What is Wellness?

“Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you’re thriving.” (Pfizer)

As I have thought about wellness in the last few months (mostly due to a lack of wellness in my own life between a global pandemic and just plain life!) I have learned a couple things…. It is NOT a one size fits all, it can be small pieces here and there that you fit throughout your day and week that compile into a routine and most importantly for me personally… it is not solely about exercise and maybe for me the exercise part needs to be taken off the table and I need to focus on movement instead (I’ll explain more later).

I saw something the other day on Facebook and it really resonated with me, it was a list of items (that to me make up wellness) and the individual was saying to pick 5 out of the 8 things on the list that you know you personally need to work on and for the next 3 weeks put focus into that. This got me thinking that if we added 1 or 2 things to our overall wellness each month for the rest of 2021, by the time we get to 2022 we are going to be some healthy well rounded people! It’s easy to set huge goals and make big commitments that you are going to stick to for 365 days…but I think we should just start small.

So here it is, below is a list of 20 different things that revolve around being well (mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually) pick 2 from the list that you know you need to work on, write them down SOMEWHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM EVERYDAY and commit to them through the rest of January (Jan 31^st) …Okay, cool?!?…WE GOT THIS!

Drink More Water – Drink a half an ounce to an ounce of water per pound you weigh. This is just the formula I use for myself. (EX: if you weigh 150lbs anywhere between 75-150 ounces of water).

No Sugar

12,000 Steps – this is one I personally picked for myself, although I workout I often times find myself sitting at my desk the rest of the day, so I have to be intentional about MOVING and hitting the 12,000 steps (The above said…10,000 is still a great number to hit!)

Write down 3 things you are grateful for each day –

Add more plants to your diet – 2-4 servings of Vegetables on the daily

Focus on 30 min of MOVEMENT over Exercise – this one is my goal for 2021. I can get really hard on myself if I don’t do a full out hard core workout everyday (the guilt can be thick and the self talk can be ugly and I am leaving that behind in 2020). My word for the year is CONSISTENCY and 30 minutes of either a walk to hit my 12,000 steps, or 30 min of yoga/stretching is my commitment to myself everyday I can add that to a workout if it works in my life or that can be enough!

SLEEP! – Prioritize getting enough sleep for YOU! This is crucial to overall wellness (say that louder for the people in the back!)

Shopping detox – Amazon addiction anyone? Perhaps taking a TV timeout from buying anything unnecessary for 3 weeks could be good and eye opening?!?!

No Alcohol – Listen, I love my red wine, it’s a fave so I would never say never drink again especially if it’s a happy thing for you…but it is good to take inventory of how often and how much you drink. I have been kindly reminded by life through the holiday season that alcohol is a downer and is mentally, physically and emotionally a depressant.

Maybe you commit to no drinking during the week OR X number of drinks per week, maybe you shoot for a DRY weekend, or even a month! Find what works for you.

Create a workout schedule you love – getting your heart rate up and building strength is crucial to your wellness, find the right mix of cardio, strength, flexibility.

5 min Designated Meditation / Prayer / Quiet Time –

Schedule mini breaks and or things to look forward to – I am definitely doing this one….mini breaks in my day to run out and grab a coffee or tea (maybe even drop one off to a friend), mini breaks to go get my 12,000 steps in, having things during the week to get excited about, dinner with a friend, my favorite show, schedule a massage, having wine or

Do yoga everyday! –

Make a PLAN – Plan for your groceries (I find doing Shipt helps me plan better and not spend so much money randomly in the grocery!), plan for your workouts, plan for your mini breaks…making a plan helps us stay accountable and makes us feel less all over the place.

Scrolling detox – Do you have a lot of time in the day taken up by that little device you carry around with you? Scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok? Not shaming here but maybe set a goal of only X amount of minutes per day and then put it away!

Get Outside Everyday! – It can be hard when the weather is cold and cloudy but there is something about fresh air that is just plain good and needed for the soul.

Don’t go more than 3 days without a workout – This is a good one because it doesn’t allow you to get into a habit of not sweating!

Grace – Give it, not just to others but to YOURSELF!

Make your first meal of the day has greens in it! –

Notice the resistance – Often times the things we resist and don’t want to do are the things we need to do the most and that are going to help us grow and help us learn the lessons we need to be a better human. Make an effort to take note of the uncomfortable, the things you “don’t like” the areas in your life that you are resisting against.