Wellness is a state of optimal well-being. It is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential. This is a life-long process of moving towards six areas. These are your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental well-being.
Since my practice deals with the physical well-being of patients, I will outline my best recommendations for that.
Breaking down physical well-being into four components makes this process understandable. These are sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction.
Sleep cannot be overlooked, it is imperative that you devote 6-8 hours toward good quality sleep. If you cannot, look for reasons why. These may be poor sleeping surface, the wrong pillow, too much noise, or the room is not quite dark enough. Be careful not to eat too close to bed time, and do not consume caffeinated beverages in the evening. By identifying which of these factors is not optimal and making the appropriate changes, you should get good quality sleep and awake refreshed.
Next is nutrition. Note, this is not about dieting. This is about getting good quality nutrients into your diet so that you can function optimally. Simply put, eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, and drink plenty of good clean water. I did not mention whole grains for a reason; many of you have certain sensitivities to whole grains, especially wheat. Whole grains are certainly appropriate for many of you that do not have this sensitivity, but they need to be consumed along with the other food sources, in just about the same proportions.
Exercise is next on the list. My first recommendation if you do not currently exercise is to get some good walking shoes and get out the door 20-30 minutes at least every other day. Not only will walking improve your cardiovascular system, but your blood sugar profile will improve and you may benefit by losing excess weight. I won’t go into too much detail on specific exercise programs, but what I am outlining is a good starting point.
Lastly, stress needs to be controlled. This is not easy to do but should be a major focus for those of you moving toward wellness. First, identify what in your environment is increasing your stress level. If it is everything, identify the ones you can control; don’t worry about situations you cannot. Secondly, see if you can eliminate the stressful situations. Thirdly, if you cannot eliminate these situations, take several deep breaths before you have to deal with them. It is important to take time out each day for some quiet time. This may be as simple as finding a quiet place, closing your eyes, and taking deep breaths to calm down. Some may find that exercise helps them manage stress, this is what I use. Dealing with stress is a process, take it one day at a time or one situation at a time.
I hope this post gives you all a basic understanding about the physical component of wellness and I hope some of these recommendations help you.
Dr. Howe
