Well? What is Wellness?

You might be here today because someone recommended you a health and wellness coach and I was the first thing that came up, but you have no idea what that is. Some of you might be here because you have a basic understanding of wellness, but are unsure whether or not a wellness coach would fit into your goals and overall wants. So, what is wellness?

Wellness is all about creating healthy habits, and then being mindful of those said habits and practicing them every day. The entire goal of wellness is to change our mind, body, and soul from surviving to thriving.

There are multiple factors of wellness; nutrition, movement, sleep and rest, socializing, and being mindful. All of these factors bounce off of one another. If one area feels like it is lacking, it can affect the other areas as well. This is why it is important to understand wellness and its components so you know what areas you are thriving, and what areas you are only surviving.

Now I’m sure I have raised even more questions, or maybe you are now thinking you have to start a crazy diet or run 5 miles every day to perfect your wellness. Well, stop thinking that because you most definitely do not need to cut all your calories back or start practicing for a triathlon. In fact, there is no way for wellness to be perfect so let’s get those thoughts out of here! But there are ways we can better these sections to improve our quality of life and feel more at homeostasis.

Let’s begin with movement, because I think this probably has the most confusion and a good portion of you not feeling up to it. Movement does not equal exercise. Say it with me: Movement does not equal exercise. Exercise is a physical activity that is planned, has structure, it is repeated over and over again to build muscle or lose weight. Movement though, is the act of physically changing your position. Movement does not have to be exercise. Exercise is not required to maintain wellness, it is an activity, though, that helps individuals feel more complete and fit in their wellness journey. But Joe Shmoe’s journey for movement is not the same as yours, and you should not feel subjected to do things you do not enjoy to maintain movement. Doing any movement that is even 5 minutes longer than your normal day-to-day is an improvement on your wellness. If you enjoy walks, playing with your kids, gardening, stretching, these are all movements that aid in gradually thriving more every day!

Next, we have nutrition, another aspect of wellness a lot of people have a difficult time in. Just like movement, improving your wellness and health around nutrition does not have to be this rigid, structured plan where you either do it or fail. Who the heck wants to eat better if they are just set up to fail? Always remember no matter what, we are all on a journey but no two journeys are alike. There is no ‘one size fits all’ in nutrition. Everyone has to start somewhere, whether you are an athlete trying to eat enough macros (we can get into macros a different day) to sustain energy to compete, or you grew up in a household where all you understand is processed foods and takeout, we all start somewhere. Improving nutrition does not have to be instant calorie counting portion measurements, it can start as simply as not eating take-out every day. Then eventually where you don’t eat take-out every 3 days, then 5, until you don’t eat it at all! If that is your goal though!

Time to move on to one of the most needed things, yet none of us seem to get enough of it: sleep and rest. Did you know that the average adult needs at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night? Now you did! So if you are not getting at least 7 hours of z’s a night, you’re probably not getting enough sleep, and sleep is HUGE! Sleep and rest are what make sure our brain is working at its highest potential, aids in memory, muscle recovery, and is much needed to make sure our other areas of wellness are being fulfilled. Not getting enough sleep and rest can lead to weight gain, not being able to move our limbs as well the next day, or even not being as social as we would like. Sleep is King! “But Nora, I literally can not sleep, no matter what I do, I can’t get enough!” Well, there is this beautiful thing called sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is a set of healthy habits that aid in sleeping better, it is a matter of controlling the environment around you to give you the best chance at sleep. These can be limiting stimulants, avoiding heavy meals before bed, and limiting screen time before you rest that pretty head of yours. Tonight, try giving up 15 minutes of screen time you usually spend to attempt to sleep earlier and see how you feel in the morning!

Okay, my introverted kings and queens, you might not enjoy this next part as much but, unfortunately, you are human so this still applies to you….unless. Time to talk to strangers! Just kidding, absolutely not unless you’re a health and wellness coach! On a serious note, we are social beings. We thrive when we connect with others, whether that is online or in the living room with close family. Humans need connection. Without it, we become lonely which creates another set of problems that limit our thriving capabilities in our realm of wellness. To a lot of you, meeting new people is scary, and it most definitely is. It can be hard to put yourself out there. The great, but maybe also not so great(?) thing is you are not alone! And not just in needing new pals but literally anything: hobbies, interests, video games you play, shows you love. There is a social group out there for you, for anyone! There are even groups where people get together to celebrate their victories in wellness (aka my group, ‘let’s grow together!’, you can join, and you can join, everyone can join!). Catching up and connecting with others helps fight off negative feelings and boosts dopamine and all those other positive hormones. This is a part of wellness that often gets over-looked, but is a needed factor to attain balance.

Lastly, mindfulness. This is the practice of being aware of your feelings, emotions, your senses, and the environment around you. It is how we become self-aware with what we need, what we lack, what makes us calm, and what stresses us out. Practicing mindfulness not only helps us have realizations, but it also aids in the growth mindset. The growth mindset is where we believe that we can improve over time through learning, effort, and patience. It is crucial in achieving a sense of wellness because to grow in anything, we have to acknowledge to ourselves that we can improve. In any area of wellness, YOU have the ability to grow. YOU have the ability to change. Mindfulness and the growth mindset is a big can of worms that we can explore and grow our understanding in more in another blog post.

Now who the heck am I?! How do I tie into all of this? My job as a wellness coach is to aid you in this beautiful journey. I aid you in achieving better wellness by helping you understand what goals you want to hit, ways to overcome obstacles, holding you accountable, educating you in all things wellness, and giving you all my support and understanding. It is my job to help motivate you into a better tomorrow. Once these goals are set, I also help create a real, and authentic plan to put this goal into motion. I am that little angel on your shoulder telling you that you most definitely can do it! Through active listening, I hear what you are saying and what you need in life to feel healthy. Though I am getting my qualifications as a personal trainer as I write this, it is not my job to tell you what to do. Nope! You decide what you want and I help you get there! Through wellness and looking at you as a whole, not only fragments like what you are eating or if you are running but all of you, together we can create a future that has your idea of being better and healthier. If you haven’t yet, book a consult! Let’s start becoming healthier, authentic versions of ourselves through wellness!