Photograph by Nichole Alex
In the body positive community, “wellness” gets a bad rap. Rightly so. Because wellness, as most people subscribe to the idea, is about being thin. At any cost and above everything else. Which basically means most folks believe that wellness and “diet culture” are the same thing. (Need a refresher? Diet culture is the idea, among other things, that “thin is better,” and that being thinner makes you a more valuable person.)
I challenge you to think about wellness differently. What if the idea of “being well” isn’t about achieving a specific state in your body, but about finding a sense of wholeness and an ideal individual state for you in your body, your mind, and your soul.
Enter a new and improved definition of wellness. Wellness to help you create a self-loving life. Wellness that supports you and your individual health needs, emotional intricacies, and passions. Create wellness for a self-loving life.
Here are four rules to guide you:
“Healthy” will be different things for different people.
It needs to take in account pre-existing conditions, different states of ability, mobility, strength, and desired quality of life. It should not make weight the definitive value.
Cut to the chase… it’s not about being thin, but about finding what feels good for you.
Focus on spirituality and purpose.
Do you feel a sense of peace with yourself and the world? Are you passionate and purposeful in life?
Cut to the chase… honing a personal belief system will help us find wholeness in ourselves.
Work on your emotional health.
Understand your feelings and learn how to manage your well-being and stress. Do you feel positive about your life? Have satisfying relationships with others?
Cut to the chase.. how well do you connect or handle things when the sh*t hits the fan?
Understand there is no ending point.
Pursing wellness is not something that will end. It’s about shifting your life priorities.
Cut to the chase… There is no fast fix, just the commitment to putting your wholeness front and center in your life.
Read more by Sarah Sapora in FabUplus Magazine
Photograph by Nichole Alex
