What is Wellness and The Ten Dimensions of Wellness
- Zenani Sizane
- Mar 14
- 27 min read
By Zenani Sizane
In recent years, wellness has been a rising topic in the health sector, as more people have started looking into alternative ways to heal and live healthier and happier. We see that during the 2020 pandemic, people started looking into more natural ways to heal and stay healthy holistically. Since then, we see that more people are pursuing pathways away from western medicine to explore living a holistically balanced life, as it is seen that health goes beyond your physical state, but in how you live your life daily, and how every area of your life contributes to living a longer and more fulfilling life. In this article, we explore the real definition of wellness and how wellness is vital for our health and an overall balanced lifestyle. We will also unpack the 9 dimensions of wellness and how to optimize them for good health.
What is wellness?
People often think about wellness in terms of physical health-nutrition, exercise, weight management etc. This probably due to what is presented on social media and also due to the fact that it is the one dimension that presents tangible and visible evidence, while others are more internal. There are many ways to go about defining wellness, but in order to answer the question “what is wellness?” In simple terms, we would say that “Wellness is considered an active process through which people become aware of and make choices toward a more successful existence. It is considered a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential.”
It is also important to note that wellness is a multidimensional and holistic integration of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Wellness is an act of fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit, and although it always includes striving for health, it is more about living life fully and is “a lifestyle and personalized approach to living life in a way that allows you to become the best kind of person that your potential, circumstances, and future will allow.
What is the difference between health, wellness, and well-being?
As mentioned in the previous section, people often think of wellness in terms of physical health, and therefore use the words interchangeably, however, it should be noted that there are key aspects of health, wellness and well-being as individual entities that differentiate them. Understanding the key differences between health, wellness and wellbeing will help you gain a better understanding on how to curate and assess your own wellness journey and also gain a greater sense of self-awareness and perspective on how to navigate your life in a holistic manner.
In order to understand the difference between health, wellness and well-being is to define the individual terms so that you can get a holistic scope of their key role in achieving a full life for yourself. Wellness is considered an active process through which people become aware of and make choices toward a more successful existence and is a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving one’s full potential. Whereas health is a state of being, it refers to physical, mental and social well-being. Health is a reference to the physical body being free from disease. On the other hand, wellbeing is a state of equilibrium or balance that can be affected by life events and challenges.
The primary differences between health, wellness and well-being is that health is a state of being whereas wellness is the state of living a healthy lifestyle. The difference is that; wellness is always a matter of choices and optimal health comes from wellness, for making decisions and practicing behaviors that are based on sound health knowledge and healthful attitudes. This means that health is a goal, and wellness is the active process of achieving it and well-being is the mindset of striving for optimal health and wellness, and it is the state of being healthy, happy and successful and staying engaged in the activities of their overall wellness despite the challenges and life events that may occur.
How does well-being interconnect with health and wellness?
Well-being is interconnected with health and wellness as it plays a role of staying engaged in the wellness activities that keep you healthy even when you experience challenges. Well-being focuses on having a positive outlook on life and strive for feelings of positivity when approaching various situations and activities. There are certain conditions of living, such as a steady, fulfilling employment, and stable, comfortable housing that are fundamental to a person’s wellbeing. However, well-being also incorporates other aspects of living conditions, including resilience, positive emotions and feelings, quality of relationships with others and the ability to realize one’s potential.
Wellness and wellbeing impact the way someone feels about their life and the approach they take to living every day. The importance of wellbeing is associated with a number of benefits, including contributing to a person’s health, social capabilities, and finances. People who report higher levels of wellbeing may experience a lower risk of illness, disease and injury, improve immune function and a longer life. As a result, your well-being may directly impact your overall wellness and ability to heal from ailments, be productive at work, and contribute to your community.
Achieving optimal health, wellness and positive well-being can play a significant role in the way you approach life and handle everyday challenges with a strong support system and a willingness to continue to work at these needs, you may find that your life feels more fulfilled, and your health improves.
The 10 dimensions of wellness?
Wellness encompasses 10 mutually interdependent dimensions known as; physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, social, relational, intellectual, vocational, financial and environmental. Attention must be given to all the dimensions, as neglect of anyone will adversely affect the others, and ultimately one’s health, well-being and quality of life. Though they do not need to be equally balanced, we should aim, instead, to strive for a personal harmony that feels most authentic to us. Wellness is a personal journey, because we naturally have our own priorities, approaches and aspirations, including our own views of what it means to live life fully. Making the right choices for our health and well-being can be challenging, even when we know what is good for us.
