What is Wellness and Why Does It Matter?
Wellness is a word we see a lot in our visual travels.
It sounds good, it sounds like something we should be reaching for, moving towards, but what does it really mean and why is it important in our busy lives?
Wellness can have a variety of meanings and what is most important is that wellness fits you and your own needs.
Whether it be a random pause in the middle of a busy afternoon that costs nothing except a personal check-in or a five day retreat in the mountains that costs plenty, the first step to adding wellness to your life is figuring out the why of it all.
Here is the dictionary definition:
Wellness is the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal.
This is different for everyone, but a simple way to gauge adding more of it to your life is how you feel after. Better is the goal.
Another way to consider wellness is to think about a stressful moment in your world and adding something to reduce that heart palpitating feeling that stress can cause.
What is your go to wellness practice? If you don’t have one, here are some ideas.
- Taking a deep breath or many in the middle of a hectic day
- Going outside and looking up at the sky, the stars, the moon, the birds
- Volunteering somewhere
- Making a donation to your favorite charity, (Try making an anonymous one and see if that feels different in your soul)
- Sending a card, old school snail mail for no reason
- Taking a walk or going for a run or a bike ride, or a cold plunge
- Going for a drive to someplace you haven’t been
- Remembering to catch a sunset or a sunrise as you begin or end your day
- Putting your phone down for a certain time in the day and really connecting with your family
- Having a random potluck dinner with friends you have been meaning to hang out with
- Taking a hike
- Attending a lecture
- Eating a hot fudge sundae in the middle of the day
- Attending an art exhibit
- Yoga, pilates, weight lifting, working out
- Stretching before you get out of bed in the morning
- Creating a budget and following it
- Writing, drawing, reading, journaling
- Gathering shells or stones at the beach
- Getting a manicure, pedicure or reflexology
- Scheduling a day or an hour of beauty, a facial, a manicure, pedicure or your hair blown out
- Eating well
- Making time to hang out with your friends
- Calling someone you love without a reason
- Smiling at a stranger
- Having conversations with family about wills and end of life care while you are healthy
- Hugging someone a few moments longer than usual
- Cooking for someone who is sick or needs some love
Anyway, the point here is that are so many opportunities to bring more wellness into your world and these are only a few examples.
Wellness is about creating more consciousness in your life that brings more feelings of feeling better each day rather than waiting for …. the vacation, when the kids are grown… when you retire… for that special day…
What is your wellness list? Maybe today is the perfect time to give it your attention.
Feeling better is never a bad choice, your life is now. Enjoy it.
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