, together, in search of an optimal location that supported a higher standard of living (relative to where they came from). People self‐organized based on shared values. There was, and remains, a renewed sense of community, more cohesion, support, trust, and therefore well‐being. Even if you didn't move geographically, you likely moved sentimentally—closer to those around you, smiling at the woman at your local café, more often than before. Despite all the destruction we collectively experienced, there's an air of romance in the air; the romance for life, falling in love with your life.

Positive daily decisions, whether they relate to physical, mental, or spiritual health, are motivated by the desire to improve your life. And improving your life often leads to improving your health and longevity. With a longer life comes the need for a deeper wallet, to financially sustain and thrive throughout the years. And with a longer life comes the potential for delaying decisions, such as marriage, purchasing a home, and having a child. These decisions contribute to the quality of your life. Financial decisions also contribute to the quality of your life—including how we make and spend our money.

Working

Not to rehash the obvious here, but remote work is a game‐changer. Along this same thread, hybrid work is also a game‐changer. Think about how much time is saved commuting to and from work. This has huge compounding effects on how we spend our time. The time saved from a 30‐minute commute, therefore one hour each day, can be spent on something you value. Your choice. This is a massive win in the realm of enhancing quality of life. And who thought the donut effect (referenced in Chapter 3) sounds anything but healthy?

Quality of life also depends on how often we do what we enjoy. The “how” of working has changed, but so has the “what” along with the “why.” Entrepreneurship, the gig economy, and the creator economy are unlocking opportunities to align with work you find enjoyable, interesting, and important. Finding meaning in work plays a huge role in physical, mental, and spiritual health. We're seeing that the pathway to wealth creation can be paved with purpose, and play.

Playing

Play is an important contributor to the quality of life. Yes, play. The Online Etymology Dictionary says play as a verb is:

Middle English pleien, from Old English plegan, plegian “move lightly and quickly, occupy or busy oneself, amuse oneself; engage in active exercise; frolic; engage in children's play; make sport of, mock; perform music.”²⁴

Coincidentally, each descriptor for the etymology of “play” fold into the toolkit for fortifying and improving physical, mental, and spiritual health—all of which are important for quality of life. We came into this world playing as kids. Our default state is to create, to build sandcastles, only to knock them down, knowing we can rebuild the sandcastle again. There's inherent joy in creation, and this joy should be preserved throughout the totality of our lives—whether it finds itself in work or outside of work.

Play, by its essence, is unshackled from the constraints of real boundaries. From a professional perspective, it allows for imagination and human ingenuity—the stuff innovation is made of. From a personal perspective, play lets us connect with others in ways that defy the mundane, constrained elements of life. Play increases positive emotions, bonding, communication, and overall relationship satisfaction, which adds so much to the quality of our lives. This is true of playing online or in real life (IRL). To this end, the gaming industry is booming because the demand for play is booming.

People are reconceptualizing the structures and boundaries of the past, creatively reimaging the future—gamifying life. Gamifying life means treating your life as if it were a game: setting goals, developing a plan, reaching goals, and rewarding yourself. There are even apps available to support in the gamification of life! And with demand comes the opportunity to democratize and monetize. That said, the gaming industry knows no boundaries—no longer constrained by place, time, or physical reality.²⁵ In a recent Ernst & Young report, it estimated that the gaming industry exceeded $193 billion in global revenue, and the expectation is this growth will continue. By 2025, the gaming industry is expected to generate $211 billion in revenue, with mobile gaming contributing $116 billion.²⁶ This is yet another example of new marketplaces coming online.

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

—George Bernard Shaw