This outline of the 10 dimensions of wellness is a guideline for knowing how to approach each dimension and integrate it into your own life in a way that will not make you feel overwhelmed:
Physical
Your physical wellness isn’t limited to exercise; it also includes healthy eating, proactively taking care of health issues that arise and maintaining daily healthy practices. There are also other healthy behaviors that can help you substantially reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, back pain, and many other chronic diseases:
30 minutes of physical activity at least five days a week.
Limit alcohol intake to one drink once in a while.
Don’t smoke
Eat a healthy diet, which includes plenty of fruits and vegetables a day.
Stretch
Walk for at least 20 minutes a day
In addition, you can reduce your risk of chronic diseases even further by practicing daily stress reduction and sleeping at least 7-8 hours a night.
Emotional
When you are emotionally well, you can identify, express and manage your full range of feelings. If feelings become overwhelming or interfere with your functioning, seek help. When you feel stressed, down or anxious, use cognitive behavioral skills and mindfulness techniques to help keep the blues and anxiety at bay.
Here are some more tips for emotional wellness:
• Break your routine if you are stuck in a rut.
• Manage your energy: build in frequent recovery breaks throughout the day. Sit less, stand more.
• Practice guided imagery to relax and create a positive mood.
• Balance work and personal life: Take time to do things you enjoy.
• Read a positive book five to 10 minutes every morning to start your day off right and shield yourself from negativity during the day.
• Check and monitor your Vitamin D level (it may get low in cloudy months).
• Socialize with family and friends.
• Have an attitude of gratitude – write your blessings down.
• Laugh more often.
• Take five deep breaths when feeling early symptoms of stress. If it helps, think, “I am calm,” as you breathe in and “I am letting all of the stress out,” as you breathe out.
• Make a plan for how to deal with your main stressors.
• Talk to someone you trust about how you feel.
• Know your limits. Do not feel guilty when you have to say, “No.”
• Stay aligned and pursue your dreams and passions.
• Enjoy nature and the outdoors.
• Help others. Compassion for others helps us feel good, too!
Mental
Mental wellness is more than the absence of mental illness. Mental wellness is an internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect and function. It is an active process that helps us to build resilience, grow and flourish. Mental wellness is about prevention, coping with life’s adversity and being resilient when we face stress, worry, loneliness, anger and sadness.
Mental wellness moves us toward a deeper, richer and more meaningful human experience and it is shaped by our individual values, culture, religion and beliefs. Mental wellness can help shift our focus toward a more positive and empowering approach ( how we can feel, think, connect and function better), rather than just avoiding or coping with illness. It emphasizes our capacity to build resilience, to reduce our suffering, find peace and joy and to seek meaning, purpose and connection, which is universal longing shared by all people.
Here are some hacks to improve your mental wellness:
Look after your physical health.
Try to relax and reduce stress
Find ways to learn and be more creative
Improve your sleep pattern
Connect with others
Spend time in nature
Pray
Read
Affirm yourself positively
Be grateful for the life you are living
Eat healthier
Spiritual
There are many ways to seek spiritual wellness out there, however we believe in the only way, you can truly experience spiritual freedom and that is in our belief in Jesus Christ. In order to get closer to the savior of the world and understand the God you are serving, you need to include prayer, reading the Bible, quiet time, self-reflection and open dialogue with your fellow believers. For a spiritually well person, exploring the depths of your existence, purpose and pondering human connectedness, seeking your Creator can uplift your spiritual being to understand that we are all a part of a beautifully written story and that we all have a role to play in this narrative.
Matthew 6:35 says “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all else will be added unto you.” Knowing this can help you remember that your existence is important on this earth, no matter how it came about and been through, you have a Father who has a plan and purpose for you. So, ask yourself this; What would you do in the next 2-5 years if you knew that you could not fail, and that failure was just a step to propel you forward to your destiny.
Creative
Creative wellness means valuing and participating in a diverse range of arts and cultural experiences to understand and appreciate your surrounding world. Expressing your emotions and views through the arts can be a great way to relieve stress. Do not let judgement or perfectionism get in the way of this important dimension of your wellness. Allow yourself creative freedom to doodle, dance or sing without worrying about whether you are doing it well and take time to appreciate others’ creative efforts.
