Is ‘wellness’ a dirty word?

What does wellness mean to you?

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Did you know that August is National Wellness Month? No? I didn’t either until I heard about it the other day. 

It got me thinking about what wellness really means. 

Sometimes I wonder if ‘wellness’ has become a bit of a dirty word, viewed with the same cynicism that has been bestowed upon ‘self-care’. I don’t think the notion of wellness is bad at all – far from it, in fact – I feel it’s more that the view of what wellness is or can be tends to be fairly superficial. Is this possibly as a means to make it easier to package and sell?

So, what does wellness mean to you? And what if you are ill? Does that exclude you? 

When looking up the dictionary definition of wellness, Oxford Reference provided the following:

“A condition obtained when a person achieves a level of health that minimizes the chances of becoming ill.”

And this came via the Collins English Dictionary:

“the condition of being healthy or sound, esp. as the result of proper diet, exercise, etc.”

However, the six dimensions of wellness, as developed by Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute offers a wider interpretation. Those six dimensions are:

• Emotional

• Physical

• Intellectual

• Occupational 

• Spiritual

• Social

I’ve also seen this model expanded to eight dimensions to include:

• Environmental

• Financial

For me personally, wellness is about more than physical health, so while the six (or eight) dimensions might not be a perfect model, I do find its broader interpretation more holistic, helpful and inclusive as there isn’t a sole emphasis on the physical, or any one aspect. 

Not sure where to start?

You might look at each area and consider which ones you can address. For instance, if you’re experiencing a chronic illness that makes the physical wellness dimension challenging right now, are you able to tend to your emotional, spiritual, environmental or social wellness?

When it comes to yoga, I am biased, but I find it essential for my own wellness beyond the physical benefits. And connecting to nature is crucial for my environmental wellness, whether it’s the plants in my home that bring me calm, being aware of the changing seasons outside my window or getting outside to be in green spaces because this city dweller doesn’t have a garden of her own.

Wellness can benefit us all

Caring for oneself is not separate from community care, though in this individualised world you could be forgiven for forgetting that our actions can and do have an impact (for better or worse) on others. Tending to our own wellness and considering how we might contribute to the wellness of those around us is a way for us all to live better.

So, I ask once more, what does wellness mean to you? 

It’s okay and normal for your version of wellness to look different to someone else’s. Do what you can, where you are with what you have, with kindness to yourself. Always.

Upcoming opportunities to practice yoga and meditation with me both in-person and online:

• Here on Substack – find the latest editions of The Reset here and A Peaceful Pause here.

• Hatha Flow (in-person and streamed online) at Yoga Point, Brixton, Wednesdays 9.30-10.30am BST.

• Restorative Yoga (online) with Mindwalk Yoga, Tuesday 29^th August 8-9pm BST.

• Rest + Restore, (in-person) at Embody Wellness, Vauxhall, Friday 8^th September 7-8.30pm BST.

• The Rest Sessions: A Rest + Calm Mini-Retreat (in-person) at Yoga Point Brixton, Saturday 25^th November 2.30-4.45pm GMT.