HOLSTEE | Wellness
The focus for March was wellness which was fortunate as the timing coincided nicely with my personal focus for right now: health and wellness. I like that the workbook started with acknowledging that we don’t often think about our health until something is out of balance. By making it a priority, I hit at least two of the six dimensions of wellness every day: mind, body, soul, work, play, and love.
I did the self assessment and was not surprised by the result. I’ve been focusing more on a couple of key areas. I’ll likely keep the workbook open on my desk so that I can reference it daily. I can see clearly how it can guide me to find wellness and fulfillment in my newfound empty-nest-full-retirement life.
“Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.”
ICEBREAKERS
What aspect of wellness do you find most challenging to maintain?
Consistency. I will find a groove, something that works well, and then something unexpected will interrupt that practice and I go back to reinvent the wheel rather than simply getting back onto an established routine.
What was your favourite physical activity as a kid? How did it make you feel?
Swimming in the pool was always a favourite activity. I could get “lost” while counting strokes, perfected my flip turn, the consistent breathing technique. (I say in the pool because I’m not a fan of not seeing the bottom or of swimming with non-human creatures - it totally freaks me out.) Swimming always allowed me to feel weightless and free.
If you had to lose one sense (smell, touch, taste, hearing, sight) which would it be and why?
I’ve never had a sense of smell. I can’t say I miss it, but of all the senses, I’d say it’s the one people use least. I’d love to smell a bakery, or flowers in a garden, or the breeze over the ocean waves; I do not miss smelling dog farts (or any kind), hockey equipment hanging to dry, or rotting food.
DEEPER QUESTIONS
Can you easily identify what you’re feeling most of the time?
I believe I can. It took a long time to get there as it’s so much easier to distract yourself into feeling something positive and to ignore what makes you feel uncomfortable. Now I can maneuver between the two recognizing that distraction is not a viable method of healthy living. Over the years, meditation has been the singular practice that has helped me get in touch with myself.
What is one thing you could do every day to improve your well-being? How can you work this into your routine?
Now that the weather has improved, I’m looking forward to getting out of the house and walking the dogs - around the block, down to the beach, up to get the mail at the box. Nothing too taxing, just 20 minutes every day, until I can manage longer. My right hip is still locked tight - even though I use my reformer Pilates machine every day to stretch it out. It has improved but I’ve learned from experience not to push it - small incremental steps are better than big gestures that land me in bed or on the couch. I have way too many things on the go first thing in the morning, but I’m thinking a walk before lunch is definitely do-able.
Describe a moment of your life when you felt like you were 100% whole.
That’s a huge question and I’ve sat with it for a couple of weeks. I’m sure I’ve felt 100% whole at some point in my life but I cannot pick a specific time or experience. Much of my life was spent with someone pointing out my (many) deficiencies, though, I know that I survived and even thrived which to me is proof that I was, at some point, whole. I look forward to be whole again in all of the six areas identified in the workbook: mind, body, soul, work, play, and love.
Do you believe you have a soul? If so, where in your body does it live?
Though I’m not religious, I am a spiritual woman who believes in the theory that we are all souls living a human experience. We are all “sent here” to learn something, to start something, to end something. My soul lives within my whole body and often guides me by nudges - heart pounding, butterflies, softening, hardening. I have to be gentle and quiet to get the messages, but they always arrive.
What about you? Is wellness something that comes easy to you or, like me, does it require effort and focus?