Can you achieve total wellness?

 

The World Health Organization defines wellness as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Wellness involves development of the self in a way that embarks you on the wellness journey. It’s the process of finding ways of being happier and healthier, through specific means that promote continuous growth and development. There is no single path to wellness – countless ways can be cultivated to achieve total wellness.

In today’s fast paced world, wellness is difficult to achieve as it requires self-awareness, time and energy. Wellness implies tuning into the self to achieve mental peace, fulfilment and happiness. Holistic wellness is about adopting and practising specific habits that focus on reviving energy to connect to the highest self.

Steps to achieve total wellness

Wellness is a conscious effort to achieve good health and happiness. Here are the seven steps to achieve holistic wellness.

Get ample sleep

Get adequate sleep at night as it is essential to rest and rejuvenate the body. A good night’s sleep promotes mental health, strengthens immunity and helps in stress management. Inadequate sleep leads to health issues like high blood pressure, heart diseases, reduced mental alertness, diabetes, and affects the endocrine system. Lack of sleep increases production of cortisone, which is a hormone that in high levels can cause premature aging, overeating and other health conditions. So, when you want to achieve holistic wellness start with getting ample sleep.

Meditate everyday

Meditate to focus on what you want in life. Set aside a few minutes to meditate on the positive aspects of your life and want it to continue. For instance, you may want to express gratitude for the abundance in your life and look forward to more of it. In case you have time crunch, even a 3-minute break works, when you can breathe consciously and reflect. While meditating feel all your emotions – like happiness, anger, fear or sadness – as you sit down and focus inwards. It’s natural to feel all types of emotions, it’s neither good nor bad. They emerge to teach us a lesson or provide motivation to take specific actions. For example, the emotion anger tells you that you need to speak up and set boundaries for yourself and others who come into your life.

Eat healthy diet

Eat a healthy balanced diet which will nourish and energise the body. Adopt a healthy, plant-based diet that provides energy and strength. Eat wholegrains, legumes and vegetables, which are packed with antioxidants and micronutrients that fight diseases, and slows down the aging process. Consume superfoods like spirulina, hemp hearts or kombucha, which are dense in nutrition. Listen to your body and eat food that the body really needs. Look out for healthier options to achieve the most out of your meals.

Practise mindfulness

Stop rushing through life, it adds to stress and anxieties. We do not need a stressful and fast-paced life to achieve success and productivity. On the contrary, being mindful of the activity we’re engaged in works towards achievement of a successful life. So be present in the moment and stay grounded till you finish the task. And let go of the habit of multitasking. Take small breaks throughout the day to rejuvenate the brain and increase productivity. Actively practising these habits will lead to complete wellness.

Adopt a relaxed attitude

Let go of the habit of struggle as it creates frustration and drains your energy. If you are struggling with something, step back and approach the problem in another way. Relax, take rest and go to sleep. Adopting a relaxed attitude towards life helps to create a pathway for success. The struggle is exhausting and stressful, leading to missed opportunities as the focus is more on negative outcomes, and decisions are compromised. Add mindfulness to daily lifestyle and allow yourself space to think clearly to get the right solution.

Develop positive social relationships

Spend quality time with people you feel connected and happy. Healthy social relationships are important for survival and productivity. Living in isolation, away from friends and family does not foster physical and mental wellbeing. But a positive social relationship gives emotional stability and helps us in coping with stress and illness. Also be mindful of people who sap your energy and stay away from them.

Indulge in activities you like

Do things that make you happy and give you a reason for your survival. Adopt hobbies like painting, dancing, writing, reading or workout – anything that fills the soul with joy. The self is happy when it gets scope to grow and create something. Calm down to focus on a creative activity and feel inspired to do things. Even taking brisk walks of 10 minutes can invigorate your mind, body and spirit, giving fresh insights. So, the next time you find yourself in a mental struggle, take a break and start afresh.

The takeaway

Self-care is the basic requirement of complete wellness. As we get busy with daily routine, we tend to forget ourselves and our wellbeing. Total wellness is a state of wellbeing accruing from getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, relaxing, developing positive social relationships and by indulging in creative activities. Inculcate these healthy habits to get lasting complete wellness.