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Be Well Your Way
By Lisa Patterson
Between fad diets spruked by social media influencers, tricky marketing tactics and complicated food labelling laws, health can be a particularly confusing field to navigate these days. Should we try keto, paleo, vegan or carnivore diets? Do we need to stock our fridges with probiotics, or drink bone broth for breakfast? And what's the deal with ice baths and breathwork?
With all of the noise in the wellness space, we can be left feeling a little bewildered, wondering which way to turn and where to begin. Often, in the confusion - we look to our friends, family or those we follow on social media for clues - maybe imitating their diet or exercise habits to see if they'll also work for us too. And while sometimes they do, more often than not we find ourselves bored or frustrated and back at square one. But I'll let you in on a little secret, that's perfectly normal. What works for others isn't necessarily meant to work for you. After all, we're individuals - and as such, our approach to our health and wellness should be individual too.
There are so many moving parts to each of us; variable factors in each of our lives that shape our sense of wellbeing - from dietary intake, social and family relationships, work-life routine, medical history, stress levels, movement to mindset and mental health.
It should go without saying then, that as these factors in our lives differ - so do our individual needs. What promotes wellness in one person, may be ill-suited to another. Health simply is not a "one size fits all" approach. Rather, we have the opportunity to define wellness on our own terms.
This is where self-reflection can be useful.
What works for you? What promotes a sense of wellness within your being?
How can you foster and support that which feels aligned for you?
Most importantly, what do you ENJOY that also enhances your state of wellness?
An aspect that is often overlooked in the pursuit of wellness is enjoyment. Wellness, as a state of being, is not a singular achievement. Rather, it is a fluid state - supported by our daily choices and actions. To support a sustainable state of wellness, we tend to find it much easier to choose health-promoting practices and habits that we actually enjoy (Nielsen et al., 2014).
When we nourish, rest, move and play in a way that supports our individual wellness - we foster a sustainable approach to our long-term wellness (Wahl et al., 2017).
But wellness doesn't need to be sunrise yoga, kale smoothies or daily ice baths (although it certainly can be if that's your thing!).
Wellness is simply what supports the health of your body and mind. It's what works for you, what makes you feel good, & what you enjoy! Find what works for you, and practice it often.
Sometimes, knowing what is right for us and then making those changes can be a little daunting. And that’s okay. Taking small steps towards your version of wellness is very much still progress.
Remember, wellness can be defined on your terms.
References
Nielsen, G., Wikman, J. M., Jensen, C. J., Schmidt, J. F., Gliemann, L., & Andersen, T. R. (2014). Health promotion: The impact of beliefs of health benefits, social relations and enjoyment on exercise continuation.Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science, 24, 66-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sms.12275
Wahl, D. R., Villinger, K., König, L.,M., Ziesemer, K., Schupp, H. T., & Renner, B. (2017). Healthy food choices are happy food choices: Evidence from a real life sample using smartphone based assessments. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group), 7, 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17262-9
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Name:
Lisa Patterson
Pronouns:
she / her
Qualification:
Clinical Nutritionist (student BHSc) + B.CompMed
Location
Noosa, Australia
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Website:
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Fav Health Hack:
Enjoy ten minutes of sunlight first thing each morning to balance your circadian rhythm & set yourself up for the day ahead.
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