Wellness: Practicing a state of being
Wellness is a word that’s thrown around quite a bit these days. Concepts that immediately come to my mind around this: health, self care, and well-being. I’m taking a step back to reflect on what wellness means. It feels important. It feels like it should be obvious, but it’s not. What does it mean to be well? That we are functioning? That we are thriving? That we are disease-free? That we are optimized?
What if it’s a state of being? An existence that ebbs and flows like the tide. Living well feels synonymous with living intentionally.
If we look at wellness as a process, it is evident that there is no destination. No finite achievement. Wellness is a practice. It is a balance of each of the dimensions of our being. What are the pieces of ourselves that, when added together, comprise our wholeness? The parts that should be identified and brought to the forefront of awareness so they may be treated with the intention they deserve. The wellness they crave. The wellness they need. For me, the dimensions of wellness can be distilled into mind, body, and soul/spirit (MBS). My wholeness can be held by these three pieces of the pie. My existence as an intellectual, emotional, social, physical, spiritual human being is represented in MBS.
Maybe wellness is what happens when we choose, time and time again, to connect with and nourish each of our dimensions. To treat ourselves like the whole beings that we are, MBS. To make choices that honor and respect ourselves and our voices. To both identify and listen to what we need in any given moment, in any given situation. To trust our most authentic voice as the last word. To continue on the pursuit of self actualization. To hold space for our truest selves in the midst of all that exists in our worlds. All that changes constantly. All that comes and goes.
Does this mean we are free of struggle? Free of ailment? Free of disease? No. Does it mean we are doing the best we can? That we are consciously choosing to harness the power in that which we can control? That we are intentional in our existence? I believe so.
So maybe the question isn’t so much “are you well”, as “are you practicing wellness”?
If this resonates with you and you'd like to discuss how to be more intentional about your wellness, reach out and let’s chat!