Social
Building a network of support based on interdependence, mutual respect and trust with your friends, family and coworkers leads to social wellness. Developing a sensitivity and awareness toward others’ feelings is another feature of social wellness. Evidence shows that social connections not only help us deal with stress, but also keeps us healthy.
Career
Engaging in work that provides personal satisfaction and enrichment and is consistent with your values, goals and lifestyle will keep you professionally healthy. After sleep, we spend most of our time at work, so it is important to ask yourself if your work motivates you and lets you use your abilities to their full potential. If it doesn’t, you may need to re-evaluate how you spend your working hours. Even if you cannot change where you work, you can change your approach to the stressors and challenges you may face.
Intellectual
Just as a flexible body indicates physical health, so does a flexible mind indicate intellectual health. When you are intellectually healthy, you value lifelong learning, foster critical thinking, develop moral reasoning, expand worldviews and engage in education for the pursuit of knowledge. Anytime you learn a new skill or concept, attempt to understand a different viewpoint or exercise your mind with puzzles and games, you are building intellectual well-being. Studies show that intellectual exercise may improve the physical structure of your brain to help prevent cognitive decline.
Financial
Most people experience financial stress, which can affect people physically, emotionally and psychologically and result in unhealthy coping behaviors. Financial well-being means being fully aware of your financial state and budget and being able to manage your money to achieve realistic goals. When you analyze, plan well and take control of your spending, you can make more significant changes in how you save, and ultimately how you feel.
Environmental
If you don’t think the environment is part of your wellness, consider this: evidence shows that air pollution can cause lung cancer, which is the number one cancer killer in the world. Being environmentally well means recognizing the responsibility to preserve, protect and improve the environment and appreciating your connection to nature. Environmental wellness intersects with social wellness when you work to converse the environment for the future generations and improve conditions for others around the world.
Bonus point: Time Management is an important aspect to all of these dimensions.
Maintaining a harmonious relationship between your work and personal can be challenging. It involves consciously managing your time and energy to meet both professional and personal commitments while prioritizing your health and well-being. You need to be able to efficiently organize and prioritize tasks ensuring that you allocate enough time for work responsibilities as well as personal pursuits, such as spending time with family, engaging in hobbies and pursuing personal goals.
It is also important to have the ability to adapt and adjust your schedule to accommodate unforeseen circumstances or personal needs without jeopardizing work commitments. Just like our diets and staying healthy and energized for the long haul, people need a variety, and when it comes to balancing all aspects of wellness, you need to engage in a variety of activities and rest and not fall into the trap of believing we can be productive all the time.
Here are some tips for managing your time better:
Start each day with a plan
It is important to start your day with a plan, you can either write this plan down in the morning or at night before you go to bed. Your plan should prioritize action items and estimate how long each item will take you. Writing a plan helps your subconscious to work on those plans and you will be able to come up with insights and ideas to help you maximize your productivity and work ahead.
Try the POSEC method
The POSEC method is all about ordering tasks based on their importance and POSEC is an acronym for Prioritize. Organize, Streamline, Economize and Contribute. It is a structure for goals to build upon each other by starting with the goal at the foundation and working your way up.
Minimize distractions
One of the most potentially problematic results of 24/7 connectivity is the constant receptivity to distractions. We need to break up with the thought that blocking out these distractions is a sign of missing out. That is why your priorities need to be aligned with your goals and values, so that you can constantly remind yourself of the things you would like to accomplish.
Pay attention
It is important to track and check how you spend your time and what it is spent on. This will help you understand how much you can get done during the course of the day if you cut out some of the unnecessary activities like chit chatting or endlessly scrolling on your phone. You will see just how much time is actually spent on producing results and how much time you can save on unproductive thoughts, conversation and actions.
Delegate
If you want a balanced life, it is important to not insist on doing everything yourself. We all experience difficulty relinquishing control, but we need to learn to delegate as there are many advantages to it. This will help you in the long run not to burnout, micromanage too many tasks or produce a poor quality of work. Delegating is not a sign of laziness or being week, it is a smart move to reach your goals faster and diligently.
Take Action
Start a journal about your health and wellness. Awareness is the first step toward action. Write down how you are feeling physically, the stressors in your life, what you would like to accomplish and how you would like to feel a week, 6 months, 12 months from now. Setting goals for your well-being can make a significant positive difference in your life and others’ lives.
