Daily healthy habits are the foundation of wellness. Getting a good dose of vitamin D from sunshine, getting your steps in, watching your portion sizes at meals, and reducing screen time are all examples of daily habits contributing to wellness. Typically, discussions about wellness revolve around the mental and physical, but wellness is a concept. Like all good concepts, they are not limited to any single domain but apply to many. For this week's blog, I wanted to share my thoughts on wellness and healthy habits across multiple aspects of our lives, beyond just the two which are most commonly addressed, mental and physical.
Mental Wellness
The mind is an incredible tool, and it is what sets us apart from the animal kingdom. Our minds need constant exercise, and testing your mind with thought-provoking activities is essential. I rarely listen to the radio as I choose informative podcasts over entertaining music. That said, music can help the creative process. Mental wellness involves learning how to reframe events in your life with a positive spin. Mental wellness includes reading books and engaging in difficult discussions with intellectuals. Mental wellness is also about knowing when to take a break from mental exercises, like hitting that writer's block I sometimes experience. Since our thoughts are the domain of our spirituality, we need to assess what we believe regularly. We must think about our faith (even if it is not religious) and ensure it moves us toward positivity.
Physical Wellness
We only get one chance at living well and being fit. We must care for the "meat suit" we're born into. At some point in your life, you may focus heavily on developing more muscle, then another point, more cardio, and hopefully more mobility sooner rather than later in life. Our physical wellness isn't just related to the body's outward appearance. We must be aware of what is happening inside; this is where regular visits with your physician are vital. Your diet can affect your cholesterol, liver, blood pressure, hormonal balance, and overall health. Blood work can help you adjust problems before they become irreversible. There's a reason why physical and mental wellness are spoken of so frequently. They are connected and serve as the foundation for the others that follow here.
Network Wellness
Humans are social creatures. You need others in your life. You need friends and family for a support network and regular interaction with them. The network you keep says a lot about you, and you should surround yourself with those who elevate you. We've all had that one friend who is the downer of the group and perhaps another friend who is the liability of the group. It's our job to help them work past these habits, but we can only do so much. You may remove yourself or remove someone from your network for the greater good of the other members. Regular meetups with your network will strengthen bonds and build friendships to new levels. Shared experiences deepen the memory bank, and common tasks create shared missions. Remember, it has been said you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Choose wisely.
Financial Wellness
If you know how to budget, use debt to your advantage, invest wisely, and have a plan for financial freedom, you can say you have financial wellness locked down. Unfortunately, many do not know how to make smart money moves. Educated purchases are few and far between despite having the internet for research. You should know how much of your paycheck you need for basic needs, how much for rent/mortgage, how much for savings, and what you can spend on fun. It's said an influx of new money magnifies a person's personality and habits. The frugal will save more, and those who like to spend more will spend more. If you're a parent, teach your kids the value of money early in life. Lessons like that will carry with them through the rest of their life.
Workplace Wellness
Over the years, I've had the opportunity to work with corporate groups in team-building exercises. I've seen examples of companies with incredible rapport and respect, as well as plenty of examples of workplace tyrants. We will spend a third of our day doing work, and it weighs heavily on our overall well-being. In your workplace, there will be those who elevate others and those who are fault-finders. Wellness is often questionable when you have more of a boss than a leader. A boss is someone who tells you what to do, has unreasonable asks of you, and someone who cares more about results than how you are throughout the process. A leader listens, delegates, is supportive, and takes the time to ask, "How can I help you succeed?". If you have subordinates at your company, take a moment and consider if you are a boss or a leader.
Your Home is Your Sanctuary
Your home is your sanctuary; if there is a place you should feel at peace, it is there. Far too often, we let our work follow us home, and we let the outside world creep in. Home is where you can relax, eat well, and be surrounded by furnishings that make you settle down. How you keep your home is a measure of your life. You must ask yourself if your home is clean, organized, and comfortable. If you don't live alone, you should know the wellness of those you live under the same roof with. If those in your house are not well, their problems will eventually become yours.
Legacy Wellness
An old proverb states, "Blessed are those who plant trees under whose shade they will never sit." How do you want to be remembered? If you are only interested in making money, you won't be remembered for your character. Investing in others is noble, and creating something for the common good long after you are gone is a lot to ask of anyone. It is also challenging to see past oneself, making you the ideal starting point. Remember this: what you do says something about your character, and what you do repeatedly is your legacy. You want to be remembered for being honorable and living well. Your decisions should be driven by strength and avoid weakness at all costs. When you think about your life, consider if your story is one others would want to read about one day. If it isn't, it can be if you take the steps to correct the course now.
