I just finished participating in the month-long Wellness Challenge at The Boston Conservatory (I ended up being the Individual Winner!), and the opportunity to spend an entire month thinking about and paying attention to wellness was really powerful for me.
I especially like the ways that the Wellness Challenge conceives of wellness – they go far beyond what most of us might think of when we think of wellness. The categories included:
a. Physical Wellness (physical activity/exercise, feeling well rested after waking up, limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, brushing and flossing teeth daily, avoiding second hand smoke, washing hands, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator)
b. Emotional Wellness (talking openly about your feelings, saying no without feeling guilty, and recognizing a problem and finding a solution)
c. Environmental Wellness (recycling, turning off the lights upon leaving, and unplugging appliances)
d. Intellectual Wellness (reading a book for fun, attending a program on campus, and challenging yourself to see more than one side of an issue)
e. Spiritual Wellness (exploring a new spiritual practice or tradition, taking time out of the day for spiritual growth, and practicing compassion towards yourself or others)
f. Social Wellness (going to a new place, talking with a new person, and putting aside time for a fun activity)
This broad-based view of wellness really appeals to me. Keeping all of these aspects of wellness in mind for the month of February definitely improved my quality of life and contributed to my self care.
My challenge will be to continue to prioritize wellness in all of these many forms. How do you pay attention to wellness?
