Wellness and Wellbeing
In recent months, I’ve been sharing insights and strategies for building wellness. From ways to dream about wellness to offering ideas to incorporate wellness into daily life, the purpose has been to normalize wellness - bring it into everyday conversation; make it accessible, attainable, and achievable in whatever form it takes on our own personal journeys. At the heart of this intention is to bring wellness into focus for each of us because well-ness is infinitely more than the polar opposite of illness - it is growing into a space where we can live deliberately as our best selves.
Part of finding our way to wellness also includes understanding wellbeing. While it may be a current trend to consider these two ideas of wellness and wellbeing interchangeable, the truth is - they are not. They are connected and interconnected, woven together, often synergistically influencing each other, but they are not the same. The difference between them is the space in which we grow into more than healthy and well-ness driven human beings; growing our wellbeing means that we are growing as happy and holistically-well individuals. We are unique in our wellness but united in the sense of wholeness found when we are also well from the inside out.
Wellbeing is not a new concept, though the use of the term is really just starting to catch on. Internationally, wellbeing is the concept predominantly used over wellness because it captures internal happiness and grounding, which is not always reflected when discussing wellness or the habits of living well. We all know that you can lead a healthy life but yet not feel very happy or satisfied with it. This is where the work of wellbeing belongs.
The “blue zones” are some of the best examples of where wellness and wellbeing come together, impacting not only human longevity but overall happiness. In blue zone communities, research has shown that people live the longest, happiest, and heathiest lives. Specific well-ness driven habits, such as eating well and moving often, are known contributors to this outcome. However, equally important is that people living in blue zone communities have strong connections, a sense of belonging, an emphasis on family, and a sense of purpose. These characteristics have built a strong sense of wellbeing within each individual and coupled with healthy living habits, has resulted in the healthiest, longest-living communities in the world.
If we want to share these amazing outcomes, we have tackle wellbeing alongside building healthy, well-ness driven habits -- we have to grow sense of purpose, sense of self, and sense of connection alongside health habits.
Looking for some ideas on how to do that? Here are 3 specific strategies for growing wellbeing:
Connect. Whether it’s meeting friends, arranging dates with a significant other, reaching out to an old friend or getting to know someone new, connecting with others weaves a sense of community and belonging into our sense of self. When we connect, we are building our wellbeing.
Notice. Spend time noticing your thoughts, your emotions, and your world around you. In practicing mindfulness and noticing the present moment, you’ll recognize when needs arise and be able to address them directly. Not only can this ground your wellbeing, it will also strengthen your ability to appreciate and enjoy each moment fully.
Learn. When we explore and learn new things, we improve our mental and emotional health, which positively impacts our wellbeing. It could be trying a new recipe, taking a class, or experimenting with a new hobby - the possibilities are endless and success is not required. Just trying something new boosts self-confidence and connects us to new communities. A double win for wellbeing!
Wellness and wellbeing go hand-in-hand. In establishing this partnership of practices, we build a sense of wholeness that partners with well-ness driven action to live our longest, happiest, healthiest lives. And there’s no better time than now to get started.
What small step will you take today to grow your wellbeing?
