5 Steps Towards the Basics of Wellness

What are the basics of wellness? What beginning steps can we take as individuals to move in the direction of health and well-being? We have laid out the groundwork for 5 Steps Towards the Basics of Wellness that anyone can take on their wellness journey. Get ready because we'll waste no time diving into this discussion of well-being. 

Let's Begin! 

The relationship one has to their body and to their emotions are the cornerstones of health and wellness. The mind is largely an expression of bodily sensations, and the body reflects feelings from the mind. These two-way relationships come from places like the nervous system (including the brain), organs, glands, skin, bone, muscle and more.

For example, anxiety can be stored as muscular tension, and stress can exacerbate hormonal imbalances. Our emotional states reflect how our bodies are telling us they feel. Balancing the mind and balancing the body is catalyzed by the act of marrying the two.

As one feels, the other is, and vice versa. Learning to understand the messages of our body and taking proactive steps to calm our somatic sensations and our minds alike will lead to greater happiness, health, and well-being.  Here, I have chosen 5 Basic Steps for a healthy lifestyle that will bring greater awareness, healing, and strength to the mind-body unit. Although there are many, the 5 discussed in this article will be movement, mindful breathing, writing, nutritional eating, and creativity.

1. Movement 

Movement is probably the most powerful basics of wellness we have to create feelings of health and happiness. Once we get over the initial motivational hump to engage ourselves and our bodies, the rewards can be nearly instantaneous and far-reaching.

Many of us experience a lack of energy, depression, and chronic fatigue because we, in fact, don't move enough. This may seem counter-intuitive, but the reality is that it takes energy to have energy.

Without movement, our bodies, emotions, and minds may become stagnant. But movement can help us release stress, negative feelings, and will actually make you feel more energized, as long as you don't try to go all out at first! It's also important to note that I say movement, and not exercise.

Exercise has the connotation of a chore, while movement should be geared towards pleasure and fun.

It's not exercise, it's time to play!

Get back on those rollerblades, hike with a pet or friend, dance to your favorite music, or you can even just listen to your body, and move in ways that feel good to you. Walking, Tai-chi, yoga, swimming, biking, and Pilates are examples of excellent, low impact ways to strengthen our bodies. Flow arts, like spinning staff or poi, dance, and hooping (to name a few) are amazing ways to move and groove in a fun way as well!

Movement, even just walking outside or simple stretching is absolutely essential for helping us energize our bodies and minds. Movement helps build a stronger sense of body, balance, and self. It's important to start slow and always respect our bodies for exactly where they are at. Don’t let frustration take over! There is no end goal with movement, so if you are not having fun, or are experiencing pain, try something else! The rewards are massive and the possibilities are endless.

2. Mindful breathing

Mindfulness and breathing play both into each other, as well as movement in many ways. The diaphragm, the large breathing muscle in the abdomen, is one of very few muscles that is both under voluntary, and involuntary control.

This means that we can choose how we breathe if we draw our attention to it, perhaps the most important realization any being can make in their journey.

Mindful breathing helps us calm down when we are hurt or angry, and is also a very powerful way to help give our thoughts space from the many excitements and triggers of day to day life. Simply put, the practice involves relaxed breathing which allows air to "fill" as many spaces in the body as possible, while letting the mind become aware of the sensations that arise.

Consider this practice more about feeling sensations rather than thinking thoughts. This allows us to be in the moment and fill with more intentional energy. If we are angry, we can allow more peaceful energy to fill our lungs, directing the energy to all the cells of our body as we breathe (repeating as necessary).

In this way, we are actually charging the energies of our being with feelings we value. We can charge our cells and selves with anything: courage, connection, love, hope, understanding, forgiveness, affection, or sexual balance to name a few. There is no limit and the rules are up to you.

Mindful breathing is also massively helpful while engaging in motion or stretching.

Our core, including the diaphragm, is a bridge between all regions of the body, making it the cornerstone of strength, flexibility, agility, stability, and endurance, both physically and mentally.

Finally, it is important to note that we have the ability to send our breath (thus our awareness and intention) to specific places in our bodies. This practice of sending our breath will help us open tight areas in our body as well as overcome emotions that we are holding on to.

The deeper we go into our practices of movement, mindfulness, and breathing into the moment, many discover that our body, our breath, and our emotions work together as a unit. It is up to us to decide the relationship between.

3. Writing

I cannot overstate how valuable this form of self-reflection and expression is to wellness and personal growth. Writing daily (or close to it) helps to discharge trapped emotions, gain traction with positive momentum, plan ahead, and reflect on our experiences.

However, beginning this cornerstone practice is difficult for many.

