WELLNESS--It’s no surprise that Americans are on a slippery slope when it comes to healthcare.
With access and affordability to health insurance hanging in the balance, it’s more important than ever to take care of your mind, body and spirit.
With today’s technology and superior level of healthcare in the United States you may be asking why you should be so concerned? Why is health and wellness so important?
What is the difference between health and wellness?
Health focuses on the physical and mental body being free from illness, injury, or disease. Health is a goal you work to achieve. For example, managing chronic conditions such as lowering your blood pressure or controlling diabetes are goals to be reached, as are losing weight or strengthening your heart through cardiovascular exercise.
Many chronic diseases, like hypertension and type 2 diabetes, are on the rise. The most frightening statistic is that they are becoming more commonplace in young children. Often these diseases are a result of unhealthy eating habits and increased weight gain.
Dietary habits established in childhood often carry into adulthood. Today, about one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese and the prevalence of obesity in children has more than tripled from 1971 to 2011. Teaching children how to eat healthy at a young age will help them stay healthy throughout their life.
Wellness is more than being free from illness, it is the spirited process of change and growth that lasts for a lifetime. Wellness addresses the broader spectrum of your body encompassing the overall balance of your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It speaks to the way you live your everyday life. It is not an end to be achieved, rather it is a lifestyle that you adopt.
Maintaining an optimal level of wellness is absolutely crucial to living a higher of quality life. As a parent it is imperative to cultivate a culture of wellness as a family. Wellness matters! Why does it matter? It matters because your well-being not only effects your emotions, it also effects the emotions of your children.
As a parent, it is important that you set a positive example. Your children’s attitudes and actions will model your behavior; it’s an ongoing circle. The psychological effects to obese children can be devastating; they are more prone to low self-esteem, negative body image, and depression.
What you can do to improve overall health and wellness
Your body is a direct reflection of what’s going on in your mind. In order to be successful improving the quality of your life you must change your mindset.
You can’t wait until everything is just right because it never will be. There will always be hurdles to leap and challenges to be faced.
Stop wearing your ‘busy-ness’ like a badge of honor. Stop feeling obligated to be reachable 24/7 by people that have a warped sense of urgency. Stop being hijacked by the needs and desires of others.
Knock it off with all the talk of ‘The Terrible Too’s’; too busy, too tired, too hard, too early etc. You have the ability to control your destiny. Your future is wide open and you can create it by what you chose to do.
Quiet your mind
- Love yourself—It’s about time you recognize and acknowledge how amazing and unique you are. While it’s human nature to want the approval and acceptance of others, don’t allow their opinions define and limit you. Appreciate yourself for who you are and what you have to offer the world. Love yourself from the inside out and everything else will fall into place.
- Be true to yourself—Most often people have no idea where you’ve been, where you’re headed, or where you are in your journey. Focus on the things that make you your happiest, healthiest self. Continue to explore your passions, reach for your goals, and achieve your wildest dreams.
- Stop comparing yourself—Positive self-talk is empowering; know that what you focus on will become your reality. Imagine all the things you could bring to fruition if you channeled your time and energy into positive aspirations. If you realized how powerful your thoughts were you would never want to think a negative thought again.
Build your body
- Get fit—Getting fit is a slow and steady process, being fit is not a destination, it is a way of life. Adhering to regularly scheduled workouts will take commitment, determination, and discipline; doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, when you don’t want to do it.
- Eat well—Every living cell in your body is made from what you eat and drink. If you consistently eat and drink junk food, you will have a junk body. Food is not just calories, it is information; it talks to your DNA and tells it what to do. Food can be your medicine or your poison, choose wisely.
- Sleep soundly--It's important to make sure that you get the rest your body needs. When your body is fully rested and you are getting the deep sleep you require, your hormones will work together and support your overall health and wellness goals.
Nurture your spirit
- Pay it forward—When you’re kind, you demonstrate to others that they mean something to you. Even if the person is a stranger to you, you are recognizing that their life matters. When you give of yourself openly and freely, your physical and mental health improves exponentially. The smallest gesture or kind word can brighten your day and brings you closer to others.
- Maintain a social network—Socializing has been proven to have a positive impact both physically and mentally and can be the key to a lifetime of wellness. If you’re looking to live a long and healthy life, start surrounding yourself with good friends. A study from Brigham Young University found that people with social relationships live 50 percent longer than people who are more socially isolated.
- Live a yogic lifestyle—It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of daily life and spend much of your day battling the challenges laid before you. Adopting a yogic lifestyle means committing to living a meaningful life and interacting with the world around you more mindfully. Embrace yoga’s spiritual journey and finding harmony on and off the mat.
Maximize your level of health and wellness
By quieting your mind, building your body, and nurturing your spirit you will be well on your way to achieving your health and wellness goals. Work toward a state of well-being and you will see your lifestyle begin to improve.
Care for your mind, body and spirit and begin to lessen the occurrences of disease and illness. An enhanced quality of physical and mental fitness is the answer to your question ‘Why is health and wellness so important?’
(Judy Molinaro is a corporate wellness consultant. As a master yoga instructor, I support in-house wellness programs, seminars, trade shows and executive retreats. I help business leaders build and maintain physical and mental well-being. If you would like to learn more about offering a health and fitness program to your busy management team contact me at [email protected] or 386.871.0582)
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