According to National Today, an advertising Agency based in California, a brand called Live Love Spa dedicated August as the National Wellness Month for the first time in 2018 to promote their wellness products and encourage others to focus more on their self-care. The idea of a ‘Wellness Month’ became so popular that many organisations now celebrate it every year.
Wellness is a holistic concept that covers different dimensions or areas of life. As part of our human nature, we need all those areas to be fulfilled in order to thrive. The Global Wellness Institute, a nonprofit organisation, states that most models of wellness include at least six dimensions:
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Physical: Nourishing a healthy body through exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc.
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Mental: Cultivating the mind by engaging in intellectual activities, such as reading, learning and using creativity
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Emotional: Being aware of and accepting our emotions and feelings and the emotions of others, as well as expressing and managing those emotions
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Spiritual: Believing in something superior, searching for meaning and a sense of purpose in life
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Social: Engaging with others and building meaningful connections
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Environmental: Contributing towards a healthy planet through positive human actions and choices
Tips for Wellness Month
There’s more to leading a successful career than intellectual and technical abilities. Focusing on your overall well-being will allow you to stay strong and able to focus on the things that really matter. If you’re going through intensive training but you’re lacking sleep, nutritious foods and hydration, this can lead to a decrease in your cognitive function.
If you are trying to excel in a new role but you are experiencing anxiety and negative emotions, this could easily affect your performance. On the other hand, you may be blessed with a job and good health but may have not yet found your true purpose in life, which can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction.
Having reflected on the above and to support you during Wellness Month, I would like to share some thoughts on small actions or habits that could positively impact your wellness.
Exercise
Try to pick something that you like so you’re more likely to stick with it, either a sport, dance classes, walking, running, the gym, whatever inspires you the most. If you are a person who doesn’t exercise at all, you could try walking for 15 minutes every day, then increasing to half an hour.
As an example, some people find the benefit in joining running clubs where they not only exercise but also get the chance to connect with other people. Alternatively, if it’s difficult to leave the house due to a busy schedule, you can join one of the hundreds of apps available to work out or do yoga at home.
Healthy eating
Try to incorporate a balanced diet by planning a meal where half your plate is vegetables, one quarter of your plate is some kind of protein like meat, chickpeas or tofu, and the remaining quarter is some starchy carbohydrates like rice, potato or pasta. Try to always add something green to your plate.
I know. Eating healthy all the time can be ‘boring’. Just try to find a balance between the healthy stuff and the foods that you like. Mindful eating is a good way of focusing on the present moment while enjoying your food.
Think about the food you're eating, tell your brain how good it feels to eat this healthy food, think about all the nutrients and minerals you’re getting, take in all the flavours.
Gratitude
In an article by Tiffany Sauber in positivepsychology.com she mentions these two phrases which summarise nicely what gratitude means: ‘Gratitude turns what little you have into abundance. Gratitude changes your perspective of your world’. She also mentions a research study where 84 students were placed into either an active manipulation group (gratitude group) or a neutral control group.
For two weeks, the active manipulation group was asked to list five things they were grateful for and evaluate various aspects of their daily lives, while the control group was only asked to do daily self-evaluations. Unsurprisingly, the gratitude group demonstrated significant enhancements in academic motivation.
To help with spiritual and emotional well-being, I keep a journal where I write three things I am grateful for every day. Because I’m always on my laptop, my journal right now is an Excel sheet, although you might prefer pen and paper. The more consistent I am with this habit, the more abundant and satisfied with my life that I feel.
Other Wellness Tips from Colleagues
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Reading at night to decompress, ideally fiction, basically escapism, anything to get out of your head – Davinia (UK)
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If you feel tired during your work day, a short 20-minute nap might help. This is the right amount of time to boost your energy for the rest of the day, since a longer nap could make you feel more tired and lazy afterwards – Fatma (UK)
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10 to 15-minute meditation everyday in the morning before starting work: it really helps to focus and for the stress. I’m also trying to go out with my friends at least once a week – Arthur (Canada)
At mthree, our mission is to help aspiring professionals achieve more than they thought possible. During Wellness Month, I challenge you to take a moment to reflect on your self-care and try to build into your routine a small habit to help you create a better version of yourself.
If you’re looking to apply for a role, check out the opportunities on our job board.
