This 1 thing is a 'worthy investment' in your health and wellness, executive coach says—even as costs rise

CNBC

04-06-2025

The probability of a recession occurring this year stands at around 40%, according to a report released by J.P. Morgan at the end of May. While it is a much lower estimate from even a month ago, consumers still have some reservations and some admit to experiencing economic anxiety.
At the same time, 82% of U.S. consumers consider wellness a top priority and continue to invest in it, according to an April report from Capital One Shopping.
Stevi Gable Carr predicts that consumers will begin to decide which health products are worth the investment and which are not, especially as costs remain high on items like eggs and President Trump's tariffs cause worry about "uncertainty" in the future. Gable Carr is the founder and CEO of WISe Wellness Guild, a consultancy and media agency with a focus on wellness.
"I think we might see a downturn in some wearables and maybe supplements that aren't tried and true or vetted or FDA-approved," she says.
"I think we are going to see a really big shift into things like mental health, the democratization of therapy."
Investing in wellness does not have to end in someone breaking the bank, Gable Carr, who is also an executive coach, tells CNBC Make It. Some investments stand out as a higher priority than others, and she believes mental health is one of them.
"If I were going to make one suggestion, prioritizing your mental health if you are feeling that's something that's going to be a challenge for you, I absolutely say is a worthy investment," Gable Carr says.
Giving the proper attention to your mental health, and investing in the necessary resources, is not something that Gable Carr thinks people should cut corners on.
"People are using ChatGPT and AI as a therapist. And while I think that is wonderful for scaling access to these types of things, I am still a bit skeptical about the replacement of a real human, being able to connect with you when you might be in a place of mental health crisis," she says.
"If I were going to put my money towards one thing, it would definitely be in working directly with a therapist or a counselor in any capacity."
Gable Carr finds that improving your mental health can lead to positive changes in your occupational health and financial health as well. When people don't view each of those three aspects as a "triangle relationship," it can lead to negative outcomes, she explains.
"In where we are today with the wealth gap, there's a lot of pressure for people to continue to grind, and they are abandoning a lot of other pieces of their life in order to go and try to make more so they can consume more," Gable Carr says.
"We've almost taken the human out of human , and we created human doings. I think that the human has not served us."
Connecting with a mental health professional isn't always easy financially, Gable Carr acknowledges. Even spending more time with loved ones and less time alone can have benefits for your happiness.
"I do think that art of gathering is going to be something that we really see in this next phase that is going to be prioritized," she says.
"Getting back to just connecting with one another, sitting down for dinner together again, not eating in our cars, not being on our cell phones all the time."