Ever wondered what a GP actually spends on their health and wellbeing? DOSE Magazine did too! The below interview is a bit of fun but it did really get me thinking about what I spend on my health and wellbeing every month. When we think of budgeting and finances, it's common to hear of people splitting their budget into categories such as living expenses, leisure, charity donations, savings and investments but an allocated spend for 'health and wellbeing' is usually pretty neglected. I really like the idea of having a specific budget for wellbeing, it brings health back into focus and highlights the importance of prioritising it just as we do with everything else. What do you spend on your wellbeing every month and why? Here are some ideas to get you thinking!

• nutrition
• exercise
• sleep
• relaxation/stress management
• counselling/psychological therapies
• bibliotherapy
• health checks/MOT's
• dental care
• health insurance/income protection

What a GP spends on her wellbeing

HOW MUCH DO YOU SPEND ON YOUR WELLBEING PER MONTH?

£100-200

Exercise: £30/month – gym membership/online subscriptions during lockdown. I also love to do Yoga with Adrienne and with Shona Vertue who have a host of free classes on Youtube.

Relaxation: I love the Calm app Meditation £28.99/year or £2.40/month and always have a candle from Neom £16 to help me relax at home – my faves are the De-stress and Sleep scents. Pre-lockdown my monthly treat was a massage at Boutique Spa whose therapists do an awesome deep tissue (I buy a 10 pack so the massages work out £40/hour).

Nutrition: I’ve made a big effort to improve my diet this year by going plant-based. I shop locally to support local business and probably spend £80/month on fresh fruit and vegetables. I also take Vitamin D3 supplements 1000IU daily from November to March, otherwise I don’t really tend to use supplements in my diet.

Home & lifestyle: Not a monthly thing but I’ve bought some beautiful houseplants from my local garden centre during lockdown (£10-£30). I also invested in a pair of blue-light screen glasses from Izipizi (£40) as I was working such late shifts at NHS 111 and all the screen-time was starting to affect my sleep. I love trying out new skincare products but haven’t bought any for ages as I’m working my way through a hoard of gorgeous products from the Liberty beauty advent calendar which I was given as a gift last year.

WHAT A GP SPENDS ON WELLBEING: GYM MEMBERSHIP, PAY-AS-YOU-GO CLASSES OR BOTH?

Both! Pre-lockdown I’d use my gym for workouts and strength training then dip into Classpass or go to Indaba for Yoga classes. During the pandemic I’ve been lucky to enjoy free trials on fitness apps offered to NHS staff. One of these is Fiit which has an incredible variety of on-demand classes (£10/month) and I’ve really enjoyed trying out the dynamic pilates classes at Heartcore which are really challenging (prices from £5/class).

HOW HAVE YOUR SPENDING HABITS CHANGED DURING LOCKDOWN?

At first I spent more than usual on food and wine, I think we all went through that phase when the trip to the supermarket was THE highlight of the week! You soon realise it’s not good for your health (or your bank balance) and reign it in. I also invested in a personal styling subscription from Stitchfix for a few months which was really good fun and helped me to find some key items that were missing from my wardrobe. Overall, I’ve developed healthier spending habits as I’ve been working more from home, spending less on takeaway food/drinks and have become more conscious of what I spend my money on.

Read the rest of the interview here.

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