Wellness is a broad term that requires a person to adopt habits for a good lifestyle. It is a process that involves behavior changes for improving overall health and achieving contentment. Also, it is about creating a balance in life for good health. It is about actively pursuing participation to manage problems related to physical and mental health.
Furthermore, it involves practices to prevent diseases and avoid hospitalization. It allows a person to achieve physiological balance to maintain an optimistic attitude towards life. Because when a person is in good health, he/she will have good control over life. Therefore, wellness is a holistic approach towards wellbeing. It is a doctrine towards good health. It empowers a person to proactively assume personal responsibilities to maintain good health.
Wellness is a way to achieve holistic health through lifestyle changes and habits.
It is a way to thrive instead of just survive in the world. So, it means, that you are not only physically fit. Rather you are also emotionally and mentally healthy. So, to achieve wellness, a person must make effort for improving healthy habits. The approach to wellness is intentional.
The perception of wellness depends upon our culture and life experiences. It is not a passive state, but an active attitude towards achieving a quality lifestyle.
The term often gets confused with well-being or heath. Despite having similarities, the term wellness is about improving overall health including emotional, intellectual, and mental health not just ailments or injury. The perception of wellness depends upon our culture and life experiences.
Historically, the concept to achieve well-being relates to the civilizations of India, China, and Greek. Our ancestors were more close to nature. Walking barefoot, sleeping on the earth, cultivating crops, etc. These practices help to connect with nature. When the connection with nature is strong, one gets closer to achieving wellness. This concept is earthing.
Another historical piece of evidence is from Japan. The concept of Shinrin-yoku or Forest bathing is their discovery to improve mental health and reduce anxiety.
The concept of public bathhouses for massage and relaxation. It is the invention of the Indus civilization. Even ottomans were into public bathhouses technique for relaxation. The technique of reflexology is from Chinese and Egyptian civilizations.
It is about applying pressure on the ears, hands, and feet to establish a connection of these parts with other parts of the body. This helps to achieve optimal health and well-being both physically and emotionally.
There is also evidence regarding the use of herbs to achieve wellness and treat multiple ailments.
Chinese, Indians, Native Americans, and even Romans were into using herbs in tea and even bathing. The use of chamomile relieves stress and improves sleep patterns. It is still in practice because good sleeping patterns help to improve overall wellbeing and achieve optimal health and well-being.
According to the Global Wellness Institute,
“It is the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles. It leads to the state of holistic health.”
Merriam-Webster defines it as
“The quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal.”
Collins defines it as:
“The state of being in good medical and mental health.”
According to the World Health Organization, wellness is:
“A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
The term wellness has now become popular within a few years. The reason is now the world is suffering from almost all sorts of crises. Whether it is about global economic recession. Food security issues or Environmental degradation. The healthcare systems are failing to keep up with economic systems.
Lifestyles around the world are changing. That is why people are more into prevention and achieving wellness. Instead of relying on healthcare systems.
Recently, the COVID pandemic is an example of how our healthcare systems are not sufficient to fight pandemics. The global mortality rate due to COVID is an alarm for human beings. Globalization, urbanization reveal that the middle class is rising.
So, economically, it is not possible to rely on expensive healthcare systems. Instead, it is better to learn to achieve it through changing lifestyle habits.
The idea of treating diseases and securing overall well-being without medicines is intriguing. That is why it has become a known industry globally. As per estimates of 2017 by the Global Wellness Institute, this industry contributes to 5.6% of the global economy.
Though it is privately successful governments need to pay more interest in this sector also. Now not only in Europe and America but in Africa and Asia practice wellness in spas, baths, massage centers, therapy centers, etc.
This industry of non-medical treatment for all ailments attracts a large number of people from around the world. That is why, even in places of eco-tourism, spas and massage centers attract more tourists.
Such as places having hot springs. Spas and baths of mineral waters from springs offer a guarantee to achieve overall wellness for tourists. Hence, the sector is developing and has a lot of potential to contribute to economic well-being.
There are generally 4 dimensions. However, the goal is not to achieve success in all dimensions. Rather maintain a balance and work towards holistic health and develop harmony.
Consideration of self-perceptions regarding one’s well-being is now very important throughout the world. Now a consensus is developing to include the psychological domain with physical health. Because a person’s mental health determines how well he/she will recover from the ailment. Now the domain of well-being extends beyond clinical instruments and medications.
A person’s social context and behavioral patterns are equally important when considering wellness. A social environment dictates a person’s perception of wellness and health.
Because the belief in maintaining the harmony of lifestyle habits will allow a person to cope with life stressors, injuries, ailments, and mental health.
Wellness incorporates mind, body spirit, individualism, holism, self-healing, natural-healing, and ecological contexts.
The practices involved in achieving wellness are diverse. Because in some places, people may use acupuncture to achieve relief in lower back pain. However, in other parts, acupuncture helps to enhance overall health and wellness. That is why its basis lies in perceptions and cultural and behavioral contexts.
There are different types or levels of wellness. A study suggests that wellness can be of the following types:
The terms health and wellness are often interchangeable. Because they have almost similar meanings. However, the difference is that health relates to physical well-being. Whereas wellness relates to physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, intellectual, and occupational well-being. Health is specific. However, wellness is broad.
Health deals with only one dimension i.e., disease, injury, physical fitness, etc. But wellness is multidimensional.
It is an approach towards living a healthy life through balance and good practices. Health relates to clinical practices and medical practitioners. But wellness relates to natural healing and cure, like meditation, yoga, self-healing, herbology, spas, baths, massages, etc. This is how the two terms differ.
Apart from physical, emotional, spiritual, and social, there are some other dimensions of wellness, including the following:
For achieving optimal health, it is important to work towards achieving wellness. This does not mean that one needs to work on achieving all dimensions of wellness. Rather, one must struggle or make an effort to achieve harmony in all dimensions of wellness. It is not only physical health that matters. But also, mental health needs attention. Therefore, strive to thrive through wellness. This helps to achieve contentment and positivity of mind.
There are so many wellness programs. Even at educational institutions, workplaces, tourist spots, wellness programs attract many people worldwide. One important way to achieve wellness is self-healing and natural- healing. Connect with nature more if u need wellness in your life. I hope that after reading this blog you will get complete knowledge about wellness. If you still have any issues regarding your health, then feel free to get some advice. Click here to get free advice.