What will you do in the next two to five years if you know you cannot fail? Put the answer to that question somewhere you can see every single day, [you cannot fail]. Evidence supports that people who write down their dreams and aspirations are more likely to achieve them. Keep this in mind: it takes 30 days to make or break a habit, set one wellness goal for the next 30 days and make it something achievable yet challenging.
The steps you take today to safeguard and improve your wellness can lead you on a journey to optimal health, well-being, self-discovery and satisfaction and this will inspire those around you to embark on their own wellness journey too.
How to optimize each dimension of wellness for a longer, happier life?
The journey to becoming a healthier and happier individual is just that, a journey. Small steps lead to big ones and eventually habits. In order to accomplish certain goals, you need to accomplish small, achievable milestones every day, in order to see the bigger goals come to pass.
Here are 20 simple and realistic steps you can do every day to improve your health and wellness:
Set your intentions
Wellness is a journey, and it is required for you to set your intentions, on what your individual goals are, how you are planning to achieve them and how they will potentially affect those around you and also the type of help you are going to need in order to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. Intentionality also ties into how you are going to do this wellness journey on a daily basis even in situations that challenge your plans and goals.
Spend time with God
Spending time in the presence of God, is the most beneficial and important part of doing a wellness journey and life itself. Not only will you grow in your relationship with God and discover the kind of God you are serving.
It is in your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, that you will realize that as a Christian you have the greatest advantage in Jesus. Because if you submit your ways to the Lord (Proverbs 3:6) that He will give you divine strategies and wisdom on how to conquer each day. It is important to remember that God is your heavenly Father and a relationship with Him is because of Love, but in that, it is vital to know that God will help you (Isaiah 41:10) and He says that “If you abide in Him, He will abide in you” (John 15:4).
Get organized
Stress is one of the biggest obstacles to living a happy and healthy lifestyle. Having a disorganized desk, messy bedroom, and constantly missing important dates and appointments can cause a tremendous increase in stress levels and ultimately leave you demotivated. By decluttering you're living and working space and investing in a physical or digital planner can simplify your life and give you breathing space to focus on the other areas of your life.
Set your goals
Setting goals and writing them down is a great way to stay on task and keep moving forward and give you a sense of purpose. In order to achieve the bigger goals, you need to set bite-sized and realistic goals on a daily and monthly basis that will help enhance all aspects of your life.
Declutter your life
This is a great way of starting over and throwing or giving away some of the things you no longer need can be a great way to reduce stress and boost productivity. Finding a way to tackle your clutter may help minimize anxiety, stress and depression, while focus, a sense of control and productivity is boosted.
Drink more water
It is important to aim to drink enough water every day. Try infusing your water with some fruits to make it less bland.
Get more sleep
You should be getting 7-9 hours of good restful sleep every night. If you have trouble sleeping, try to drink some chamomile tea, do some light stretches, have a relaxing bubble bath and turn off all electronic devices.
Eat healthier
Alot of people make dinner their biggest meal of the day, when it should be breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast filled with fiber and protein will boost metabolism, provide energy throughout the day and can improve focus. It is also important to avoid sugary cereals. Another tip to eating healthier is to try to consume more omega-3s can reduce inflammation, combat depression and anxiety, improve memory and increase mood. Some great sources of omega-3s are salmon, tuna, nuts, flaxseeds and leafy greens.
Stretch
Studies are finding that stretching can improve your health, well-being and quality of life. A lack of flexibility can lead to high blood sugar, sore muscles and stiff arteries.
Exercise
The average person should aim for 10 000 steps throughout the entire day. Exercising prevents health problems, builds strength, boosts and can help you reduce stress. It also strengthens and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body, which helps lower your heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease and heart attack.
Spend time outdoors
Being outdoors can increase mood, lower stress levels, boost creativity and improve the immune system. Fresh air is full of satisfying negative ions, which can boost oxygen flow to the brain. Sunlight causes the body to make vitamin D, which is essential for bone health. About 20-25 min in sunlight should do the trick.
Cook meals
A simple way to become healthier is to start cooking your own meals and eating at home. Restaurants might be enjoyable, but the foods are mostly filled with unwanted sodium, highly processed, sugars and bad fats, which are essentially really bad for your overall health and well-being. Cooking your own meals gives an opportunity to develop new recipes, have control of the ingredients used and also to be creative and make healthier versions of the food you like.
