What does wellness mean to you?
When you hear the term “wellness” what does it mean to you? Here’s what it means to me as a wellness coach:
Wellness goes beyond health: If health refers to absence of disease, wellness is a person’s ability to thrive.
Wellness encompasses all areas of a person’s life. For example:
Physical Wellness:
How I feel in my body, including how much energy I have
My relative physical health as determined by the health care professional(s) you work with
My ability to successfully establish supportive physical health and wellness habits, e.g. incorporating nutritious foods and regular exercise
Mental Wellness:
How I think and feel
My beliefs about myself
My ability to regulate my emotions
My relative mental health as determined by the mental health care professional(s) I work with
My ability to successfully establish supportive mental health habits, e.g. establishing a meditation practice or improving sleep hygiene
Spiritual Wellness:
Being clear on my personal values and why they’re important to me
Embodying my personal values in all areas of my life
My beliefs about my purpose in life
Making intentional choices about how I build my life
My ability to successfully establish supportive spiritual wellness behaviors, like setting and achieving personal growth and development goals
Financial Wellness:
How I feel about my relationship with money
My beliefs about my ability to earn and save money
My ability to live within my means
My ability to successfully establish supportive financial wellness habits, like setting and attaining financial goals that enable me to live the life I want to live
Professional Wellness:
How I feel about my personal brand
How I feel about my level of responsibility and the day to day work I’m expected to perform
My beliefs about the importance of cultivating prestige and status
My beliefs about whether or how my career supports my life’s purpose
My beliefs about the organization I work for and its impact on the world
My ability to cultivate relationships that support my professional goals
My ability to successfully set and achieve goals that enable me to attain a career that fulfills me
Relational Wellness:
How I feel about my personal relationships and the influence they have on my life
The balance of what I give and receive through my personal relationships relationships
My ability to cultivate and sustain fulfilling relationships
My ability to show up for other people in a way that is meaningful to both of us
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Questions for further exploration:
How do I define wellness?
How would I rate my own wellness in each of these dimensions? (E.g. physical, mental, spiritual, financial, relational, professional, etc.)
What would “optimal wellness” look like for me?
What kinds of support do I need to achieve my optimal wellness?