What Does Wellness Really Mean?

What Does Wellness Really Mean?

Jul 14, 2021Pip Summerville

The World Health Organization, defines wellness as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. 

The concept of wellness isn’t something new. In fact, the idea of wellness stretches back to ancient Chinese, Greek and Roman cultures, which all emphasized holistic approaches to achieving health, well-being, and harmony within one’s life. Sounds dreamy right?!

Many of these concepts of wellness are still true today, as we manage even more life challenges than our ancestors did. Wellness should include a balance among multiple life dimensions: emotional, physical, social, spiritual, environmental, financial, intellectual and occupational. 

Today, all dimensions of wellness are interrelated and crucial to a fulfilling life. There are so many ways one can work towards feeling “well”. Here’s a few tips;

Create a wellness goal

As complicated as our modern-day lives are, it’s no surprise that few, if any of us, are able to maintain and optimize all areas of physical, mental, and emotional wellness.  Typical wellness goals include maintaining a healthy lifestyle, reducing stress, managing medical challenges, increasing fitness or nurturing creativity to fulfill personal and professional goals.

Make a plan

Finding the right combination of support to achieve wellness in our lives is different for each of us.

Depending on your unique needs, wellness plans may include personal training, life-coaching, nutrition counselling, healthy aging and beauty-boosting, complementary support to medical treatment plans, mind-body services, outdoor experiences, and other areas of service. The ideal program will produce recognisable ( for you ) results, and promote long-term wellness habits that are sustainable.

What are the benefits of Wellness?

Optimal wellness is unique for each of us, but the ability to fulfill our obligations, as well as our dreams is perhaps a common goal, we all share. By proactively making wellness a life priority, we are equipped to better manage expected and unexpected physical illnesses and psychological challenges. Businesses measure wellness in terms of higher productivity, increased innovation and creativity, reduced illness, and reduced absenteeism. In our personal lives, many use words such as happiness, increased energy, positive emotions, pain-free, and peacefulness. When we internalize wellness, we are able to activate the benefits in everything we do, which in turn spreads to others in our lives.

Remember; wellness is a totally subjective term. To be "well" for someone could mean being totally ripped, exercising twice a day, eating purely clean meals while for someone else it could mean travelling the world, meditating daily, watching sunrise each day.

There is no wrong answer here. It's about making choices in your life that make you feel good.  The wellness industry is booming because ultimately most of us are trying to find a quick fix to make us feel good. But it's not about that, it's about making lifestyle choices that will not only make you feel good now, but for your lifetime.



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