Wellness means various things to different people. For many people, wellness means physical fitness, holistic care, happiness, relaxation, emotional balance, stress reduction, quality of life and spiritual health. However, many people agree that wellness is more than just being free from illness; it’s a proactive way of living.
Defining Wellness
One of the leading resources on global health, 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.
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.
Creating Wellness Goals
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. Wellness retreats and holistic spas are often essential partners in identifying and reaching wellness goals. Typical wellness goals include maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress, managing medical challenges, increasing fitness or nurturing creativity to fulfill personal and professional goals.
Achieving Wellness
Finding the right combination of support to achieve wellness in our lives is different for each of us. All-inclusive wellness retreats can help achieve wellness through a focus on the multiple life dimensions of the whole person. Individualized wellness plans integrate Eastern and Western philosophies, and naturopathic components address underlying causes of mind-body illness or imbalance.
Depending on your unique needs, wellness plans may include personal training, life-coaching, nutrition counseling, 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 immediate results, and promote long-term wellness habits that are sustainable.
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.
