"Wellness is that state in which you are relatively invincible, nothing can ruin your day, you feel alive, vital and confident..."
The term ‘wellness’ is quite popular today – but what is wellness?
Where can we get it?
What does it mean to be well?
Is wellness similar to health? How does it differ?
What is the relationship of wellness to illness and disease?
There is much confusion around the use of the term 'wellnerss'. Its meaning is elusive, both in our language, and in our culture. What does it mean to you? We read about it and see the term used everywhere – it’s become a buzzword and is used liberally in marketing and the media. With ‘wellness’ posted over the pharmacy and urging us into early treatment of diseases in the ‘wellness centres’ of our hospitals, “wellness” has been hi-jacked by current trends in our culture. The power and strength of the message has been diluted. Still, beneath all the ill-defined confusion and inconsistency, wellness stands strong-as ever. It is a revolutionary concept in defining and understanding health, disease, and the body.
Wellness is the key to a better future for yourself, your family, your community and the planet.
Wellness-Illness Continuum Is Distinct from Health-Disease
Research1 into the meaning of wellness puts the power to heal and create a new body in the hands of the individual. Wellness provides everyone with access to something new, paving a pathway to creating sustainable change within our lives and in our own bodies. Regardless of what is happening, no matter what has happened before, wellness offers a powerful framework to shift our focus to what’s working and recruit new, intelligent resources in both health and disease. In fact, wellness and illness are seen on a continuum which is distinct from that of health and disease. So, while these concepts overlap, are associated, and exert influence on each other, being well (expressing wellness) is different than having health (optimal function). Similarly, having a disease (altered function) is different from being ill (expressing illness). Wellness/illness and health/disease are assessed differently, have different focuses, and offer different approaches to vitality and longevity.