What Will You Do Differently This Year?
By Erin Monahan
Every morning when you wake up, you’re given a wonderful gift — another day of life! It’s a blessing that none of us should take for granted. And there’s something extra special about waking up to a new year.
With the simple flip of the calendar, we are lured out of our holiday hangovers, roused from our ruts, and prompted into new possibilities. Unlike any other month, January gives us permission to pause and take inventory of our lives. To ask: What’s working well? What isn’t? What needs to change?
Jump-Start
Assessing and appreciating the wholeness of your life is a practical way to jump-start the new year. And nothing is off-limits as you dream of something different for your health, your relationships, your finances, your spiritual connection, and everything else that matters to you.
Speaking of your health, it’s important to rank it at the top of your priority list. Why? Because the state of your health affects every other aspect of your life.
Think about it. We human beings are a complex bunch. Each of us has a mind, a body and a spirit. Unfortunately, most of us were never taught how these three aspects of our nature overlap and influence our health — and everything else.
Health and Wellness
People often use the terms health and wellness interchangeably, but they’re actually two different concepts. The primary difference is that health is the goal and wellness is the active process of achieving it. In other words, wellness is all about the choices you make.
This article explains how a wholistic approach to wellness can help you live a more robust and resilient life.
What Is Wholistic Wellness?
Wholistic wellness (also known as “holistic”) is an approach that recognizes you as a whole person and seeks to balance your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. When you adopt a wholistic wellness mindset, you live with the awareness that everything in your life is connected — mind, body and spirit.
For example, you may have noticed that when something is bothering you mentally or emotionally, you can actually manifest symptoms physically. Maybe your heart begins racing, or your eye starts twitching, or you have trouble sleeping. So, what started as a negative thought has now become a physical obstacle. You’re out of balance.
But when your mind is at peace, you’re better able to handle the demands of the day. You tend to feel happier, kinder and more grateful. You’ll likely rest better and stay energized. You’re more in balance.
Something Bigger
While most people understand the mind-body connection, some people get thrown off by the word “spirit,” especially if they don’t consider themselves to be spiritual. But having a spirit doesn’t mean you subscribe to a certain religion. It simply means you’re part of something much bigger than yourself. We all are.
If you need proof, just look up at the sky. Stand at the base of a mountain. Hold a newborn baby. Walk where the sand meets the ocean. Listen to the birds sing. You get the picture.
With this bigger picture in mind, it’s exciting to consider how wholistic wellness can change your life.
For Everyone
Contrary to what some folks may believe, wholistic wellness does not require you to strike a yoga pose. You don’t have to burn incense. And you don’t need to sing “Kumbaya.” (Unless you want to, of course.) Also, wholistic wellness has nothing to do with your political persuasion, your foundation of faith, your economic status, your upbringing, or any other bit of your background.
Wholistic wellness is for everyone who wants to create balance. It’s an individualized, patient-centered approach to health that starts with an honest assessment of where you are now and where you want to be. It’s not limited to eating more broccoli and walking 10,000 steps each day. That’s too narrow. Wholistic wellness is much broader and bolder.
In addition to your exercise and nutrition habits, a wholistic wellness approach recognizes other lifestyle factors, including (but not limited to) your sleep, relaxation, stress, resilience, relationships, and community support.
Collaborative Care
In a wholistic wellness setting, patients and practitioners collaborate to address the root cause of health imbalance. This unique relationship is a partnership sustained by mutual respect and trust.
When you visit a wholistic wellness provider, you’re encouraged to do the following:
● Ask questions.
● Trust your instincts.
● Advocate for yourself.
● Experiment to find what works best for you.
● Cultivate a community of like-minded people.
Who's Responsible for Your Health?
Is it your doctor? Your insurance company? The pharmacist? Your spouse? The government?
The short answer is: YOU! You are responsible for your health.
In a world where you can outsource almost anything, you can’t outsource your wellness.
Next Steps
While January sparks feelings of excitement and anticipation, you need to be prepared for those feelings to fade by the time February rolls around. It happens all the time. That’s because feelings are fickle. You can’t count on them. Instead, you have to make up your mind to do what’s necessary, regardless of how you feel.
Here are three tips to help you keep kick off the new year in the best way:
Get clear on what you want and why you want it. Then visualize the results you want to accomplish. It may help to capture your thoughts in a journal, on your phone, or on a vision board.
Use SMART goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. This approach can be shared with your loved ones and applied to anything — from fitness goals to professional goals. It’s easy to find a free template online by googling “smart goals worksheet.”
Cultivate a community of positive people. Social connection is essential for your health. You will achieve much more and be much happier if you surround yourself with people who “get you” and who will support your goals.
Community Connection
While the process of pursuing health is your lifelong responsibility, you’re not in this alone! There are people in your community who can help.
If you, or someone you know, wants to learn more about wholistic wellness, the providers at Wholistic Wellness Services are here for you. Contact them for an appointment.
Erin Monahan is a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach and Health Writer based in central Indiana. Find her at healthcoachcollective.com, LinkedIn and Instagram @ erinmariehealthcoach.
The information, ideas and conversations provided in this content are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, prescription, diagnosis, or treatment. Any application of the information, ideas and conversations provided is at your discretion and is your sole responsibility.