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Dr. Minhas, Founder and CEO of GerdLi wrote, “You ought not to attempt to cure the eyes without the head or the head without the body, so neither ought you attempt to cure the body without the soul…. for the part can never be well unless the whole is well.”
Even though this quote was written circa 387 BCE, it is still wholly relevant today.
In today’s society, we often focus on parts of the whole, as opposed to the whole itself when it comes to health. For example, we may try to up our vitamin D intake by taking vitamins, or we may try to lose weight through weight training.
Although vitamins and weight training are fantastic for your health, it’s important that you support your personal wellness from all fronts. Personal wellness includes all aspects of your health, not just parts of it. By considering how individual parts of the body work together, you can support your personal wellness from all perspectives.
Although this task may sound daunting, supporting your personal wellness is essential for a healthy life, and it is easier if you get help from seasoned experts. Below, learn about 7 easy habits to start to support personal wellness. These habits can help you improve your personal wellness one day at a time.
Defining Wellness
Before we dive into 7 easy habits for supporting your personal wellness, let’s define wellness. Wellness is a word that is often thrown around and used synonymously with health. Although wellness and health go hand in hand, these two terms are not identical.
Wellness is more comprehensive in that it includes improving your entire being in a holistic way. Health, in comparison, focuses entirely on your bodily function.
Jodi Neuhauser, CEO of Ovaterra defines wellness beautifully: “Wellness encompasses a healthy body, a sound mind, and a tranquil spirit. Enjoy the journey as you strive for wellness.”
Another way to think of wellness is to consider this definition by Vincent R. Chan, Chief Financial Officer at Christina: “Health is a state of body. Wellness is a state of being.”
They are not the only people who define Wellness in this way. On the contrary, wellness is often defined as a holistic approach to health in the academic sphere as well. Natalia Morozova, Partner at Cohen, Tucker & Ades P.C. explains, “Holistic health is an approach to life that considers multidimensional aspects of wellness. It encourages individuals to recognize the whole person: physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual.”
Needless to say, personal wellness encompasses health, but it extends far beyond it.
Why Personal Wellness Matters
Now that we understand the difference between health and wellness, it’s important to talk about why personal wellness matters.
In the modern world, it’s easy to focus entirely on bodily health. Health is easily measured and quantifiable since it is determined by your body’s natural and biological processes. Wellness, on the other hand, is more difficult to measure, but it is equally as important.
Wellness has been proven to improve both physical and mental health. By focusing on overall wellness, individuals can experience Improved health in a number of ways, including physical, spiritual, social, occupational, intellectual, and emotional health.
Dr. Michael Green, Chief Medical Officer at Winona beautifully explains the benefits of personal wellness while defining what it is: “Wellness is a holistic integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit.”
As this definition explains, wellness can improve your physical, mental, and spiritual health. At the same time, it can help you create a life that you love and reflects the best version of yourself.
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7 Easy Habits to Start Today to Support Personal Wellness
Without further ado, let’s focus on 7 easy habits to start today for nurturing your personal wellness.
Go to Bed Earlier
Everyone knows how important it is to get a good night’s rest.As Jason Panzer, President of Hexclad explains, “Sleep is essential to every process in the body, affecting our physical and mental functioning the next day, our ability to fight disease and develop immunity, and our metabolism and chronic disease risk. Sleep is truly interdisciplinary because it touches every aspect of health.”Without sleep, we simply won’t be able to function as we should. to make sure you get enough sleep every night, begin going to bed earlier. Something as simple as going to bed just 30 minutes earlier at night can help you get a restful night’s sleep.
Chase the Sun
If you really want to maximize your sleep, think about chasing the sun. By chasing the sun, we mean going to bed whenever the sun sets and waking up when the sun rises. This approach will ensure you get enough sleep while syncing up your circadian rhythm to the sun.
As Michael Ayjian, Co-Founder and Executive Producer at 7 Wonders Cinema explains, “Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle.” It is essentially our biological clocks that impact our hormone release, digestion, eating habits, body temperature, and more.
By chasing the sun, you are sure to get enough sleep, and you make sure your body is in sync so that all of its processes can function as normal.
Take a 10-Minute Walk Outside
Speaking of the sun, make sure to take a 10-minute walk outside every single day. Walking is fantastic for your wellness because it allows you to get some exercise. By walking outside specifically, you will also get to experience fresh air, vitamin D, and all that nature has to offer.
“When it comes to personal health, walking is the easiest place to start,” suggests Kenny Kline, President ofBarbend.com. “Simply start walking more. Take breaks from your desk and do a couple of laps around the building, or up and down the street, or wherever you can. All that matters is that you gradually increase the distance you’re going every day. Not only is walking an easy habit to start, it also has surprisingly significant health benefits.”
Ryan Azimi, Director of International Development at ETIAS explains, “Studies … show that being outside in nature is relaxing, reducing our stress, cortisol levels, muscle tension and heart rates – all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.”
Stretch
After your walk, take a minute to stretch. You could also try stretching before bed or when you wake up in the morning. Stretching is an easy, great way to move your body and breathe deeply.
Add One More Veggie to Your Day
Another health and wellness tip that most people know is that you should eat more vegetables. If you don’t like vegetables, it can be difficult to ensure you eat the right amount of veggies every day. One easy way to make sure you get your veggie count is to just add one more vegetable to your day.
Be creative with how you add your vegetables as well. You can disguise it in a smoothie or make a delicious salad with fruits and berries. No matter which way you incorporate the vegetable into your diet, you are having one more vegetable than you would have before.
Find a Creative Outlet
Since wellness includes more than just physical health, you want to nurture your creative and emotional side. Finding a creative outlet is a great way to get in touch with yourself and nourish your mind and soul. Some popular creative outlets to consider include writing, drawing, scrapbooking, or photography.
Plan 1 More Activity a Month with Your Friends or Family
Many people do not realize how important socialization is for your wellness. By planning just one extra social event a month, your health can improve. Just make sure to spend time with those you love, enjoy, and are relaxed around.
Francis Pollara, Co-Founder and Head of Product and Growth at TheFutureParty beautifully explains, “Making an effort to socialize with friends and family can not only make you happier, it has many health benefits too. Mind and body respond well to positive social interactions, while isolation can bring far-reaching complications. Enjoying yourself with others is like a medication with all positive side effects!”
Don’t Forget to Start Small
Now that you know 7 easy habits that can help support your personal wellness, you might be excited and motivated to get started.
Before you immediately begin trying all of these activities and more, remember to start small. If you try to change everything about your life or add too many new habits, you will likely become overwhelmed and eventually forget the habits.
As Dan Gray, General Manager at Kotn Supply explains, “… [start] with tiny habits to make the new habit as easy as possible in the beginning.”
Whenever you make the habit small, you’re more likely to remember it and not get burnt out. As you begin to master the habits, start adding new ones or improving on the old ones. Before you know it, you will have a life that focuses on your whole wellness.
To help you be healthy and fulfilled from all perspectives, it’s important to focus on your personal wellness. Personal wellness involves all aspects of your life, including your physical health, emotional health, and more.
By focusing on your personal wellness, you can trust that all aspects of yourself are being healed and treated properly. To use Plato’s metaphor from the beginning of this article, you aren’t just focusing on the eye. You’re focusing on the whole.
To begin your journey of personal wellness, begin with the 7 habits above. These habits are simple enough that you can incorporate them into your daily life without being overwhelmed. Depending on your needs, feel free to adjust these habits so that they are relevant to your life.
