Find Your Wellness Plan

Find Your Wellness Plan
by George Toth

Seeking wellness has long been a topic of interest and goal for everyone. What is the right wellness plan for you? What are the best ways for you to be as healthy as you can be? Every person is unique and should develop his or her own personalized plan. Individuals, however, often do not know where to start or feel overwhelmed. It becomes more manageable when you divide your wellness plan into basic key areas. Choose one of the following areas with which to begin and build from there.

Emotional Wellness
Think Positive and be positive. Surround yourself with positive people and relationships. Create plans for the future and look forward to them. Use meditation and visual imagery for thinking, planning and relaxing. Listen to music to find your body rhythm. Develop varied interests and activities. Have fun.

Nutritional Wellness
Seek good nutrition and eat proper foods. Eat local fresh fruits and vegetables. Chew your food properly and select appropriate times to eat. Be thoughtful about your food. Consider if you are eating for life or living to eat and make conscious choices.

Physical Wellness
Fit exercise into your daily routine. Stay active by running or walking daily or joining an exercise club or group. Participate in sports. Incorporate exercise into your daily life by using the stairs at work instead of the elevator or parking far from the store entrance in order to walk more. And don’t forget to exercise your brain with puzzles and games.

Sleep Wellness
Find your optimal sleep pattern. Most people need six to eight hours of sleep per night. Determine a good sleeping environment. Do you like quiet or soft soothing sounds, dim lighting by your bedside or open or closed windows? What is the right temperature for you for optimal sleep? What kind of mattress do you need — soft, medium or hard? Experiment until you find your ideal sleep setting.

Spiritual Wellness
If you believe in a higher source, put it to use in everything that you do. Use your spiritual beliefs to strengthen your energy level, find focus and clarity, instill values and achieve a sense of calm and purpose. Create your unique spiritual wellness just for you.

These five basic areas of wellness will serve you well. Incorporate them into your lifestyle to the point that that it is second nature to consider and re-assess each area as needed. Continually adapt your wellness plan as you grow and thrive.

George Toth, licensed clinical social worker, and his partner, Diana Underwood, a holistic practitioner, are the owners of Alternative Counseling in Cornwall/New Windsor. He can be reached at 534-2980 or emailing listenanswer@aol.com.