Quiet time
You do not have to sit in a room for an hour to reap the benefits of some quiet time. Just by simply taking 5-10 minutes every day to clear your mind and be one with yourself is enough to decrease anxiety, increase creativity, improve immune system, lower blood pressure, decrease muscle tension, improve headaches, aid in problem-solving, provide self-discovery and increase serotonin which improves overall mood and behavior. Quiet time can also look like reflecting and meditating on bible scriptures or sitting in the presence of the Lord and praising Him for all has done for you.
Make time for family and friends
Spending time with friends and family can be so beneficial for your overall health. Studies have shown that human interaction, especially with good friends and loved ones, will increase your mood and decrease anxiety and depression.
Clean
Walking into a clean home after a long day, can be so comforting and relaxing, though it is not always achievable especially for working moms with children, it can be hard to keep your home all sparkling and clean. There are, however, ways you can still enjoy cleanliness, like making sure you swap your kitchen sponges often and washing your bed sheets as often as possible to avoid things like dust mites, dead skin cells and other germs. This can elevate your health.
Smile more
As they say, it takes more muscles to frown than to smile, studies have shown that the act of simply smiling can instantly increase mood and if you want a super boost, then laugh more too.
Be patient
Whenever you have a big goal in mind, you also need to remember that some things take time, hard work and perseverance. Being patient will help you to stay grounded and remember that there is a perfect time for everything to happen, and of course as a Christian, we know that Our Father withholds nothing good from us (Psalm 34:10). Have faith and be patient, because good things come to those who wait, and in waiting remember to not wait idly, keep working and keep praying for the Lord hears our prayers.
Digital detox
Though technology can be used to our advantage, at times it is needed to step back and switch off the devices for a longer period of time. Social media and digital devices can, at times, steal our joy from us, for we can forget to live outside of this virtual reality where you are constantly fed with comparing yourself to others. Social media can make us feel stuck and as a result have us living in limbo and making us forget to be grateful and see how blessed we are. A digital detox can help you have a positive and productive relationship with social media and other forms of technology.
Give Back
Volunteering or performing simple selfless gestures is amazing for your health and wellness. Helping others is much more rewarding than any other good material-it's truly priceless. Want to start feeling healthier and happier, give back and make people feel how you want to feel and be treated.
Set a routine
The victory is in your daily habits. As mentioned previously, things do not always happen overnight and we need to be patient to see the results we are aiming for, however it is important to set a daily routine that is effective in achieving your goals and living a happier and healthier life. This can look like reading a chapter of the bible every day, waking up earlier, eating healthier and working on a big dream for 5-mins every day. Creating daily habits will help you reach your goals faster.
The 5 key areas to focus on, in order to live a happier and fuller life
Self-Regulation
Self-regulation is central to effective human functioning. It is our ability to direct our behavior and control our impulses so that we meet certain standards, achieve certain goals or reach certain ideals. It allows us to act in our short-and-long-term best interests consistent with our deepest values. There’s just one limitation; self-regulation requires mental energy, and the brain is always looking for ways to conserve energy (save effort). But you have to break through that barrier and rewire your brain to work for you and build a stronger mindset, that allows you to do what you put your mind to, because you need to realize how powerful and able you are to do the things you desire, you are more than able, but you have to believe it and conquer it.
Habits
In contrast to self-regulation, habits require very little energy, as the author “The power of habit” says “Any behavior that be reduced to a routine is one less behavior we must spend time and energy consciously thinking about and deciding upon. With the cognitive economy and performance efficiency of habits, the brain can conserve self-regulatory strength to focus on the important decisions in life and free us to engage in thoughtful activities, such as reflecting and planning for the future.
A habit is a behavior that is recurrent, is cued by a specific context, often happens without much awareness or conscious intent and is acquired through frequent repetition. It is regarded as a formula that the brain automatically follows. Habits are powerful, with about 40% of our everyday behavior repeated in the form of habits, they shape our very existence and ultimately, our future. They are key to wellness, for better or worse, habits very much influence health, wellness and our quality of life.
Inserting new routines is not, despite knowing what is good for us and best intentions, our habits tend to keep us doing what we always do. Studies have shown that habits become encoded in our brain in our brain structure and can never truly be eradicated only replaced with stronger habits, that's why they are difficult to change, so if you are striving to improve your habits, you need to think about habits, because it is not so much your willpower (self-regulation) that is an obstacle, but your habits, which will require you to completely rewire your brain to replace behaviors with better ones. When you change your habits, you can change your life for the better and in order to change your habits you need to change and create new routines.
