Discovering-your-wellness-journey-

I decided to do a write-up on this because I feel people really need to know what wellness is all about and why they should pursue it. Looking at the kind of environment we live in today, it is safe for one to say people do not really care about their health and wellbeing. Yes, everyone wants to be healthy, but are your habits and lifestyles contributing to this in a positive way? Take note of these words- wellness, wellbeing, and wellness journey. A part of this article is going to define and explain these terms. But before I get to that part, let me give you a summary of the things I am going to talk about:

1) Defining wellness, wellbeing and wellness journey

2) Discovering your wellness journey: the mindset

3) Taking action

4) Reflecting

5) Keeping up with your journey

6) Reaping your rewards

Now let us talk about wellness, wellbeing and wellness journey. These three are all connected, one affects the other in a significant way. You are going to find various meanings for these terms once you check out the internet but based on the evaluations I have made, here’s how I have defined them. Simply put, wellness refers to those habits and lifestyles that you need so as to have a sound mind and body. You therefore practice these habits and lifestyles by having a wellness journey, thus, your wellness journey refers to the actions you are taking to improve your wellbeing, and wellbeing is simply your state of mind and body either good or bad. Often times I refer to ‘wellbeing’ as the end results. You know what you need to do inorder to be healthy (wellness) and then you decide to take actions towards achieving that (wellness journey), these actions you take all come down to your outcomes/end results (wellbeing). So you can see for yourself how these terms are all connected and how one can affect the other? Are you comfortable, happy, fulfilled, healthy or otherwise? Your present decisions and actions are going to determine your end results to a very large extent.

Discovering your wellness journey: the mindset. As much as I’d like to acknowledge people who usually put in their best to pursue a healthy life, some people are just not getting it right! I do observe how people tend to follow the ‘latest trends’ on social media or do what their friends are doing. Your friend just told you about this recipe that acts as a detox and you try it right away without analyzing if it is going to work out for you or not or you see your favorite celebrity on social media trying out a routine and you jump right into it without having second thoughts. Of course it’s not wrong to try to be ‘on point’ like others but the only thing you should consider when trying to embark on your wellness journey is YOU. Are these habits going to make you happy and fulfilled? Are you comfortable with them? If otherwise then trust me you are definitely not going to endure in your journey and you are bound to fall out. Embarking on a wellness journey is a process that requires consistency and commitment so you need the right mindset in order to succeed and thrive. You do not want to go to the gym because you see that your friends are all getting those brand new pacs and now you feel very intimidated so you’d like to 'show them'. You do not want to fake having a particular routine so as to gain more likes and followers on social media, neither do you want to try out that detox everyone seems to be taking because people’s body systems are different and what may be good for them might end up being toxic for you. You want to embark on your wellness journey for the right reasons and with the right mindset. Think about the changes you can make that will make you happier and healthier. You could ask yourself these questions:

• What are the things I am currently doing that are toxic to my wellbeing? How do I let go of them?

• What aspects of my life am I neglecting and what can I do to improve them?

• What changes am I willing to make and stick to? Will they bring me significant outcomes?

• What should my routines be like?

• What amount of time am I willing to put into taking these routines?

Asking yourself such questions will help you see your needs clearly and help you design a wellness journey that’s suitable only for you so as to enable you achieve your desired goals.

Taking action. Having a sound and wholesome mindset is not just enough, you need to take action too. You could start by setting goals for each day: "I would like to take a walk today", "I want to dig into some basic yoga exercises", "I want to try out some fruits and veggies". Make sure these goals and activities you have planned out don't end up being burdensome, so it is best if you start small and easy. With time you'll get to go bigger and do more. Make sure you enjoy the process, do not be in a haste to get desired results, remember you are on your way to self discovery and towards building a healthy lifestyle that bests suits you and has a meaningful impact on your wellbeing.

Reflecting. You have probably spent the past few weeks trying out new routines and diets, it is now time to reflect. Reflection is a very important part of your wellness journey. Thinking back to when you started, how you once were, and what you have achieved so far is a blessing! It gives you this renewed energy and zeal to forge ahead and aim even higher. Imagine starting out with a belly fat, and now after some trips to the gym and maybe a change in diet, you end up having this toned up belly- free of fat! Or those new skincare products and routine you have been trying are making your skin tone pop out the right way. Estactic isn't it? Reflection is also a way for you to know if that routine has been working for you, and if you see it isn't, then you are always free to discard it and make some new changes. As long as you are charging towards having a healthier lifestyle, you will be fine and you will surely find those routines that work best for you.

Keeping up with your journey. There's this mistake most people make that usually cracks me up. They see they are getting desired results already and then they start relaxing or stop completely. Some even go back to old habits! This is infact the one thing I will always like to talk about. Do not stop once you start getting desired results, you need to keep pushing. Your wellbeing isn't a periodical thing, it should be an every day affair. You have routines that work for you? You should keep up with them. Don't let go of them, infact they should be your best companions. Let me share my personal experience. At some point I started getting belly fat. Of course I knew the causes. My poor eating habits and postures weren't going to cut me some slack, were they? And so I tried changing my posture when eating. I started sitting on the chair, in an upright manner and not on the bed. Mind you, I was still a student and most students in their hostels sat on their beds while eating, which was very uncomfortable. I also changed the amount of food I consumed at a go and switched to taking lighter foods during the evenings. To top it all I even started some belly fat exercises. I went on like this for three weeks and I started seeing significant changes, I was relieved. But guess what I decided to do instead? Well, you already know. It was so easy for me to go back to those old habits because I had lost sight of what wellness was truly about. Based on that experience, I was able to see the importance of committing to a process. So my dear, do not stop once you start getting your desired results, be committed and consistent.

Reaping your rewards. Nothing can be compared to having things work out for you. That feeling is priceless! You've finally gotten that toned belly you always wanted? Thanks to those yoga classes you can now focus and easily connect with your inner self? Or you now have a flawless skin thanks to that amazing skincare routine? Congratulations! Here's an extra. How about rewarding yourself by treating yourself to a very nice meal or something else for a job well done. Taking out time to appreciate yourself for the efforts you have put in place is something I always advise and like I said in the previous paragraphs, you need to keep on thriving. It's a journey, enjoy the process and only then can you continue reaping your rewards! I hope this article has been helpful and that you have been able to get a lot from it. Remember, it's never too late to start your wellness journey- build a strong mindset, take action, reflect, keep pushing and reap your rewards!