Wellness: Get Happy, Get Healthy
By • February 7, 2018 0 648
Here at The Georgetowner, we are committed to bringing you resources, ideas, scientific research and breakthroughs to improve your life and help get you happy. This wellness issue will help to set the baseline for a “Better Me” in all of us. We will continue to provide stories, inspiration and resources to keep you on the happy, healthy wellness path.
Every Path to Wellness is Unique
Actively becoming aware of and making choices leading toward a healthy and fulfilling life are things that are accessible to everyone. Yet everyone’s path is different and unique. And this path can shift and change during different stages of life. Wellness is being clear to yourself what makes you happy and healthy and doing it. So, if a path looks frightful to you, then that just means it isn’t your path. Your path is going to look different.
Finding Balance: Between Ourselves, Family and Time Away
Depending on the stage of life people are in, certain areas will be more balanced than others. At different points in our lives, our attention will focus on varying aspects of wellness, which is completely natural and to be expected.
For example, snowbirds — seasonal travelers who “migrate” to warmer climates during the winter months — take time away from the snow and cold, but return home to family and friends for the rest of the year. In this way, they find balance between connection to family and time away in a warm environment.
Wellness Risk Factors
Wellness isn’t just focusing on the right things, but also actively limiting factors that could compromise this state of optimum joy. Don’t be afraid to say no, because wellness isn’t just about what you do, it is also what you don’t do.
That means consciously weeding out things and relationships that do not support us, and especially the ones that do us harm. Limit the use of unhealthy foods and avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption.
It means managing against financial stress, which repeatedly has been found to be a common source of stress, anxiety and fear. By actively managing finances, living within our means and appreciating and being grateful for what we have, we craft a life full of satisfaction.
And, of course, we need to protect ourselves from environmental threats, including air pollution, ultraviolet radiation in sunlight, chemicals, noise, water pollution and second-hand smoke.
Wellness Tools and Resources
How “well” are you? Start your wellness journey by assessing where you are and taking steps to start living a life full of personal responsibility, being proactive for your entire well-being.
Self-Guided Evaluation: The first step to wellness is to measure current activities against goals. My favorite tool to monitor my own wellness is a free online quiz called Clean Sweep. This list of 100 questions in four categories — physical environment, well-being, relationship and money — keeps me focused on my road to personal freedom. I have a printed copy that I keep with my important paperwork and I use different colored pens for each time I retake the quiz to evaluate my progress. Access this list at betterme.com/cleansweep.
Professional Support: There are all-inclusive wellness retreat and spa experiences to help develop a healthy lifestyle. The support includes: spa cuisine that emphasizes whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and nutritional education; a full program of fitness and stress reduction classes; therapeutic spa treatments including massage; and educational lectures that teach you how to develop and maintain wellness habits back home.
Remember: the goal is to create and maintain a strong, clear and “enjoyable” self-care practice. You might just find yourself with a deep well of energy, passion and joy of life, which goes beyond being healthy, but fully and truly alive and well.
8 Dimensions of Wellness
Wellness has officially moved from the Land of Woo Woo to mainstream in 2018. So what should you know about wellness? Should you give it your limited attention? Should you really care?
The long and short of it is: Yes. Wellness means to live in a state of optimal health, well-being and vitality — and to invest money, time and energy in the things that help achieve it.
Wellness is self-care, the complex solution of good mental, physical and nutritional habits, as well as the ability to adjust to life’s inevitable ups and downs. Wellness means cultivating a lifestyle that moves and feels good, helping us keep up with the pace of life and supporting everything we do, wherever we do it.
Learning ways to reduce stress, live within our means and live joyfully is key to a successful life.
What wellness aspects should be considered? There are eight dimensions of wellness to evaluate for a complete happy and healthy life.
OCCUPATIONAL
The average American spends nine hours a day working, so it makes sense to create wellness in this major area of life, and find a balance between work and leisure. This includes finding our calling, our unique contribution to the world, our place — and a way to use our gifts, skills and talents to achieve personal satisfaction and enrichment.
EMOTIONAL
The ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times are crucial to overall well-being. To feel optimistic and content most of the time, we need to embrace our positive and negative feelings — to own and honor them. This includes being able to say no (and not feel guilty) and the ability to grow and evolve from experiences.
INTELLECTUAL
An intellectually well person cherishes mental growth and stimulation by reading, exploring, creating and trying something new.
SOCIAL
We are social creatures and wellness includes building healthy, nurturing, supporting relationships with genuine connection. Relationships offer support during difficult times, and everyone goes through difficult times.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Our overall well-being is impacted by the health of our environment, as well as by living a lifestyle in harmony with our surroundings, our homes, our communities and our planet.
SPIRITUAL
We need to discover a sense of meaningfulness in our lives and know that we have a personal purpose to fulfill, to embrace our self-worth, to find inner peace and self-acceptance and to honor our personal beliefs. This may include worship, prayer or meditation.
FINANCIAL
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lists the four elements of personal well-being: feeling in control, the capacity to absorb financial shock, being on track to meet goals and the flexibility to make choices.
PHYSICAL
Proper care of our bodies is essential for optimal health and functioning. This means keeping our bodies in top cardiovascular shape and enhancing strength and flexibility, pursuing fitness, sleeping and eating well and maintaining hygiene.
Wellness is an active process of making choices leading toward a healthy and fulfilling life.
Wellness is being clear about what makes us happy and doing it.
Everyone’s journey to wellness looks different.
The quest to make a life that you love.
Wellness is a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving one’s full potential.
New Owners for Aveda Georgetown
Natural skin care and organic beauty products continue to gain fans and market share. Aveda was founded in 1978, based on the ancient practice of Ayurveda. It is one of the business leaders of the natural beauty and skin care movement, inspiring a cult-like following that has helped fuel this ongoing trend.
The Aveda Georgetown Lifestyle Salon & Spa at 1325 Wisconsin Ave. NW was recently acquired by new owners. Adrienne Anthony, one of the owners, says that her first goal is to create a new environment that invites the community into the store. Every member of the family — including the four-footed kind — is welcome. Anthony’s vision is already starting to evolve, blending the historic exterior with an updated interior: modern, yet warm and peaceful. Aveda will remain open during the changes, so, she says, feel free to stop in and schedule some time for beauty and wellness.
