What Is Wellness???

We all talk about health and wellness. We read up on the latest news from doctors, researchers, and other health professionals to find out what we should be doing now. Is drinking less coffee better for you, or are they now saying that you should consume more because a new health benefit was discovered? How much exercise should you be doing...half an hour, an hour, five days a week, everyday? The opinions vary, and change often. Which news should we follow now?

To me, wellness emcompasses many things in our lives. Getting regular exercise is vital, but should not be taken to an extreme. If you never do anything else in your life and you pass up opportunities to get together with your friends or family just so you can work out several hours a day, you've gone to an extreme. Not only does that much exercise make you more susceptible to injuries, but you miss out on the other stuff that is important in life. Spending time with the people we love is good for the heart, mind, and soul. Wellness is more than just the body. If you like to sing, read, draw, paint, or pursue other interests, don't give them up. We need to keep the balance in our lives to be well-rounded, and that in turn will make us happier people. If you don't pursue what you love, you will be miserable.

Eating nutritious foods on a regular basis is also important. But remember, you can occasionally have a beer or slice of pizza and still be healthy. As long those types of foods don't become a constant part of your diet, you can have them as a treat every so often. A friend of mine eats healthy stuff all week, and on the weekends she allows herself one indulgence. Her weekly serving of ice cream does her soul good. She is not eating ice cream every day, just once a week...enough to feel she can treat herself but not so much that she messes up her health.

Finally, part of personal wellness is loving yourself...no matter what that number is on the scale or lurks on the tag inside your jeans. You are a beautiful person, on the inside as well as the outside. Obsessing about your weight will only stress you out, and that is not good for your body or soul. You are not really living life if that's the only thing you think about all the time. The key is finding that balance, and knowing you are wonderful no matter what!