If you ask ten people what “wellness” is, you’ll probably get a few “Umm…”s and some pretty diverse definitions of the word. In a culture that hyper-focused on wellness, we’ve done a poor job at precisely explaining what wellness actually is. The dictionary defines wellness as, “The state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal.” According to University of California - Davis, “Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is more than being free from illness; it is a dynamic process of change and growth…a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.” I like the University of CA – Davis definition better. It highlights how active the pursuit of wellness is. Wellness doesn’t seem to be something “achieved.” Put differently, there is no measure of wellness, no goal to reach where, once reached, you are well forever. Instead, wellness is something we consistently must work at throughout our entire lives. Sometimes that proves to be very difficult, as in times of stress, but other times it feels easier. In part, wellness is so difficult to define because it means very different things to everyone. For one person, being well might equate to playing with grandkids. For another, it might mean keeping depression at bay. However, even these examples don’t fully encapsulate wellness. We often tend to focus wellness around what’s wrong or what needs improvement in our lives. For example, if chronic back pain is preventing someone from concentrating at work, his definition of wellness might revolve around the physical self or a capability to complete occupational tasks. While that’s certainly not incorrect, physical wellness is only an aspect of wellness; this reflects the adage, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Focusing on what’s ailing us isn’t inherently an issue, but over time, it can create a cycle in which we’re constantly triaging the next so-called issue that pops up. One month chronic back pain afflicts us, then we can’t sit in a car for long periods of time to visit grandkids, then we begin to isolate ourselves, and so on. If we treat each individual issue separately, we’ll never catch up; there will always be something else to triage. Instead, our focus should be on cultivating complete, holistic wellness throughout our lives in attempt to mitigate some of those problems in the first place. If we build a solid foundation of health, in those times where we fall into a spell of anxiety, we can utilize the other resources we’ve created in ourselves. Here are some ideas about what wellness can entail, in no particular order. Take some time and think about what’s applicable in your life. Are there areas of your health that aren’t ailing, but could use some attention to contribute to a solid foundation?
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