What Is Wellness?

TIME STAMPS: 1:32- Global Wellness Institute 5:29 - National Wellness Institute 7:01 - WebMD 8:12 - Biggest Takeaways 9:25 - Health & Wellness Hello everyone...

To answer this broad question we will

First take a look at some definitions from 3 different sources:

• The Global Wellness Institute (which in my totally non biased opinion is my favorite)

• The National Wellness Institute

• WebMD

I'll go through each of those 3 sources highlighting some important information along the way. At the bottom of this page, I'll summarize the main points that all 3 of these sources have in common to provide a condescend version of the most critical aspects of what wellness is.

Global Wellness Institute

The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.

Wellness is an individual pursuit. I cannot emphasize this enough. What works well for you, may not work well for your friend, significant other, or even family member. You really have to undergo trial and error to figure out what practices of wellness works best for YOU!

There are two important aspects to this definition.

• Wellness is not a passive or static state but rather an “active pursuit” that is associated with intentions, choices and actions as we work toward an optimal state of health and wellbeing.

• Wellness is linked to holistic health—that is, it extends beyond physical health and incorporates many different dimensions that should work in harmony.

"Wellness is Multidimensional."

1. Physical - healthy body through diet, sleep, exercise

2. Mental - learning, positive thinking, creativity outlets

3. Emotional - feelings, human connection,

4. Spiritual - Purpose of existence outside of physical world around you. Religion

5. Environmental - physically by not being exposed to things such as molds and other potentially hazardous toxins, but also your atmosphere at work and home

National Wellness Institute

The first sentence on the National Wellness Institute’s website: "Mindfully focusing on wellness in our lives builds resilience and enables us to thrive amidst life’s challenges."

1. Wellness is a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential.

2. Wellness is multidimensional and holistic, encompassing lifestyle, mental and spiritual well-being, and the environment.

3. Wellness is positive and affirming.

Their definition: "Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence."

6 Dimension of Wellness: Theirs is a little bit more specific..

1. Physical - The benefits of regular physical activity, healthy eating habits, strength and vitality as well as personal responsibility, self-care and when to seek medical attention

2. Intellectual - Creative and stimulating mental activities, and sharing your gifts with others

3. Emotional - Self-esteem, self-control, and determination as a sense of direction

4. Spiritual - The development of belief systems, values, and creating a world-view

5. Social - How a person contributes to their environment and community, and how to build better living spaces and social networks

6. Occupational - The enrichment of life through work, and its interconnectedness to living and playing

1. I do really like at the end when they have these 3 questions to address before undertaking any activity:

   1. Does this help YOU achieve YOUR full potential?

   2. Does this recognize and address the whole person (multi-dimensional approach)?

   3. Does this affirm and mobilize peoples' positive qualities and strengths

WebMD

WebMD uses Dictionary.com’s definition of “wellness” as: “The quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort.” Here, we see again that word effort or active approach used in a wellness definition.

Summary

1. Wellness is Multi-demential. Again, you can have up to 9 or even 12 different dimensions, but I think there are 4 dimensions found in every definition of wellness that are absolutely critical. These are:

   • Mental

   • Physical

   • Emotional

   • Spiritual

2. Wellness is an active pursuit - Wellness is NOT a one time achievement. It's super important to keep up on these practices on a consistent basis. They are called practices for a reason. The more you do them, the better and easier they will become like a positive snowball effect.

3. Wellness is individualized. Again, as I may sound like a broken record, the best way to achieve wellness for YOU is trial and error to figure out which practices work best for YOU

Sources:

• https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness

• https://www.nationalwellness.org/page/Six_Dimensions

• https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/2016/01/27/what-is-wellness