What is wellness to you? How do you perceive your state of health? Is it a priority? How often does your health dictate the decisions you make in life? Just because one does not have any particular complaint does not necessarily mean that one is healthy.
Furthermore, often times we get used to old aches and pains and before we know it, it is part of our "normal" reality and we forget what it was like before the onset.
So, what does health and wellness look like? Health and wellness is not something to achieve or to finally obtain, "Yes! Now that I have completed my 10-day juice fast, I am finally healthy!" Wellness is an act, a continual process that is self-directed and always evolving.
Wellness involves the choices we make, on a day-to-day basis, within each moment, that either brings us towards or away from experiencing a more fulfilled existence.
Wellness is multidimensional and holistic, encompassing the physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, social, and occupational aspects of our being.
"Being healthy" or "living a healthy life" is the interconnectedness and interrelationships between each of these dimensions.
So yes, wellness can be a complex concept and in today's world there is a vast amount of information available.
But what you can always count on is that wellness is yours to define. You know yourself the best. So ask yourself, what is wellness to you? Feeling overwhelmed, as you may not be living the healthy life you just imagined? Remember health is a process that will always be evolving for you as you continue to make healthier choices.
On a personal level, when it comes to making healthier choices, I will imagine aspects of my life that I would like to see change.
Let's say, for example, I'd like to be more fit and have physical activity a regular part of my routine. And when the alarm clock goes off at 6 a.m., I think to myself, "Jenica, you really should get out of bed and get to the gym."
This mindset places me somewhere outside of where I want to be, creating an opportunity for feeling guilt or anxiety about not making the choice that coincides with my goals.
What I find more effective is to commit to making choices, which reflect who I really want to be. So, instead, I will say to myself, "Jenica, this morning I choose to get out of bed and go to the gym because I know that I want to be more fit. This choice reflects the change I want to make."
With this approach, I create an opportunity to feel empowered by the choices I am making for myself. In this way, I am more likely to spring out of bed and hit the gym! So, when it comes to your path of wellness, it is not a question of what you should or shouldn't do, but what you choose to do.
Accept your starting point and remember, it's all about your choices - however small and seemingly insignificant, that makes all the difference.
Jenica Geisler is a registered acupuncturist and she practices at Ageless Traditional Chinese Health Centre in Richmond. She can be contacted at 604-270-4826 or [email protected].
