The Definition of Wellness: What the Hell Is Wellness?
From ‘What the Hell Is Wellness?‘ on YouTube
Recently, I watched a documentary on YouTube composed of several episodes on the subject of Wellness. It was nearly 1h long, and I have to admit, I’m still not entirely sure what the official definition of wellness is…..The British Vogue mini-series starts with the following words: “These days, it feels like you have to be living on the moon to avoid the concept of wellness, a word that seems to be everywhere.”
Model Camille Rowe tries out a bunch of different health-related initiatives in hopes that she can get down to the route of the trend. She meets with a number of health gurus who preach anything from good nutrition to cardio. They even suggested dance classes (which Miss Rowe wasn’t allowed to film) and wearing energy crystals
The main message I got out of ‘What the Hell Is Wellness?‘ is that, ultimately, you should respect your body and prioritise health, which means giving up smoking or eating junk food. If you prioritise staying healthy, you’ll apply the discipline needed to get there, knowing how well you’ll feel! That means forgetting about fad diets and other quick fixes.
What is wellness?
I then checked the definition of wellness according to several sources:
Pfizer
According to Pfizer, “Wellness is the act of practising healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes so that instead of just surviving, you’re thriving. To understand the significance of wellness, it’s important to understand how it’s linked to health.”
Global Wellness Institute
Global Wellness Institute‘s definition is: “Wellness is the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.”
There are two important aspects to this definition. First, wellness is not a passive or static state but rather an “active pursuit”. This pursuit is associated with intentions, choices and actions as we work toward an optimal state of health and wellbeing. Second, wellness is linked to holistic health—that is, it extends beyond physical health and incorporates many different dimensions that must work in harmony.
Wellness is an individual pursuit—we are solely responsible for our own choices, behaviours and lifestyles—but our wellness is also significantly influenced by the physical, social and cultural environments in which we live.
National Wellness Institute
National Wellness Institute‘s definition is based on 3 tenets:
Wellness is considered a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving your full potential.
Wellness is multidimensional and holistic, encompassing lifestyle, mental and spiritual well-being, and the environment.
Wellness is positive and affirming.
In summary
Personally, I love all of these definitions! Wellness is something that’s connected to your health, wellbeing and vitality. It’s an active practice focused on your feeling as well as you can possibly feel. Wellness can be related to exercise, spirituality, nutrition, a positive mindset or all of the above.
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