What is Wellness?

I thought I would start out my wellness blog by talking about something obvious... wellness! 

So... what is wellness? To starts us off, let's look at good ol' Miriam Webster's definition: 

Wellness: The quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal

Mirriam Webster

This is a great foundation to an understanding of wellness. However, there is one small thing on the Mirriam Webster site that does not match my personal definition of wellness: listing "health" as a synonym for wellness. 

Don't get me wrong, health and wellness definitely go hand-in-hand. My bio on this blog even says that I am an advocate for "health and wellness". However, I'd like you to take a look at the above definition again and recognize the fact that wellness refers to being in good health, which clearly shows that they cannot, in fact, be the exact same thing.

So in that case... what is health? Let's go back to Webster again.

 Health: The condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit.... especially freedom from physical disease or pain

Mirriam Webster

Looking at these two definitions next to each other really sheds some light on what I believe is the fine line between health and wellness.... wellness is an actively sought goal. 

That's right, wellness doesn't just mean that you "are well". At least not in my book. Or on my blog.  It means that you are making an effort to be healthy. 

For example, if I say that my heart is in good health... this means that it is functioning properly, effectively pumping blood to my body, and free of disease. However, if I bring wellness into the equation... I can consciously make decisions every day that will maintain my healthy heart, or in some cases make my heart even healthier. I can actively choose to be kind to my heart and body, to eat heart-healthy meals, and to go for that run. It is a lifestyle that I can strive for. 

So here is my personal definition:

Wellness is actively pursuing a healthy lifestyle. 

There are many definitions of health and wellness out there, so if you feel so inclined please dive into the rabbit hole of the internet and find more for yourself!

What is your definition of wellness? Let me know in the comments! Until next time, have a hoppy day!