Difference Between Wellness and Well-being: An Examination
In the realm of health and wellness, two concepts often intertwine yet hold distinct differences: wellness and wellbeing.
Wellness, as we understand, is the active pursuit of balanced, health-promoting activities, choices, and lifestyles. It focuses on the daily habits and practices like exercise, nutrition, sleep, hydration, and preventive care that maintain or improve health. Wellness is a dynamic journey involving managing trade-offs in life to maintain balance, such as balancing sleep and work, or social time and personal care.
On the other hand, wellbeing is a broader, more comprehensive state that includes how you feel, function, and experience life overall. It is influenced by both personal habits and external factors. Wellbeing encompasses subjective experiences of life satisfaction, functioning, emotional health, and quality of life.
While wellness is the actionable side, the physical activity, nutrition, sleep routines, hydration, and preventive measures you undertake routinely, wellbeing reflects the overall health, emotional state, social connections, and life satisfaction that emerge from those habits plus life circumstances.
Taking time for oneself daily is important for wellbeing, as is adopting a fulfilling physical practice like yoga, dancing, running, or stretching. Sharing love with others is also crucial for wellbeing. Gardening, for instance, provides an opportunity to grow fresh vegetables and herbs, and can serve as a meditative practice.
Corporate wellness programs are increasingly important in the current work environment, as they emphasise the importance of considering aspects such as sleep quality, diet, and self-care. Wellbeing, being a holistic concept, considers the whole person, including mind and body.
It is essential to view wellness as one piece of the puzzle, and not the whole puzzle itself when seeking a more full sense of wellbeing. This means that while adopting wellness habits improves wellbeing, wellbeing also depends on broader life circumstances beyond just healthy habits.
Starting a garden kit is a great way to introduce healthy lifestyle practices, fostering a connection with nature and promoting mindfulness. The practice of Chinese traditional medicine embodies the approach to health through a lens of wellbeing, promoting the mind, body, and spirit to connect and work together.
Lastly, prioritising mental health is crucial in seeking wellbeing. Focusing on giving your entire being the attention and care it deserves through wellbeing practices is more fulfilling than just physical wellness practices like working out. Wellbeing is not determined by the absence of illness, but by the presence of positive mental states, emotions, and moods. Wellbeing, in essence, is a journey towards a more balanced, happier, and healthier life.
References:
[1] National Wellness Institute. (n.d.). What is Wellness? Retrieved from https://www.nationalwellness.org/what-is-wellness/
[2] World Health Organization. (2013). Well-being: measuring, valuing, and sustaining the contributions of the arts to health. Geneva: World Health Organization.
[3] Newman, K. (2016). Wellness vs. Wellbeing: What's the Difference? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-art-and-science-psychotherapy/201608/wellness-vs-wellbeing-whats-the-difference
[4] American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Wellness. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/wellness
[5] World Health Organization. (2018). Well-being: the evidence. Geneva: World Health Organization.
- Gardening can serve as a meditative practice, enhancing one's mental health and contributing to the overall wellbeing.
- Wellness encompasses regular physical exercise, nutrition, sleep, hydration, and preventive care, while wellbeing refers to the broader state including life satisfaction, emotional health, and quality of life.
- Adopting a fulfilling physical practice like yoga or running, sharing love with others, and maintaining a healthy diet are aspects that influence wellbeing.
- Corporate wellness programs are vital as they emphasize the importance of sleep quality, diet, self-care, and acknowledge that wellbeing transcends just physical health.
- The connection with nature from gardening, alongside mindfulness, makes it a valuable tool in promoting a healthy lifestyle and holistic wellbeing.
- Learning from Chinese traditional medicine, the approach to health should consider the mind, body, and spirit to achieve balanced wellbeing and personal growth.
