Wellness for Beginners

As we start 2014, I would like to give a brief primer on how to approach life with a mindset of wellness.  Everyone wants to do big things when a new year begins.  However, most big results are the culmination of doing the proper little things.  Achieving optimal health and wellness is a great example of that.  Health was defined by the World Health Organization in 1947 as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".  Halbert Dunn (aka the Father of Wellness) said that wellness should cultivate a "zest for living" by incorporating the following five dimensions - emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual and physical.  Below are some simple ways to keep on the path of wellness in all its dimensions.  Here’s to a zesty new year!

NUTRITION

• Eat more fruits and vegetables (at least 5 per day).
• Eat the rainbow of whole foods.
• Drink more water (baseline about 3 liters for men and 2.2 liters for women).
• Don't skip meals.
• Stop drinking sugary drinks.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
• Limit eating food prepared outside the home.
• Don’t use your kids as an excuse to stock your pantry like a candy store.
• Remember dessert can be a piece of fruit.
• Don't be afraid of carbs, just make sure you pick the healthy ones.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• Walk 30 minutes at least 5 days per week.
• Add resistance training to your exercise regimen.
• Stretch.
• Spend less time sitting during the day.
• Use the stairs more.

INTELLECTUAL

• Read a book or a long magazine article that has nothing to do with work.
• Do crossword puzzles or sudoku.
• Play cards or board games with your friends and family.  Strategy flexes your brain.
• Always put forth your best effort at work.  Even if your job is mindless, it may be a stepping stone to something more intellectually stimulating.

SOCIAL

• Don’t let other people define fun for you.
• Make a date with your significant other at least once a month.
• Talk to your kids about something other than chores and school.
• Have family game/movie night.
• Communicate with your best friends regularly.  Receiving a random note written with real-deal paper and pen is always a pleasant surprise. 

EMOTIONAL

• Remember it is OK to say no just because you don't want to do it.
• Do something just because you enjoy it.  Not everything has to be tied to some greater societal good.
• Have at least one person to whom you can vent honestly, but don’t abuse the privilege.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help or a break.
• Use your vacation days.
• Find someone who fills your tank when everyone else has drained it.
• Tell the people you love that you love them, often.

SPIRITUAL

• Figure out what you personally believe and how it affects your life.  Blindly accepting what your mama, grandmama, or clergy tells you is simple, but it tends not to sustain you in times of personal crisis.
• Determine what brings you peace and take time to reflect on it every day.
• Be kind.