Twenty-Plenty Wellness

2020, the dawn of a new year, a new decade and new possibilities. It seems a spirit of renewal is in the air, and the trend is infectious.

What does this new period hold for you? No matter what you aspire to do, you need a reliable vehicle to get you to your destination. This vehicle that I speak of is your body, mind and spirit. How do you keep this vehicle well maintained when it is constantly on the go, and the world seems to revolve faster, leaving us with never enough time to get to everything? Work, school, bills, economic upheaval and damage control, family responsibilities, having a social life, having time to yourself, being stress-intolerant, getting sufficient sleep, eating healthy foods, being active on a regular basis, achieving all your goals and being active in your community (deep breath). Is this even realistic?! I mean, who has enough time to live so holistically, better yet, are they human?

The bad news - there are only 24 hours in a day. The good news - everyone has the same 24 hours. Every day is an opportunity to tweak the distribution of your time and resources available, to enhance your quality of life and strive for greater balance. In one word this is wellness.

“Wellness is the complete integration of body, mind, and spirit – the realization that everything we do, think, feel and believe has an effect on our state of well-being.”

Greg Anderson

Wellness is an active and individual pursuit. It’s not a grand destination but rather a process that you engage yourself in constantly, through intentions, choices and actions. Think of wellness as dynamic, existing on a continuum that extends from illness to optimal health and wellness. But here’s the thing. The absence of illness does not automatically mean you have an equal but opposite amount of wellness. Passiveness eventually leads to weak links in one or more areas and sub-optimal health if it persists long enough. Waiting for avoidable problems to pop up before doing something about it isn’t the best way to approach your health and wellness. Instead, adopting attitudes and practices that are proactive and in turn preventative will enhance your wellness.

“If you think wellness is expensive, then try illness.”

Anonymous

Still easier said and done, right? By simply beginning, you are one step closer. Do an audit of your life against the eight dimensions to figure out where you are doing well or possibly neglecting your well-being. Be realistic in your efforts and to your unique set of circumstances. In areas of uncertainty, empower yourself with practical knowledge from reliable sources and social support. Acknowledge your humanness and remember that the trajectory to anything worthwhile is a challenge and an opportunity for growth. At the end of the day, the sum total of your wellness will come down to consistency and your attitude toward enhancing your well-being. Lastly, be kind and patient with yourself.

Yours in Wellness,

Natalie

References

Gavin, J., & Mcbrearty, M. (2018). Lifestyle Wellness Coaching (3rd ed). Human Kinetics.

Global Wellness Institute. (n.d.). What is Wellness ? Retrieved January 25th, 2020, from https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/.

Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25th, 2020, from Full Circle Community Wellness: https://www.fullcirclewnc.org/other-local-wellness-providers.html