“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily.” ~ Zig Ziglar
To achieve and maintain personal wellness, we need more than motivation. Wellness requires a daily “personal” commitment.
Wellness is much more than physical health, exercise and nutrition. It is the integration of everything in our lives that makes us who we are. To be fully well, we must have balance in all areas of our life – social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual and physical. Each of these seven areas interacts to contribute to our own personal quality of life or wellness.
This sounds like a lot of work! But it really isn’t when we understand each one and how they work together in an integrated fashion to bring fulfillment, health, balance and peace into our lives. Let’s break them down:
- Social: to relate to and connect with other people in our world; to establish and maintain positive relationships with family, friends, co-workers and community.
- Emotional: to understand ourselves and cope with the challenges life can bring; to acknowledge and share feelings in a productive manner.
- Spiritual:to establish peace and harmony in our lives; to develop agreement between values and actions; to embrace a common purpose with creation and/or creator.
- Environmental: to recognize our responsibility for the environment that surrounds us; to positively impact the quality of our world – be it our home, communities or planet.
- Occupational:to achieve fulfillment from our job or career; to make a positive impact on the organizations in which we work and on society as a whole.
- Intellectual:to learn new concepts, improve skills and seek challenges in pursuit of lifelong learning; to expand our minds with new ideas and experiences that can be applied to personal decisions and community betterment.
- Physical:to maintain a healthy body to perform daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress; to understand our behaviors and choices have a significant impact on our wellness; to incorporate healthful habits and avoid destructive habits to promote optimal physical health.
Now, as 2018 arrives, in an effort to increase wellness and health, many of us will feel the need to make those annual New Year’s Resolutions to get healthier, take better care of ourselves, spend less and save more money, and so on.
But this may be the year to trash the annual “I-really-should-do-better” list and just focus on making daily, weekly and monthly choices that will bring us closer to who we want to be in all areas of our lives.
Rather than a list of resolutions, ask yourself where you want to be a year from now (think about all seven areas) and why you want to be there. Jot down your thoughts in a blog or journal. Focus on what you will DO – and be specific – to bring increase in one or more areas of your life. Avoid thinking about what you “should” do or are NOT going to do or don’t want (like most resolutions).
For instance, don’t say you want to take more time for yourself; rather, schedule a 90-minute massage, total body stretch or facial each month. Or, rather than trying to drink less soda or coffee, determine to drink a glass of water at every even hour (six, eight, 10, etc.). Instead of saying you want to spend less money and time eating out, decide which three nights a week to sit down for dinner with family or friends, or take your lunch to work four days a week. Get the idea?
When we put our energy into doing things, rather than not doing, we are better positioned to positively impact more than one dimension of our lives, which equates to more success.
If you really want to bring progress in all areas of your life, be specific with what you want, be detailed in what you will add to your life to help you achieve these goals and be consistent by doing something every day to move you in the direction you want to go.
A good way to kick off the new year and new you? Schedule a massage, total body stretch or a facial appointment for yourself and a loved one; aim for at least one wellness session a month. Other simple ideas include: go outside and walk around the block; drop your loose change into a jar every day; look up at the stars at night; watch the sunrise or set; attend a spiritual group; read a book.
Sporadic efforts yield sporadic results, so as Yoda says, “Don’t try – JUST DO!” QCBN
By Mark Love
Mark Love is the owner of Massage Envy Spa Prescott, located at 120 E. Sheldon St., by the new Sprouts grocery store. For more information on the benefits of massage and to schedule an appointment with a massage therapist, visit MassageEnvy.com or call 928-778-ENVY (3689).
Mark Love is the co-owner of Massage Envy Spa Flagstaff, located at 1235 S. Plaza Way in the University Plaza Shopping Center next to Safeway. For more information on the benefits of massage and to schedule an appointment with a massage therapist, visit MassageEnvy.com or call 928-526-ENVY (3689).