You can, for example, take very good care of your health by eating well, exercising, getting check-ups etc., while completely overlooking your wellbeing.
The reverse is also true, you might invest a lot of time into your wellbeing through complementary therapies that help you ease stress and anxiety, but ignore key health issues.
We all experience times when our health fails us, it could be as a result of an illness, accident, or changes as our bodies age. Adjusting to ill-health can be challenging, and while there are always things you can do to improve your health to some degree, there are also some things that you simply cannot control or change.
What you can do, though, is consider focusing on your wellbeing and exploring how a different approach might be beneficial. The term ‘wellbeing’ tends to go beyond the scope of physical health, and it means something different to everyone, and that’s why there’s no one way to ‘do wellbeing’. Whereas the building blocks of physical health are relatively straight forward – eat well, exercise, take precautions to prevent illness etc., wellbeing is made up of so many different things; it definitely includes physical health, but also mental health, our social interactions, how we feel about ourselves, our feeling of purpose and passion in life, and so much more.
Wellbeing encapsulates the emotional and mental side of our welfare, but is also pivitol in maintaining our physical health too; when we feel emotionally and mentally well, it enables us to manage health challenges better and often makes it easier to maintain our physical health. That’s why we believe that health and wellbeing are simply two sides of the same coin. They certainly impact one another, but are also quite distinct in many ways.
The good news is that our wellbeing tends to be more within our control, and as research has shown, it has an important role to play in supporting our overall health. Developing our sense of wellbeing can even mediate the effects of ill-health, so is definitely worth investing the time in, and luckily more and more people are coming to realise how important it is and are taking steps to keep well.
But just as with your physical health, only you really know what feels right or wrong when it comes to your sense of wellbeing. For some people the key to is focusing on diet and exercise. That is what keeps them strong physically and mentally.
Others may find that access to a complementary therapy such as reflexology, or hypnotherapy is what keeps them well. Perhaps, for you, the biggest benefits come from speaking to a counsellor, or taking up meditation. While these practices may or may not play a direct role in day to day health, the powerful stress-reduction and other benefits could be the key to staying physically and mentally healthy.
For most people staying well requires a mix of different things. And there will never be ‘one way’ to do it; in truth, it will constantly change, because you are constantly changing. That means it’s important to keep checking in with yourself to find out what it is you need, right here and now. It’s all about listening to your own body and mind. What makes you feel great and how can you get more of it? What causes you discomfort and how can you reduce it?
The answers may require all kinds of different solutions, whether that’s a check-up with your doctor to investigate an odd pain, booking a session with a counsellor to get all that stuff that’s bothering you off your chest, attending a yoga session to stretch and connect with your body, or just making sure you always have access to your close friends and family so you’re part of a community.
There are so many different ways to care for your health and wellbeing, so take some time, just for you, and explore what it is that your body, mind, and spirit need, to feel the best you can feel.
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