I have three main tips for overcoming initial writer's block.

First, without judgement, write exactly what you are feeling in the moment. "This is dumb." "Today was… interesting." "I don't know what to say." "I love life!!!" It can be anything! Just be honest with your thoughts and feelings and let it flow.

Next, don't think of this as a "journal" in any strict sense. Allow the contents to take whatever form they naturally do: they could be bullet points, poems, stories, drawings, reflections, events, etc.

Finally, writing at the beginning and end of days is very helpful (however, write whenever you feel so inspired!). I record my dreams from the night each morning, and end the day with recording my feelings, experiences, reflections, drawings, and more.

Jotting down all the "monkey chatter" that arises to mind in the morning also helps make way for a clear-minded day. This includes expected stressors, plans, ideas, dreams, fears, pleasures, and all that surfaces. Get it on paper and out of the way early so it doesn't cloud your brain all morning and all day!

In the times I am avoiding writing, it is almost guaranteed that I am at least slightly disconnected and off track of my larger goals. Returning to this sacred space for honesty and release helps me feel more calm, emotionally centered, personally nurtured, and present for my day to day experiences.

4. Nutritional Eating

Food is the fuel to the spaceship that is our body-mind. High octane food is both energy and medicine.

However, modern diets have largely devolved into over-caloric meat-centric processed nonsense that bogs down our body, brain, and emotional state. Yet, nutrient dense eating is one of the most effective ways to boost mood, energy, physical capacity, health, and longevity, not to mention avoiding debilitating chronic disease.

Eating well is a vast topic that deserves plenty of time and attention; however, here I will condense my experience to a few key pointers. The first rule of eating well is, ironically, drinking excess amounts of water!

Many people wake up tired, groggy, and dehydrated, yet instead of reaching for water, they often immediately drink coffee, which will inevitably make them tired as soon as it wears off while at the same time further dehydrating them.

Additionally, it is common for people to overeat because our bodies sometimes confuse the sensation of thirst with hunger, and they eat more food when they just need a glass or two of water.

Drinking water in the morning, before and after meals, as well as throughout the day will greatly increase feelings of well-being.

A good rule of thumb is aiming for clear pee… really! It shouldn't be yellow if you are drinking enough water.

In terms of actually eating, moving towards a whole-foods plant based diet is ideal for most. Consuming many dark leafy greens is essential. So is utilizing a high degree of color variation in food, reflective of nutrient diversity, a key to being healthy and energized.

Drinking fresh vegetable juices and fruit smoothies is an excellent way to incorporate a vast array of essential nutrients into delicious snacks and meals.

Finally, it is important to slowly transition towards a more healthful eating lifestyle, rather than to try diets which are rarely healthy and are based on a premise of impermanence. Essentially, the food you put into your body will be reflected in the feelings it produces.

Often, consumption of meats and dairy will simply slow you down and depress your mood (although sometimes, after a drug-like high they produce).

Diverse fuels that are easy to digest and rich in nutrients will create natural highs in the body and brain that are sustained from day to day and throughout each night.

5. Creativity

We are all creative beings at heart. Highly evolved creativity was what allowed our species to thrive on Earth.

It is why children are so imaginative and are always coming up with new games, stories, art, and ideas.

Sadly, this innate creativity gets conditioned out of many people by the time of adulthood. Luckily, it can be rekindled at any point in life!

Creativity is expressed in infinite ways: telling stories, taking photos, drawing, creating games, singing, dancing, building models, cooking, painting, knitting, dreaming, acting, skateboarding, role-playing, writing, moving, flowing, speaking, eating, being! Get it!?

Creativity is in everything we do!

It's all about taking a risk, trying something new, working with "mistakes" (happy accidents), not judging any outcomes, enjoying the process, and letting your experiences evolve with the crafts themselves.

Each of these activities serves to teach us, heal us, and allow us to more deeply understand ourselves.

The beautiful part about creativity is that it encapsulates all other aspects of wellness previously discussed: movement, mindful breathing, writing, and nutritional eating.

Learning to listen to our inner creative juices and going with their flow can lead to endless pleasures, new delights, as well as experiences and inspirations that will last a lifetime.

Final Thoughts

I hope you have found some value in these ideas surrounding the basics of wellness. Although gathering momentum for any one of these can be a challenge, it is all about being patient, going slow, and time and again, returning to steadiness in your desire for wellness. 

Life can only be lived one breath at a time. No matter what. 

So breathe easy. Tap into your body, your creativity, self-expression, your health, and your wellness. These basics of wellness can bring health, wealth, an uplifted heart, and a clear mind. 

Feel free to leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!