Self-awareness
Change becomes achievable when you pay attention to who you are and create and introduce new routines that take advantage of your strengths, tendencies and aptitudes. With self-awareness, you can cultivate the habits that work for you. Consider circadian rhythms, as they reflect our natural tendencies for sleeping and waking and influence our energy and productivity at different times in the day. The odds of success to improve your fitness won’t increase if for example you decide to rise an hour earlier to exercise each day when you happen to be a night-owl rather than morning lark.
Self-awareness includes knowledge about other aspects of self as well. Self-awareness requires you to have a deeper knowledge of self in order to fully regulate and delegate which habits to change and the kind of routines to set in place that are going to work in your favor in achieving complete transformation.
Strategies
Change becomes more achievable, when you choose strategies that enhance your change for success. These strategies include monitoring, scheduling, investing in systems of accountability; abstaining; increasing or decreasing convenience; planning safeguards, detecting rationalizations and false assumptions; using distractions; rewards and treats; pairing activities and beginning with habits that directly strengthen self-control. Most successful habit change requires the coordination of multiple strategies to establish a single new behavior and new habits, on average take 66 days to form, so the more strategies used the better.
Where to start with your wellness journey and how?
Starting your wellness journey can get quite overwhelming with the amount of information you may receive on social media and the internet. It is important to remember that wellness is a personal journey for the betterment of you and the life you want to live, so also remember that you do not have to tackle everything all at once, the only thing you have to do is to make sure that you create a plan that is totally authentic to you and the life you want to live.
Here are some key steps to consider and implement for a successful wellness journey:
Start small, Grow big
Beginners tend to inadvertently set themselves up for failure by starting out too big. Build upon your goals, it is essential that when you get started with your wellness journey you are setting it up to work for you and only you. Remember everyone’s idea of a wellness journey is unique and will look different.
Your wellness journey should be about loving yourself unconditionally, avoiding burnout, being comfortable in who you are and who Jesus made you to be, prioritizing spiritual growth with God and not comparing your journey to others and embracing the discomforts of life and just being the best version of yourself.
Be intentional
This will help determine whether you are embarking on this wellness journey for the right reasons. To do this, you need to evaluate what needs to change in your life to make you feel healthier and happier. It can be anything from eating healthier, exercising, more sleep, growing more in your relationship with God, detoxing social media, etc. it is important to know what you are looking to improve on so you can make it relevant to you.
Make your wellness journey holistic
Your plan should not only fit your needs and aspirations, but it should also be realistic enough. Give yourself flexibility and acknowledge where your gains are coming from. When you are looking to build your wellness journey, it is essential to look at your life and health holistically rather than just one area. Make a list of all the other areas that are important to you and determine the areas that need improvement, you can do this by rating them on a scale of 1-10 and depending on the scores, work on the ones with the lowest scores.
Keep a Journal and reflect
We consume so much content in our day-to-day basis that we are influenced by others without even realizing it. Reflecting and keeping a journal will serve as a reminder and help you along your journey to see what needs to be done and adjusted and also recognise your wins no matter how small they are. A win is a win. When it comes to social media, it is important to curate and carefully choose what you consume and who influences you. Truthfully, we do not need so much influence and as Christians our #1 influencer should be Jesus via the Holy Spirit and reading the Bible on a daily basis. So, we need to be mindful to ensure that those who are influencing us align with your core beliefs and values.
Create a vision for your wellness journey
It is important to be conscious of things like setbacks in your wellness journey. Setbacks happen and your wellness journey doesn’t have to be done or over whenever life gets it the way. So, it is important that once you have established your intentions, built some excitement and motivation around your new journey, creating a wellness vision will help you remember your why.
A wellness vision will highlight everything you want to achieve and how you want to feel. This vision will fuel your excitement and passion to reach your goals. Your wellness vision will serve as a reminder of why you began this journey and by reading, writing and printing it out and keeping it where you can hear it or see it every day.
It is also a great reminder to refer to whenever you feel stuck or discouraged. As a beginner, it is important to know what you stand for in the sense that you understand yourself, your wants, and goals and then make the commitment to achieve them and as long as you remain committed and refining the plans, you are able to keep going.
Set Boundaries
Set clear boundaries before starting your journey and during the process. This might look like limiting the amount of toxic information you consume on a daily basis, so that you do not get sucked in the dark side of wellness and social media in general. This will prevent you from comparing yourself and your journey to someone else’s or getting caught in unhealthy dietary trends. Setting boundaries on your wellness journey can even look like allowing yourself to not strive for more and just being for a while. Journaling and reflecting will most likely help you to stick to your wellness plan and also enhance a sense of trust in yourself.
