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Wellness...Simplified

By Crystal Reiber

Just what is wellness? Is it your fitness level? Perhaps it's your physical being only? Or is it deeper than that?

I'm here to tell you that although we think of "being well" in mostly the physically arena, it IS MUCH DEEPER than that. It's not JUST nutrition, or JUST fitness and working out, not JUST a goal, or JUST ANY ONE THING. It encompasses ALL things that make up YOUR LIFE.

To further explain let me use a simple illustration. Let's say that your thumb has been a bit sore for no apparant reason but it really is bugging you and making you think of nothing but "it". OK, now I come up to you and stomp as hard as I can on your foot. Do you think you'd be thinking of your thumb anymore? Probably NOT. Focus and center,or balance, is important in total wellness. When one area lacks, all areas suffer. When you have a headache doesn't it affect your productivity and other areas of "YOU"? Of course it does!

To better sum up what I mean of balance in keeping with "wellness" let me further elaborate.

  1. We have physical wellness. That which is our body and how it functions. Exercise, proper nutrition, proper rest, and not abusing the body's delicate inner systems with tobacco, drugs, and alcohol consumption is vital.
  2. Next there is emotional/mental wellness. Feeding on the positive rather than the negative of forces upon or around you will greatly promote a healthier emotional state of stability as well as enriching your mental alertness. Understanding and processing of information is also a key.
  3. There is spiritual wellness. Everyone wants to know what his/her place or purpose in life is. Some of us go through many paths on this journey and some are more acute right out of the starter's gate, so to speak. This doesn't necessarily mean your religious beliefs, but rather your purpose in the realm of the world around you. Your purpose in helping the positive, feeding, and the nurturing of it.
  4. Social wellness is a biggie. Peer pressure doesn't stop when we reach adulthood. Building relationships and being a part of a positive awareness, understanding, and communication around oneself fits this catagory. Keep negative friends or family or work and what do you think the finished product will promote? Negativity! Turn it around and do exactly the opposite and see and feel the positive results.
  5. The intellectual level doesn't exactly fit under "mental/emotional" wellness so I've catagorized it separately. This allows a person to never stop learning and never stiffle creativity. Ever-feeding one's mind is to help with the wellness blend and balance that I've been describing.
  6. What's your occupation? Yep, it's a form of wellness too. Occupational or career oriented and goal setting is a part of that process. Volunteering is also a part of this plain of wellness. If anything is a worthwhile cause to nurture your passion, then that fits this catagory.
  7. Can you do anything to help the world? The answer is most definitely a resounding YES! By being aware of the balance needed for wholeness don't you want to be aware of what is happening around you? Especially of the earth you inhabit and the environment around you? This wellness helps strum harmony into the picture.
  8. Lastly, a sense of "self"...an individual, unique, creative, and open minded has to be the accountability clause in the equation to total wellness.

About the Author:

Crystal Reiber is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Fitness Therapist located in Somerset, PA. She is a sought after motivational speaker and her passion certainly is "crystal clear". Crystal is a product of her own fitness quest. Her website is www.crystalreiber.com