Condition Spotlight
Wellness is a modern word with ancient roots. The key tenets of wellness as both preventive and holistic can be traced back to ancient civilizations from the East (India, China) to the West (Greece, Rome). In 19th-century Europe and the United States, a variety of intellectual, religious and medical movements developed in parallel with conventional medicine. With their focus on holistic and natural approaches, self-healing and preventive care, these movements have provided a firm foundation for wellness today.
As you work to develop a healthy diet and lifestyle, don’t forget one essential element of a healthy life: hydration. Drinking enough water can be the missing link for your health. It’s so necessary for Read More
Many of us feel a strong need to make changes that will bring more happiness into our lives. But how do we make changes that will last? Gratitude makes it easier to reprogram your brain Read More
The holidays are upon us, and while it’s a joyful time of year, it can also be highly stressful. While we’re busy decking the halls and checking off gift lists, our own well-being often falls Read More
Have you ever noticed that when there’s a bug around your office, not everyone gets sick? Somebody is out for 10 days, someone else for a half day and some people don’t even get sidelined at Read More
(Family Features) Between changes in routine and visiting family (or having them visit you), the holidays can be emotionally overwhelming and stressful for children and adults alike, even in “normal times.” Add in inclement weather, Read More
In a post-COVID-19 pandemic world, many of us have continued to work remotely, study away from the campus, and maintain social distance with people. There were some definite benefits from our time in the pandemic Read More
The immune system is a large collection of different cells that have a primary goal to protect your body and attack foreign organisms or matter. Keeping these natural defenses strong is very important for transitioning Read More
An annual wellness visit is a yearly appointment with your doctor or primary care provider (PCP) to assess your health condition, create an update of how you’re doing and come up with an appropriate prevention Read More
Actually a type of varicose vein, hemorrhoids develop when veins in the lower rectum or anus become inflamed and swollen from trauma or too much internal pressure. We most often hear about them in relation Read More
Health issues are an unavoidable part of life. Unfortunately, for those of us living in the United States, treating them is always going to be complicated. Aside from the disproportionate costs of care, it is Read More
Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you’re thriving!
To understand it’s significance, it is important to understand how it’s linked to health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as being “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
There are two important aspects to this definition. First, wellness is not a passive or static state but rather an “active pursuit” that is associated with intentions, choices and actions as we work toward an optimal state of health and wellbeing. Second, it is linked to holistic health—that is, it extends beyond physical health and incorporates many different dimensions that should work in harmony.
Wellness is an individual pursuit—we have self-responsibility for our own choices, behaviors and lifestyles—but it is also significantly influenced by the physical, social and cultural environments in which we live.
Wellness is often confused with terms such as health, wellbeing and happiness. While there are common elements among them, wellness is distinguished by not referring to a static state of being (i.e., being happy, in good health, or a state of wellbeing). Rather, wellness is associated with an active process of being aware and making choices that lead toward an outcome of optimal holistic health and wellbeing.
