What does wellness really mean?

Wellness is not just a buzzword. But with more people and companies using the term, it can get a little confusing to grasp what it actually means. And, once you understand it, how do you even apply it to your life? 

Read on to find out what wellness really means and our tips to build it into your everyday.  

What is wellness? 

Wellness is a term that describes your overall health and wellbeing. That includes your physical health, mental wellbeing, emotional and social states. It’s about making sure you have a positive balance in all of these areas, not just being free from illness. Being intentional about keeping your health and wellbeing at its highest levels will help you feel the best version of yourself.  

How do I focus on wellness? 

Because your health and wellbeing is made up of lots of different factors, wellness is a holistic practice. But that doesn’t mean it should be overwhelming. In fact, if wellness felt overwhelming, then it wouldn’t really be wellness.   

As with lots of things, the best approach is to take things slowly and to break it down. If you chunk your health and wellbeing into sections, you can focus on bringing more wellness to those areas of your life. And then start with baby steps.  

It feels a lot more sustainable and manageable to swap a square of milk chocolate for dark chocolate, rather than completely banning yourself from eating any at all. Besides, that’s not what wellness is about either.  

How to add wellness into your mornings  

Even if you don’t do anything else for the rest of the day, having a few small and simple wellness habits in the morning will set you up nicely.  

Start with hydration 

Remind yourself to drink water first thing in the morning by keeping a bottle or glass beside your bed. After a long night without it, you’ll help yourself to flush out toxins and maybe even feel slightly less groggy.  

Drinking water is one of the best things that we can do to keep ourselves in top form, mentally and physically. It boosts how quickly your brain thinks, improves mood, supports muscle fatigue and even your digestion.  

Get in tune with your body and mind 

Building a morning mindfulness habit doesn’t take long and it’s a great way to check in with yourself before your day focuses on anyone else.  

All you need is five minutes. Take a note of how you feel, on a piece of paper or in your mind.  

Here are some helpful prompts:  

How to add wellness into your evenings 

Schedule your snooze  

Everyone has to sleep, so it doesn’t matter when you do it, right? Not quite. A regular sleep schedule can help you get better quality sleep. And when you feel well-rested, you’re likely to be in a better mood, feel more alert and be able to make clearer choices.  

Stick to a set sleep and wake up time, even on the weekends. (We know, but it’s worth it.) Try also prepping your body for sleep at the same time and in the same way as often as you can. That might include turning off your screens, dimming the lights, having a cut off for caffeine and doing something relaxing like listening to music, reading or meditating.  

Find ways to unwind  

Speaking of finding something relaxing, having personal time to wind down will help to improve your mental wellbeing. Whatever your hobby, find a way to weave it into your day or carve out time in your week to do it. When you’re busy, it can be easy to think it’s not important. But you have to prioritise it.  

Find your fr-amily 

Social wellbeing is an important pillar in your overall wellness. So, whether it’s with friends, family or fr-amily, be sure to pencil in some social time. If you find hanging out a little challenging, you could just find one person in your life who you feel comfortable around. Take your mind off your stresses with them or talk it out. Whatever that social time means for you, you have full permission to make space for it.  

Try these wellness tips at home or in club. We look forward to seeing you around.