August is National Wellness month and since we have wellness in our name, we thought it would be a good time to talk about what wellness is.
Improve your wellness with mindfulness: Notice as the blue fades to a hazy pink and back to blue again and breathe deeply in for 6 counts through your nose, hold for 4 counts and then blow out for 6 counts.
Wellness, generally speaking is a way of focusing on what is working for people and other things that can be done to enhance and improve a person’s way of life. It shifts the conversation from things that are “wrong” (an illness or sickness-based model) to what we can do to make things better.
Because every person is different, wellness looks different on every person. For some, sticking to basics like trying to drink more water, get more restful sleep, moving their body in an enjoyable way and having conversations with friends is plenty of wellness. There are others who find their wellness in high intensity workouts, video games to blow off steam, yoga retreats, travel and beyond. Wellness can be all of these things.
At Tranquility, we start by encouraging basics if those aren’t already in place. Are you eating, drinking, sleeping enough? Do you have a support system? Are you safe? Those basics can be a challenge when we are focused on caring for others, or for whatever reason have let our own self care slide. Taking time to journal or check off daily wellness tasks can make it easier to be consistent with small goals. Small goals like those, make a big impact over time in how we feel physically and emotionally.
Neglecting our personal wellness can create problems. Our minds and bodies are connected – more than many realize. Drinking enough water, for example, helps to prevent headaches and mood changes due to dehydration, helps with digestion, keeps your blood oxygenated (keeping your brain happy), keeps joints lubricated and a whole host of other things. Both body and mind are impacted by a small behavior change. And if you aren’t drinking enough water – you can see how it can cause small challenges that might add up over time.
If you’re struggling with getting those wellness activities in place, it might be worth talking to someone to see if additional support can help. Sometimes sharing with a friend and asking someone to check in on you and your goals can be the additional motivation to help build a healthy habit.
A lot of mental health struggles also impact our ability to care for ourselves, which is the core of wellness. If you are feeling down or stuck, or even that something you think should be easy seems impossible, it might be time to talk to a therapist about what’s going on. We have a great group of people at Tranquility who are here to support you on your wellness journey. You can check out our providers here. Questions? Contact us through the website or give us a call at (234) 466-6274.
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