What is Wellness?

Wellness is multi-dimensional container for our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Wellness isn’t something you do, it’s a state of being. Of course, we need to take actions steps to birth forth a better state of being through practices like awareness and then take initiative, for awareness without action will continue to keep us stuck and stagnant.

It takes great courage to self-assess and be honest about our own shortcomings and the proverbial pitfalls we encounter. Often, we get in our own way. We can be our own best friend and our own worst enemy. Tara Brach teaches this wonderful concept called “Tend & Befriend.” The level of courage it takes to call yourself out is underrated and must also be tempered with immense self-compassion and radical self-acceptance. Once we confront our shadow in this way, we can begin to take stock of where we are and where we want to be. This is a great first step to getting us moving in a better direction!

A Wellness Wheel is both a useful and practical self-assessment tool, acting as a compass, guiding us towards cohesion, connection and wholeness. This is one of hundreds of tools that exist in this genre and one of my goals is to use this forum as a means to helping separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak.

Below is a link to a wellness wheel. Print it out and take some time to take stock of your current state of well-being. We are all just one choice and one change away from creating a different outcome. Whether it’s losing weight, budgeting finances better, changing our friends circle, practicing self- care or moving our bodies more, taking the first step, although challenging, is all it takes to get the ball rolling!

https://www.clarion.edu/student-life/health-fitness-and-wellness/office-of-health-promotions/wellness-wheel-2.png