What is wellness
Wellness is about having the energy and vitality to do the things you love. To have a healthy body that doesn’t hold you back and to have a balance in your life that allows you to enjoy the small things.
Health isn’t about extremes and it’s not achieved overnight. Instead wellness is achieved when we work on our 4 health essentials equally: nutrition, exercise, sleep and happiness. Too often people put all their focus into one area and take things to the extreme. True wellness is not created in this way. There is not the balance. Discover our Wheel Of Wellness and explore each of the 4 health essentials to familiarise yourself with the concept of how to build wellness in your life.
Where are we on the wheel of wellness?
This is the Wheel of Wellness. A model to help you understand the different components that create true wellness in your life.
We are currently looking at the centre of the wheel, and how the 4 health essentials combine to create a state of wellness.
View the interactive version here
The four components of wellness
Exercise
Exercise is not about getting abs, or a slimmer waist, or burning off fat and getting as lean as possible. That’s all vanity and nothing to do with wellness. Exercise and movement is about keeping your muscles, your joints, your ligaments and your cells healthy so you can continue to do the things you love for as long as you choose. Maybe you love running, surfing, golf, hiking, riding horses or simply playing with your kids. Exercise maintains your strength and range of motion to keep your body functioning at its best.
I want you to thrive in this life. I want you to be able to physically do the things that you love, no matter what your age, no matter what your limitations. So your goal with exercise is to start taking care of the body you own. Keep it active, give it nourishing movement that keeps you functioning at your most natural state. You will look better, you will feel better, and you can do what you love for as long as you choose.
Nutrition
Nutrition is a critical component to creating wellness. Food is more than just fuel for energy. It’s the building blocks of the cells you live in. It’s the nourishment you give your body to grow, repair and operate efficiently. What you put into your body directly affects how you feel and how you function throughout your day. I want you to really care about what you eat, because it makes up who you are.
Firstly, it is important to know that every single one of us is different. The foods that make you thrive is different to what works for me. It should never be a one-size-fits-all diet. Instead, learn to listen to your body and understand the foods that make you feel great, and the foods that you react badly to. Signs and symptoms is often your body telling you it is not liking what you are giving it. Nutrition is not about deprivation, counting calories or obsessing over the food you can't eat.
Start simple by removing processed and packaged foods and replace it with real, whole foods packed full of nutrients that provide your body with what it needs to work properly. Healthy food doesn't have to be boring. Learning to love the kitchen is part of caring about what you give yourself and your family to eat. I want to give you the power to make wise choices and to learn from your body as to what is right for you. If you care about what you put into your body, you will be on the right path to wellness and a life well lived.
Happiness
Your state of mind is as important as your body when it comes to creating wellness, if not more so. Because how you feel internally governs your thoughts, the actions you take, and the life you make. Happiness isn’t about walking around in a joyful state 100% of the time. Happiness is about being content with who you are, with what you have, and with where you are going. Do things that will make happiness a natural by-product.
Start by doing things you love and that make you smile. Create a sense of purpose to your days by having goals you want to achieve. Spend time with friends and family, those who love you and support you. Take time out to rest your mind from the daily stresses and anxieties.
Make happiness a priority it in your life. Actively nurture it and put time aside for it. Make it important to you. Stop doing what doesn’t make you happy, and start doing what DOES make you happy. Your life will change immeasurably for it.
Sleep
Sleep is your super power! It is the most under ultilized secret weapon that can unlock your wellness and a life well lived. Yet most people don’t give it the respect it deserves. They don’t think that sleep is important. It’s common to boast about how little sleep we need to survive on. We are too busy being busy, working long hours or staying up late, then up again early to launch into the next hectic day. Who has time to sleep when you have so much on your plate, right?! If you make your sleep a priority, you will function as a different human being and your quality of life will change. You won’t get irritable, grumpy or drowsy during the day. Your learning, your focus and your memory will improve immensely.
Your productivity will go through the roof when you get good quality sleep. Don’t mess with your body’s mechanism to physically and psychologically repair itself. If you are literally exhausted, the biggest thing that will fix you is sleep! So if you want more energy, more focus and more productivity in your days, then recognising the power of sleep is the first step. Putting routines in place to get good quality sleep will set you on the path to wellness and a life well lived.
Which component do you want to explore deeper?