Practical action plan for a successful wellness
Using the “smarter method” to set your goals and achieve them is a practical way to keep track of your progress.
Specific
Your plans and goals need to be detailed and specific, you need to clarify your goal by asking, what is the achievement? Why is it important and who else in going to be involved in the process and plan.
Measurable
You must be able to track your progress as this helps you to stay focused. This will also allow you to feel a sense of excitement as you get closer to your goal.
Achievable
Don’t make wishes! Your goals need to be challenging but they also need to be attainable. So, make your goals achievable, as you cannot sit around and wish for them to come true, you need to put in the necessary work.
Realistic
You have to be honest with yourself when writing down your goals. Are you capable? (Philippians 4:13), do you have the drive and commitment? Do you have the means to reach your goals? Now as Christian, the question is not whether we can do it or not or whether we can afford it. The real question is “what did God say?” “Is this aligned with His plan and purpose for your life? Once you have established that, you can then map out your plan and strategies and believe that God will show you the way and He will literally provide for every need. It is important to note that there many free resources out there to start businesses, you just need to search it out. You have to believe that you can do it (John 11:40), so that you can face challenges and obstacles with confidence that God has your back and that He will help you out whenever you get stuck. This is our greatest advantage as Christians, we have help and that we never have to walk alone on this journey. #BLESSED!
Time-based
Put a deadline in place so you have something to work towards. You will be more efficient with your time and be able to prioritize the time, habits, etc. that will get you closer to your wellness goals.
Exciting
Make your goals enticing and inspiring. You don’t want them to feel like a chore as it will put you off. Your goals have to excite you, no matter how hard it gets. This might be the hack you need.
Recognize and Reward
Regularly reviewing your progress and celebrating your small wins, will make your journey to reaching your goals a lot more enjoyable. You will gain more momentum, when you actively look at results and reward yourself once you hit your goal. The more you make your goals satisfying, the more likely you are to stick to it.
Benefits of a wellness journey
Feel physically great and in shape
Boosts productivity and focus
Grow closer to God
Manage stress
Reduce the risk of chronic diseases
Improve your sleeping pattern
Enhance mental health
Strengthen relationships with others
Cultivate a deeper sense of self-love
Build self-confidence and self-esteem
Live a more fulfilling and purposeful life
Reduce feelings of depression and anxiety
Boost energy and motivation
The Darkside of wellness
The fundamental definition of wellness has become exaggerated and blurred, particularly with the rise of trends such as the "That Girl" aesthetic. Wellness is a concept that is supposed to be positive, but it is quickly becoming more daunting, toxic, and pretentious, with a plethora of false information.
The wellness trend has become centered around unnecessary and unaffordable expensive beauty products and treatments, to super lavish retreats and toxic health diets, that essentially messes with yourself image and relationship with food. It is sad to see people buying into these wellness trends to make them feel younger, eat cleaner and be healthier and fitter.
The truth is, that you don’t need to drink green smoothies or do Pilates every morning to be well, you absolutely can if you genuinely enjoy them, but if you don’t, it is not a train smash, this gives you an opportunity to seek out what you like even if it is unconventional to the wellness industry.
It is critical to understand that wellness does not have to be a complicated process. Wellness may be simple, economical, sustainable, and largely rewarding as long as you put in the effort to become the greatest version of yourself, even if it does not look like what Instagram/TikTok influencers do and present in their 3-minute reels.
Our best advice is for you to do what you know, and feel is natural to you. You don’t need to buy all the expensive products, what matters is that you become holistically well by staying true and authentic to who you are and who you want to become.
Final Thoughts
Wellness is a journey, and it is important to remember that sometimes change takes a long time and requires repeated experiments and failures. But for ongoing improvement, the attempts are unquestionably worthwhile, and one success often leads to another. When thinking about habits, wellness, health, well-being and the quality of life you aspire to. Wellness is not going to be a quick-fix solution. It is a lifelong process that you need to work on every day.
Make sure you are enjoying the process and aim to make it as fun as possible for yourself, so that it doesn’t start feeling like a chore. The key to any good wellness journey is to build it to work for you, do not copy what everyone else is doing and instead figure out what optimal health looks like for you and then create a wellness routine around it.
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