The realization has struck that you are stuck.

You feel like you’re going nowhere.

You are on that proverbial merry-go-round.

Same crap, different day.

Tedious.  Monotonous.  Boring

Time is ticking.

You know you need to change.

That you need to change your state, and stop feeling lousy, to start feeling brighter and happier.

That you need to change your mindset, lose the negativity, and embrace positivity.  To be more productive, and more cognizant.  To stop the negative self-talk, and change the narrative.

Basically, you know you need to change your story.

But how?  Where the hell do you even start.  If you are reading this, then you’ve gone down the same rabbit hole that I did, Google!

Insert Google search:

“How to change my life”

“How to change my mindset”

“How to increase my motivation”

It’s overwhelming.  You start reading a post.  It is an interesting article, it has valid content, oh a link, click.  Another article, related to said topic.  Slightly different content, yet relatable.  Another link.  Click. Click. Click. And then you are lost in the Googleshphere.

But then I realized, that all my searches always resulted in a similar topic:

“Wellness”

But what exactly is Wellness?

We all know what it is to be well.  Or to say we are well.  “How are you?” “Well thanks!” I know I say it when I couldn’t be bothered engaging in conversation about how I really feel.

So back onto Google I went: “What does Wellness really mean?“

“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 are thriving.”

Well, that summed it up in one paragraph.  Everything I needed to do:

• develop healthy habits
• develop better physical health
• develop better mental health

And thrive!  I wanted to thrive, not just merely survive.

I knew that I needed a fresh perspective on life.  I had become negative and uninspired and had lost all motivation and drive.  I needed to embrace this Wellness trend.  And discover how to improve my outlook, increase my motivation, develop healthy habits and find the inspiration to change my life.

How to embrace the Wellness trend

Wellness is a newly coined term for an ancient practice dating back to ancient civilizations.  The ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans participated in a variety of holistic and natural practices in conjunction with traditional medicine, as they did in Eastern countries like India, with a focus on meditation, self-healing and spirituality.

As these practices have evolved and been introduced into the Western world, they have formed the Wellness trend comprising self-help, self-care, movement, nutrition, mindfulness and spirituality, combined in the pursuit of overall holistic health and wellbeing.

Holistic health and wellbeing are more than just physical health and incorporate many different factors to encompass an overall state of Wellness which includes:

Physical Wellness:  Nourishing the body through exercise, nutrition, sleep

Mental Wellness:  A positive state of mental health, feeling balanced, connected and the ability to manage a range of positive and negative emotions

Emotional Wellness:  Being aware of, accepting and expressing our feelings, and understanding the feelings of others

Social Wellness:  Connecting and engaging with others in a meaningful and positive way

Environmental Wellness:  Developing and understanding the connection between planetary health and human connection

Occupational Wellness:  Achieving a healthy work-life balance and a sense of overall job satisfaction

In other words, you have to choose Wellness with intention.

It is the practice of proactively adopting a healthier lifestyle and outlook to reduce your risk of disease and illness and enhance your overall quality of life and wellbeing.

Wellness is a journey, not a destination. 

It is a daily approach to changing your lifestyle.  Not a place to reach and then stop.  It’s a lifestyle choice to enhance your body, mind and soul.

First Things First

The first step to approaching Wellness is to start small.  Don’t jump into the deep end and try and embrace everything at once or you will lose interest before you even start.  Baby steps.

Make simple changes and healthy choices on a daily basis and you are on your way:

1. Physical
Add more fruit and vegetables into your diet
Drink more water and stay hydrated
Exercise for 30 minutes
Introduce a sleep routine

2. Mental
Practice mindfulness
Do Brain training
Listen to a PodCast
Read for 20 minutes

3. Emotional
Practice gratitude
Start a Journal
Be self-aware and notice your thoughts and feelings

4. Social
Connect with others
Make time for a coffee with friends
Take 20 minutes to phone a loved one

5. Environmental
Recycle and/or upcycle
Spend time outdoors
Turn off electrical appliances

6. Occupational
Keep work and home life separate
Take your allocated breaks
Don’t work overtime, work your core hours

By implementing small habits into your daily routine before you know it, you too will have embraced the Wellness trend!

And hopefully, your physical and emotional wellbeing will improve, as you develop a more positive and meaningful outlook on life.

Positive Emotion Attached to a Behavior Creates a Habit

A Habit is a Behavior that becomes Automatic