Wishing you a healthy 2017

According to the World Health Organisation, "health is a state of complete, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity" (1948).

So we’re not talking about a simple matter of being ill or not. There is a continuum between illness and wellness, which means that wellness is a process and not a static state. There are many degrees of illness and wellness, so the good news it that no matter where you are starting from, there is always an opportunity to move towards a higher level of wellness.

Just like an iceberg only reveals one tenth of its mass above the waterline, your current state of health, be it one of disease or vitality, is just like the tip of the iceberg. To understand everything that creates and supports this, you need to take a dive and look under the surface! The truth is that wellness is so much more than just getting enough exercise and a balanced diet, although these are important.

The beauty of a whole person approach, is that it paints a bigger picture, offering a structure and a way in to create positive change by identifying the specific areas to work with. All too often, creating wellness is limited to eradicating symptoms of disease, rather than harnessing the huge potential that exists to increase your well-being at any time.

The Wellness Inventory, designed by Dr John Travis MD, is a 12 dimensional tool, which essentially works with the human operating system. The sum total of your current level of wellness is dependent on all aspects of your life, including work, play, feelings, thoughts, communication, movement and relationships, including the one you have with yourself.

This means there are many opportunities to increase your wellness, with small simple actions every day. If you put work into one area, then it will benefit the others. For example if you enjoy your work, it will have a positive impact on your relationships, feelings and thoughts. The reverse is also true.

Success in achieving a higher level of wellness depends on many elements, for example knowing what you want, commitment level and the daily choices you make. Here’s a few questions to get you started:

• How do you rate your current level of overall wellness on a scale of one to ten?
• What’s your vision for your wellness?
• Who will you be at your highest level of well-being? 
• How would this impact the rest of your life?
• What two small steps can you take this week to move towards a higher level of well-being?

Be well.