What is wellness?
I have pondered this question over the years. According to you all, wellness means different things to different people. To some, wellness means to be happy and to feel good, while others say that it is when they feel fit and strong., Some will say it is having lots of energy and feeling healthy, so what is it? They are all right. Wellness is all of these things and so much more! Click here to find out more!
I used to think that being physically fit meant being well. I found out the hard way, however, that wellness is much more than just being physically fit. Wellness is a mindset. Wellness is a lifestyle. It is a way of being that brings forth the way you want to live your best self in a healthy, happy way. As a fitness expert, I know that fitness is important, but it is not a complete solution to being well.
Being a super fit woman in 2011, I was strong, 12% body fat at age 47, inspiring and motivating others to get healthy by training and teaching them. I was proud of what I had accomplished, but I wasn’t cognizant of how I was really feeling on a deeper level. I thought I was living my dream, but I was working out way too much and over-extending myself. In my quest for a healthy, happy life, I got caught up in the exercise and being fit part of the equation. I became obsessed, even addicted, to the idea that being fit was my way to obtain great health and a long, happy, and well life. I was wrong!
The reality…
In my effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I was overdoing it. I was out of balance. I was teaching and taking classes almost 25 hours a week. I was dragging my kids to the daycare at the gym instead of spending real quality time with them. My marriage was suffering. He loved my body, but not my newfound obsession. The relationships with my friends were failing miserably, and my friends were dropping like flies. I also found myself, tired most of the time and not feeling all that great even though I was fit, working out, eating right, hydrating properly, and doing all the right things for a healthy body.
Then it all caught up to me…
In 2011, I was teaching a group fitness class when I was suddenly struck with a brain aneurysm (aka “brain-bleed”) that nearly killed me. I flat-lined. Obviously, since I am here today, I was eventually saved, but there was a long journey ahead for me. Truth be told, I had many chances to take preventative measures, but I ignored all my messages to stop what I was doing and SLOW DOWN, and I paid for it.
I woke up after 10 days in a coma with a knowing that I had a bigger purpose here on earth. I just needed to STOP what I was doing, SLOW DOWN, get QUIET, and LISTEN and I would be GUIDED to do what I was meant to in this world. It was a long and difficult road to healing myself, finding myself and my finding my balance. I had to heal my legs to walk again, regain my memory of words and things, learn how to shop, cook, drive, count money, and even learn basic math. I could not be the mother I needed to be for my kids. I could not walk them to school, I could not help them with homework or do any of the other mom-things that I yearned to do. I was aching inside. I had done this to myself. I had created this unwell lifestyle, and now my kids were paying for it. It is not something I would wish for anyone, but I not only survived, but I came out on the other side, the best version of myself I knew how to be, and I now strive to grow every day and live healthy, happy, and well!
So, I’ve spent the last ten years studying and practicing how to be my authentic, productive, Type-A self while living a mindful, balanced, and well life that’s truly worth living.
I realized what I truly wanted was not just to be physically fit, but to be holistically well and balanced in all areas of my life. That’s when I came up with the formula on how to live a happy, healthy, and well life. The P.E.A.C.E. solution is a holistic approach to your overall health and wellness and incorporates the 4 primary areas of wellness including physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness. Social and environmental wellness come as you master the primary areas.
What is the P.E.A.C.E. solution to a happy, healthy life? It is an acronym for how to feel well, be well, live well and have the life you dream of.
The P.E.A.C.E Model to Wellness
P – Practice, practice, practice mindfulness tools and present moment awareness to create calm, and peace in your everyday life.
E – Energy Management. Manage your energy, not your time. There are 5 energy types (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and universal) you can manage that can completely change your energy and help you live with renewed strength and vitality every day.
A = Align with your core values, strengths, and passions. Alignment with who to truly are is critical to finding your wellness path.
C = Connect to your body, your heart, your inner wisdom and your intuition Your body never tells a lie. It is smarter than your brain; your brain makes up stories and can misguide you off your true path.
E = Eliminate negative thought patterns (Mindset); Establish new neural pathways to create new habits and ways of thinking and being.
This is just the tip of the iceberg! So if you can incorporate P.E.A.C.E in your life each day, your chances of living that healthy, happy and more calm and peaceful whole life are pretty darn good. At least it worked for me!
Sending health, wellness and peace,
Dianne
Please join my Women Wellness Warriors Community on Facebook! We are a group of empowered, busy women who strive to stay healthy and happy!
Dianne Maldonado Hill, CAPP
Chief Wellness Officer, Life Wellness Coach, Speaker and Author
"Take a deep breath and bring yourself back here as often as you can. It's the only place where life happens." Dianne
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