Wellness: The Meaning Behind the Buzzword

Article by Alexandria Zimmerman, Ask Zimm

Well, what is Wellness?

Good question!

Wellness is anything you want it to be. It means something different to everyone, which is why I love writing and talking about it. It truly is a subjective element of our daily lives, which makes it such a central element of who I am: wellness is a journey. In order to define what wellness means to you, exploring your own goals and reflecting on your mental and physical lifestyle, is key.

Wellness is a central element to personal growth because of the questions it begs you to answer. Answers that require some digging.

It is far too common that wellness is generalized into the Webster definition of “a good state of health.” A good state of health requires mental health and physical health to be in harmonious growth. Athletes know the power of the mind is often imperative to physical success, and so it is critical to explore where you can grow in an emotional sense and train the mind in the same sense as you'd train a muscle.

This is where the element of mindfulness becomes a major contributor to defining one’s wellness. Reflecting before acting is something I struggle with and is a challenge for many people, but as I learn to reflect on my own emotional and mental well being, I can make more mindful choices.

What's the point of mindfulness and making the choices that are better for your long term goals? This practice, on a large scale, will help you unlock your potential. The philosophy of being present dates back thousands of years; all we have is the now. I think my passion for wellness really goes back to how you are living your best life or in reality, how are you working towards living the best life.

My answer to this question of wellness is one I struggle with, but is rooted in putting in daily deposits. Each day has the potential to be a major success and step forward because each day contributes to the bigger picture. Being someone who approaches everything with a big picture mindset, I tend to struggle with daily deposits because of my desire for instant gratification. But anything great in life requires daily, consistent deposits. This is not just about to physical goals only, but mental and professional and social goals--really any goal in life.

All of these elements of mindfulness and goal-setting are central to my conceptualization of wellness, and I hope it helps you think about how you can continue to shape your wellness journey.