Wellness is a lifestyle and it is up to up to us as individuals to take the steps needed to maintain our health and well-being.
The word wellness is often associated with clinics, spas, essential oils, organic foods, recipes and the list goes on. My computer dictionary gives the following definition "well·ness| ˈwelnəs | noun the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal: measures of a patient's progress toward wellness | a healthcare system focused on wellness, not sickness | [as modifier] : company health and wellness programs." I particularly appreciate the part about wellness being "an actively pursued goal." I believe that when it comes to our health and well-being we have way more power and influence than we like to admit. Don't get me wrong, practitioners can play an active role in our health but ultimately we need to take the reins back. Let me give you an example from my health journey.
I remember a time I was confronted with a rather personal health issue. While the details are relevant they are also intimate so I will simply share the progression of my approach and the outcome of my decisions. My health issue started out small and insignificant but it bothered me. During a routine check up with my family physician I mentioned the problem to him. He merely shrugged his shoulders and told me that he did not know what it was or why it was happening. I interpreted his lack of concern to mean that I need not worry about what was happening in my body. I put my faith in his professional view, after all he was the expert. The problem however did not respect his expert opinion and grew worse. I went back a second time and informed my physician that the situation was in decline and had not resolved itself. I pressed for answers and got none. Once again he merely shrugged and told me that he did not know what was going on and offered no insights whatsoever. I have to say that I appreciate his honesty, he did not try to ply me with medications to treat the symptoms but he also was not looking to find the root cause of the medical issue. I resorted to a metaphor. I told him that if my car had a small problem I would rather fix it while it was still a minor issue rather than wait for it to become a major issue. My body should in the very least get the same concern as my car. Clearly something was breaking down in my system. He shrugged. Over the months that ensued my problem became more pronounced. I went to see him a third time and finally he arranged an appointment with a specialist but I had already come to my ropes end, I had started to look for answers myself. I read articles relating to my problem, I visited a natural path, and was told that I needed to change my diet and take some supplements. I also kept my appointment with the specialist who was finally able to tell me what was happening. He also informed me that I would likely need a medical procedure. I took all of the new information I had gleaned and implemented a plan of action. I changed my diet, took the supplements, lost weight, got in shape and well I never had that medical procedure after all. My problem resolved itself....or did it?
I learned huge lessons from this experience, the most monumental of which was, never stop looking for answers and when you finally find them be willing to change both the way you think, and your actions . Change is not easy for many of us, but if we keep doing the same things while expecting a different outcome we deceive only ourselves. Of course we should take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of health experts, however it's up to us to get second opinions, and it's up to us to follow through with making the lifestyle changes for optimum health.
By Gerri Anderson
