I want to give a shout-out to Kinnard Funeral Services for the reminder that August is Wellness Recognition Month. I know that I have written on the topic in the past, but the importance of maintaining our personal wellness can never be overstated. The direction I want to take for this conversation is that of personal responsibility for that wellness. Too often, we look outward to our family, friends or even the community to create the conditions of wellness for us, when the only true path to wellness is that which originates and is sustained within us.
I’ll start with physical wellness, as it is the most tangible aspect of perceived wellness and one that we can take action on regardless of our surroundings. We are fortunate to have some great resources here in Kewaunee County in the form of fitness centers and businesses focused on exercise and nutrition, but it still requires deliberate action on behalf of the individual to make use of them. We speak a great deal about barriers in our small community, but the reality is that, in most cases, we are our own greatest barrier.
The internal conflict that we wage upon ourselves every day is real. It is the conflict between what we know we should do and what we want to do. It is also known as ambivalence, and once you create a habit of doing the right thing, even if it is the hard thing, personal growth is inevitable. So, get out there and go for a walk instead of streaming that television program. Park at the farthest point from the store. Grab a bottle of water instead of that Mountain Dew (I’m still working on that one!).
The next tenet of wellness on which I want to share some insight is emotional wellness. This, again, is a very personal and internal journey that has as its foundation a simple principle: Control what is in your control. Too often, we feel our emotional well-being is dependent on the actions or decisions of others. This is, of course, not only inaccurate but also detrimental to a solid foundation from which we can endure the many struggles we all face in our lives.
While we cannot control the vast majority of what we encounter in our daily lives, we can control our response to it. This, of course, takes a great deal of both discipline and practice and would be best incorporated into the small things so that, when the big things come along, we have already built those healthy habits of acceptance and self-regulation.
A good example of a starting point could be the next time a vehicle pulls out in front of you or passes you in a no-passing zone. Instead of defaulting to anger or even rage, transition to a more beneficial emotional state of acceptance and grace, as you may not know the circumstances that person may be dealing with.
Another great overarching emotion that can be relied upon to put us in a better emotional state is gratitude. This could be gratitude for what we have rather than frustration over what we don’t have, or gratitude for that special person in your life. If you really want to make an impact on both yourself and others, share that gratitude. It is literally a force multiplier of positive emotions.
Next week, I will cover some other aspects of wellness: social and spiritual.
