Creating Your Wellness Plan - Part 1

I often thank my patients for letting me have the opportunity to become a part of their wellness plan and for most people it’s the first time they have been introduced to the concept. So what is a wellness plan?

A wellness plan helps you make an assessment of the current state of your health, a determination of the quality of your health and lifestyle you want to attain, and a plan to put your goals into action. It brings greater awareness to the small choices you make everyday that ultimately comprise the wholeness of the health of your mind, body and emotions. It’s my belief that bringing greater awareness to the small choices you make everyday is when your health begins to flourish.

You can start working on your wellness plan today by taking the following steps.

1. Assess your current state of wellness and the factors influencing your health.

Basic parameters used to assess your wellness include: current weight, quality of sleep, levels of energy throughout the day, mental clarity, stress levels and causes, and results from a physical from your medical doctor.

2. Determine your health goals and decide on time frames to attain those goals.

Based on your assessment, decide on the areas of health that you want to cultivate. It could be improving your physical stamina, bolstering daily energy, or reducing stress. Be realistic with the time frames you give yourself to reach these goals. For example, planning to run a marathon next month might be a too ambitious if running one mile is a stretch for you today, but I like your attitude.

3. List all of your health resources and find the resources you don’t already have.

Acupuncturists, psychologists, doctors, massage therapists, dietitians, organic grocery markets, gyms, personal trainers, and yoga studios can be considered health resources. These people and places will help you maintain your quality of health.

4. Incorporate wellness activities that you ENJOY to benefit your physical, mental, and emotional health.

Wellness activities include much more than exercise. They could include meditation, drawing, cooking, healing retreats, gardening, vacation, dancing, counseling or therapy, or community service. Despite popular belief, getting healthy doesn’t just mean your physical health, and doesn’t have to be agonizing or painful. It really can be easy and enjoyable if you incorporate activities that bring you joy.

5. Set your wellness plan in motion.

Make it easy. Start on an area of your health that is easiest to make a positive change. It might be as simple as drinking more water until it becomes a part of your everyday routine. It’s achieving the small goals that allows you to make giant leaps.

In this blog series, we will go through each point of a wellness plan to help you begin understanding your health holistically and take actions to positively impact your health. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience to help you find your own plan to rediscover your wellness and vitality.