The Four Pillars of Wellness
What is wellness?
Wellness is a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential. Wellness is multidimensional and holistic, encompassing lifestyle, mental, and spiritual well-being, and the environment. Wellness is positive and affirming. Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.
National Wellness Institute
Health vs. Wellness
Health is the absence of illness or injury. But why stop there? Do you want to survive or to thrive in this lifetime? You thrive by reaching your fullest potential in all Four Pillars of Wellness. You thrive by setting clear goals and by making choices that you lead you closer to your definition of success.
The Four Pillars of Wellness:
- Physical: The health of your body, your level of fitness, and also your environment. Your physical health is the foundation that success and happiness are built upon. Spaces such as your home, car, and office are both a reflection of and influencer on your inner state. Are you maintaining your health, challenging body, and organizing the spaces where you spend your time? If you want to make changes in your life and don’t know where to begin, start by improving your health and decluttering your space.
- Social/Emotional: Your mindset, relationships, self-confidence, empathy, and compassion. Empathy and self-awareness are the backbone of emotional intelligence. Are you nurturing your relationships with others and your most important relationship – the one with yourself? If you want to experience greater happiness and more fulfilling relationships, start by noticing your thoughts and your self-talk. Get quiet and cultivate greater awareness with practices such as meditation and journaling.
- Intellectual: Your intelligence and your cognitive ability. This doesn’t have to wither with age. Keeping the body healthy and maintaining social connections helps preserve the mind. It’s all connected! Never stop moving, eating healthy, enjoying life with others, and learning. When was the last time you took on new challenges or learned a new skill? It’s never too late!
- Spiritual/Energetic: Beyond the physical realm. There is more to life than meets the eye. Each one of us is on our own journey.
“There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading to the same place, so it doesn’t matter which path you take. The only person wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.”
Hindu Proverb
If you feel like you’re surviving day to day and you want more, reflect on which areas of wellness are lacking in your life and make a plan for improvement. Need guidance on setting goals, help with deciding what steps to take, and some accountability to keep you on track to reaching your fullest potential? Then make the first choice toward a more successful existence and email me to get started with Wellness Coaching!
Alicia Cross is a Certified Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, and Yoga Instructor with more than 15 years’ experience working with clients in classes and one-on-one. She is a yogi, meditator, vegan, and lifter of heavy things. If you’re ready to discover the strength and peace that comes from within, email Alicia@AliciaCrossTraining.com.
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