Why Wellness?
Episode #1 of the course 10 days to better wellness by Alyce Eyster
“To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.” —William Londen
Welcome to my class! I am so thrilled to be here with you. My goal is to inspire you to make positive changes through knowledge and education so you can improve your well-being and live an active, healthy and present life. Wellness is a lifestyle, not a short-term diet, or trendy exercise fad. I hope to show you how to embrace it in 10 lessons with tools and tips to help along the way. In this first lesson, we’ll discuss what makes a healthy lifestyle, do a brief assessment and talk about values, motivation and goals.
So why is wellness so important? I believe that wellness is a huge component of feeling great and full of energy with an an upbeat mindset and that this is the highest representation of you (or me!). Studies show that adopting a healthy lifestyle in middle-age can have a positive impact on cardiovascular health. And healthy habits focusing on total health can be effective in promoting heart health. Eating right and getting exercise are a big part of wellness, but so is water intake, sleep, and the mind/spirit component. We’ll be discussing all of these throughout the 10 lessons.
Assessment
Let’s begin by taking a good long look at your life and habits. Grab a pen and paper and answer these questions:
How do you feel in terms of:
• Diet: Is your diet heavy in fat, sugar, carbs, alcohol? Are you eating plenty of fruits and vegetables?
• Physical Fitness: Are you moving for at least 30 minutes per day?
• Water: Are you drinking 6-8 8 ounce glasses of water per day?
• Sleep: Are you sleeping 7-8 hours uninterrupted per night?
• Mind & Spirit: Do you allow yourself quiet time for prayer, meditation and/or reflection?
The Why: Your Values & Motivation
Think hard about why you want to improve your wellness and list those answers as well.
Again, wellness is a lifestyle. It is not a quick cleanse to lose weight or a trendy workout that will be out of style in months. You must want to get healthy to get the most out of life. So do it for yourself first and those you love as a close second. And if you want to embrace wellness to look better in your clothes, then go for it. We all differ in what motivates us. I encourage you to look inward at your values. If you value good health, embracing a lifestyle of wellness will be easy for you.
Goal Setting
Now using the answers gleaned from above, consider your overall wellness. Where do you see opportunity for improvement? Identify 1-3 goals. Also, consider challenges and resistance.
Tomorrow: We’ll jump into wellness with a discussion about nutrition.
Recommended recourse
Happier with Gretchen Rubin Podcasts
Recommended book
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
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