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When we feel good, we’re able to live our lives to the fullest. That’s why keeping your body’s overall wellness in check is so important. However, sometimes that’s easier said than done: with busy work and life schedules, it can be difficult to make your wellness a priority. It’s incredibly easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of our fast-paced world and let our health fall by the wayside. When we don’t prioritize our wellness it can lead to feelings of mental and physical exhaustion, also known as burnout.
Luckily, there are a number of easy things you can do to prioritize your wellness and ensure that you’re able to lead your happiest, healthiest life. We’ve got wellness tips and advice from experts in the field to help you find your path to a life full of energy and balance.
Start Off Simple
When embarking on a wellness journey, it’s important to start off simple, and add more practices to your wellness routine as you go. “If you’re looking to improve your wellness, pick one to two things you’d like to change and start with those,” says Jimmy Minhas, Founder, and CEO of GerdLi. “If you try to take on too many new routines all at once, you’re likely to get overwhelmed, and might even give up on your wellness journey altogether. Think about the areas of your life that most need improvement and start there. For instance, if you struggle with getting enough rest, start by going to bed earlier. Once you’ve got that routine down, you might find you have more energy to get up and exercise in the morning, and so on. Wellness is a marathon, not a sprint, so it’s important to pace yourself.”
If you don’t know where to start, it can be helpful to make a list of all the areas of wellness you hope to improve. “I like to remind people that wellness doesn’t just refer to physical health. Wellness consists of a variety of mental and physical factors that contribute in unique ways to our overall sense of well-being,” says Colette Shelton, Founder of Chirpyest.
Some of the areas of wellness you may want to consider include:
Physical Wellness
This form of wellness relates to your physical health. Are you moving your body enough in ways that you enjoy? Alternatively, does your body often ache from doing too much? Do you get enough rest? These are all things to consider when prioritizing your physical wellness.
Mental Wellness
As psychologist Richard Davidson once said, “The key to a healthy life is having a healthy mind.” Mental wellness refers to how healthy your mind is. Do you feel engaged by your work? Do you have hobbies outside of work that provide you with enjoyment? Keeping your mental wellness up is important so that your brain functions as best it can.
Emotional Wellness
Emotion wellness can be measured by how well your moods tend to be. Do you find that you’re typically happy, or do you find yourself struggling with anxiety and depression? “Poor emotional wellness can lead to declines in your mental and physical health as well,” says Drake Ballew, CEO of Practice Health. “It’s important to make time in your day for activities that bring you joy, in order to provide balance and boost your emotional wellness. If you’re feeling like your emotional wellness is off, pause and take stock of your feelings through an activity like journaling or meditation. Once you know what you need to improve your mood, you can make a change that makes your emotional wellness better overall.”
Social Wellness
Social wellness is maintained by interacting with others who bring us joy. “We can end up isolating ourselves in many ways: by overcommitting at work, letting fear and anxiety take over for us, or due to illness. When we stay alone for too long, it can negatively impact our social health,” says Lydia Boychuk, VP of Marketing at More Labs. “We can counteract this by making time in our schedules to see and connect with other people. Human connection is paramount for keeping your social wellness in good shape.”
Ways to Improve Your Overall Wellness
Now that we’ve unpacked the different categories of wellness, let’s dive into some easy ways to improve wellness in all areas of your life:
Create a Nighttime Routine and Stick To It
One of the biggest contributing factors to all forms of wellness is getting enough rest. “When you don’t get enough rest, you’re bound to end up feeling tired and irritated,” says Ryan Rottman, Co-Founder and CEO of OSDB. “This exhaustion can impact your physical and mental health, as you need energy to perform the tasks that get you through the day. In order to avoid burnout, you need to make rest a top wellness priority.”
According to Anthony Puopolo, CMO of REX MD, “the best way to ensure that you get enough rest is by cultivating a nighttime routine and sticking to it. Choose a bedtime that will allow you to get at least eight hours of rest a night. With that time locked in, make an effort to reduce screen time before bed; give yourself at least an hour of no screens before you hit the hay, as the light from our phones and computers can keep us up.”
In addition to setting a bedtime, you can also partake in different relaxing activities to get you ready for slumber. “Adding an element of relaxation to your nighttime routine is a great way to help your body wind down for a good night’s sleep,” says Asker A Ahmed, Director of iProcess. “Try taking a warm shower or bath before you get into bed to soothe your muscles. If you’re a fan of skincare products, treat yourself to a relaxing evening facemask. You’ll wake up feeling rested and looking refreshed too.”
Move Your Body in Ways You Enjoy
Exercise is a huge component of physical health, but if you start to feel burnout during your workouts, you might want to adjust the type of exercises you’re doing. “It’s essential to check in with your body when working out to ensure that you’re exercising in a way that feels good,” says Lisa Odenweller, CEO and Founder of Kroma Wellness. “If you’re doing intense workouts five days a week and your body can handle that, great. But more likely than not, your body is going to need a few rest days, or days where you do low impact workouts like yoga or pilates.”
If you’ve been sticking to the same workout routine, take a moment to consider if there are other forms of exercise you might like to try. You may very well discover a new form of exercising that you love just as much. Varying your workouts is essential to prevent burnout and maintain your physical wellness.
Take Time to Reflect on Your Feelings
Taking stock of your feelings is an incredibly important part of keeping up your mental and emotional wellness. “When we keep our emotions bottled up, they have a way of causing trouble in other parts of our lives further down the line,” says Michael Fischer, Founder of Elite HRT. “Instead of repressing your emotions, sit with them. A great way to release emotions is through journaling. If you’ve had a rough day and need to let off steam, write down and get out what you’re feeling so you can get rid of the negative emotions and move forward.”
Another great way to take time to reflect is through meditation. You don’t need to meditate for long either: there are lots of guided meditation apps with quick ten to fifteen-minute sessions that you can listen to as a means of grounding yourself.
Connect With the People You Love
Humans need interaction with others in order to lead happy and healthy lives. “It’s paramount to make space in your schedule to spend time with the people you love,” says Tyler Read, Founder and Senior Editor of Personal Trainer Pioneer. “When you don’t, it’s easy to isolate yourself and become depressed or bored. If your schedule can be unpredictable, set a standing date with friends to hang out, or choose a night a week that you can block out for family dinners. By spending time with others, you’re able to create shared experiences and cultivate a sense of community, both of which are key for social wellness.
In Conclusion
There’s no single definition of wellness: many factors contribute to maintaining a well-balanced, healthy life, all of which are impacted by personal wants and needs. When seeking to improve your overall wellness, it’s key to consider the factors of your life that play a part in your well-being, whether they be physical, mental, emotional, or social.
As playwright William Shakespeare once said, ”Our bodies are our gardens – our wills are our gardeners.” In the same vein, we must actively participate in improving our own personal wellness. Some of the best ways to take control of your overall wellness include: creating a nighttime routine you can stick to, moving your body in ways that bring you joy, processing and expressing your emotions, and spending time with loved ones. Take small steps to improve your wellness now, and you’ll be on your way to living a long, happy life.
