COLUMN #3: REDEFINING PERSONAL WELLNESS

Lately, I have been finding myself meditating on the concept of what it truly means to be well. With the rise of influential voices in the wellness space, it is crucial to take a step back and question how we’ve become set on such defined lines of obtaining optimal health, both mentally and physically. As I’ve seen many people with influential social power begin to voice how they choose to define their personal wellness, I’ve come to realize the consequences this may have on the wide range of people they are reaching. There has been an obvious trend in the messages that are preached by wellness gurus and many of them have shifted towards self-acceptance and appreciation. Generally speaking, wellness has leaned towards the multi-layered definition of accessing our healthiest and best selves while also preaching that we should love our bodies and minds regardless. Although this is maybe a crucial goal that someone is aiming to reach, the ways in which many influential people are approaching these theories have reached a point where they lack personalization and the power to truly leave an impact. Thus, I believe that the only way to regain the power of the self-acceptance narrative is to redefine wellness and the ways we’ve been told to be well. Instead of creating a linear definition that is only applicable to some, we need to work to find the ways in which people adapt to their own definition of wellness. I think it is important to note that it would be contradictory of myself to explain to you how we should define wellness. However, I am here to provide some insight into ways you can find a customizable and impactful form of practicing and reaching your wellness goals. The main way this can be done is to strip ourselves of any external influences and to turn our attention within. I’ve found it helpful to sit with my thoughts and listen to my inner narrative. By bringing your attention within, all external noises lose volume over your own thoughts. It helps to write out my inner dialogue and explore each positive and negative thought I am having. Giving voice to these thoughts allows me to address them and to further understand many of my self-perceptions. This definitely takes patience and hard work, but I have seen the importance of it when trying to understand myself. It is necessary to take the time to listen to our inner narratives that have a lot of power. Once you are able to step away from the many voices telling you to just accept yourselves already, you can actually go within and understand the roadblocks that may be hindering your ability to access a self-acceptance mindset. Overall, I find that the wellness industry and the influential people within it have turned the complex process of obtaining your best self into an ambiguous dictation of body acceptance and self-acceptance. Step away from any linear fixations of what your personal wellness should be and take the time to redefine and personalize it.