In my opinion, the term
wellness
is the comprehensive approach an individual or a
collective group of people (ie family, organization, community) takes to thrive,
both on a singular level (for the individual) and collectively. b In our reading,
Kirkland takes a view with a wide lens to define wellness, calling on the opinions
experts in health, wellness coaches, nations as a whole (the United States), and
cultural morals, asserting that the definition also changes as society changes
(Kirkland, 2014). Kirkland discussed the Healthway Well-Being Index Composite
Score, which looked at the following metrics as related to wellness for six
categories: life evaluation, emotional health, healthy behavior, work environment,
and basic access (Kirkland, 2014). I found this approach very interesting, because
in building a rating system, it's easier to craft a more complete definition of
wellness.
Wellness has become a very popular topic in my profession over the last few
years. I am a career firefighter, and with that we are exposed to terrible
emergency calls, work long shifts, and are often sleep deprived. Please don't
mistake it, I absolutely love my job and consider myself an incredibly lucky man to
have such a great career, but it can weigh heavily on an individual if they don't
use tools to combat the natural stressors that come with the profession. Rigorous
exercise, a clean diet, ample sleep on my days off, meditation, and meaningful
relationships with family, friends, and coworkers are the aspects of my life I
cherish and turn to, which all are aspects of wellness in my opinion. b Actively
seeking wellness is the first step in making the various aspects of wellness habits
in ones life. Allotting time each day for exercise, limiting screen time, eating a
balanced diet, and taking walks in nature may start off as forced habits, but I've
noticed over the years my body and mind crave these activities as resets for the
stressful life I appear to have to an outsider.
References:
Kirkland, A. (2014). What Is Wellness Now?
Journal of Health Politics, Policy &
Law
,
39
(5), 957–970. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1215/03616878-
2813647
