Hello Everyone!

This week on the blog we are talking all about basic principles of wellness. On a basic level, per Webster-Mariam dictionary, wellness is the practice, quality, or state of good health as an actively sought goal. Good health from a holistic point of view is good spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, relational, and financial health. As described in the most recent IG post, wellness is defined differently from one person to another. While there may be some overlaps between your wellness and someone else’s, a well life is not a monolithic experience. With that being said, when living a well life, you have to do three basic things: 1. Define/Understand Wellness for yourself. 2. Identify when you are not well. 3. Put systems in place to obtain, maintain, and exercise wellness.

Defining and Understanding Wellness for yourself.

While there are many resources available on wellness, no one can tell you what makes you well. Wellness is an internal conversation. However, to help, I have compiled a list of questions that should help with understanding yourself, and to spark internal dialogue to lead to your understanding of wellness.

Are you aware of your emotions, thoughts, and how your body feels? What does a good day look like for you? What does a bad day look like for you? How does a good day make you feel? How does a bad day make you feel? When you feel good, what kind of thoughts do you have? When you are feeling bad, what kind of thoughts do you have? When you are feeling bad, do you neglect to go to work or handle responsibilities you have? How often do you have good days in relation to bad days? Does physical activity increase your mood? How often do you engage in thirty minutes or more of physical activity/ sunlight exposure? Do you have hope? Where do you garner your hope from? What positive qualities do you like in your relationships? Do your finances cause you anxiety/ sleepless nights? Do conversations about your finances influence your mood?

Now, take all of these answers into account. To define your wellness not as the feelings that you have on a good day, but the feelings, actions, and responses you have on an average day that are lacking on a bad day. How would you define wellness for yourself?

2. Identifying when you are not well.

Once defining wellness for yourself. It’s equally as important to know when you are not well. Similarly, asking yourself the following questions can help to understand when you are not well:

Am I being self aware: Am I being true to myself? Am I living for myself or for other’s validation?
Are my spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, relational, and financial wellness aligned?
Do my actions reflect my beliefs?
Am I clear in thought? Am I struggling to make decisions?
Am I being true to my emotions? Are my emotions on a roller coaster?
Am I getting enough sleep? Am I eating too much or not enough? Am I constipated? Am I taking my medication correctly? Have I seen my doctor to review my health? Does my doctor say I’m in good health? Am I practicing good hygiene?
Are my relationships pushing me to make decisions that differ from my wellness? Are my relationships self serving? Am I giving too much to my relationships? Am I strong enough to walk away from my relationships or am I codependent on my relationships?
Are my financial decisions justified? Can I afford what I’m buying? Am I impulse buying?

3. Putting systems in place to obtain, maintain, and exercise wellness.

If you are not well in one or more areas or want to maintain your wellness, you can put together a wellness plan, which details your definition of wellness, your definitions of not being well, and guided choices to navigate you to staying well.

Stay tuned on Saturday for a video on how to build your wellness plan.

Hello Everyone! This time of pressure is so rough for all of us. We are stuck at home. We are in a time of clear uncertainty; however, this is a perfect time for us to focus on our growth. This is the moment to take the extra time and recalibrate for what is to come, in the uncertainty. While there are plenty of resources available on how to deal with the anxiety behind the uncertainty (see Resource List -1), once the shock wears off, we are left with idle time, for which we can steward for advancement or complacency (see Matthew 25:14-30). Similarly, in being under a season of pressure, we have an opportunity to be formed like a diamond into something of higher and greater value, but only if we do the work. This is a process I’m going to refer to as leveling up, to be synonymous with exponential growth and maturation (see Reference List for greater context). Nonetheless, taking a look into some of those who grew under pressure, here are a few practical principles I’ve found to level up:

Keep in mind that practically, the only things we can change in this season are ourselves and our perspective.
1. Romans 12:2 says for us to not be of the world and to renew our minds to the ways of the Lord. In this, we cannot sit and squander our thoughts and time on wondering why and what we can change. Rather we can use our time for seeking instruction and executing the things of the Lord.
2. The Lord has given to us the power of free will. While all around us is uncertain politically, financially, physically, we have a basic fundamental power to exercise free will and free thought. The powerful thing about this is we can choose to see this season as a blessing. We can choose to be joyful in this season. While difficult, we can choose to stay grounded in faith and not fear.
3. Having a kingdom mindset and understanding that God is ultimately in control, renders us solely dependent to and yielding of his omniscience. With this knowledge, we find peace, (see Resource List-3).
Be faithful in your skills:
1. When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, the Lord had their promises secured; however, they were not in a place to receive them. He had to refine them. Understanding that, we can’t allow fear, disbelief, or laziness to disqualify us during our growth process. In doing the internal work, we are growing, even if it doesn’t seem like it on the outside. To do this internal work, we must ask ourselves: “Is there anything I need to release to the Lord? More specifically, is there anything I need to trust God with?”
2. When Joseph, the son of Jacob, was thrown into the pit by his brothers, then jail, multiple times, he grew through his grateful heart in his talents. Being grateful to God during the journey puts our circumstance into perspective. It keeps the Lord at the head, but also humbles our spirit to have a glimpse into what He is doing. From this, we must ask ourselves: “What is God refining in me? What gifts are he stirring in me?” For Joseph it was his dream interpretation and wisdom.
Being obedient:
1. God doesn’t call us to a place of opinion when he’s doing something. He calls us to a place of communication and obedience. He wants us to love Him, love ourselves, love others as we love ourselves, fast (seeking direction), and pray(communication) for the purpose of execution (obedience).
2. Being obedient is not always easy. Back with Joseph, his obedience cost him some years of his freedom. For us, it may feel like a season of loneliness/isolation, complicated feelings, and/or spiritual heaviness. Understand, Christ has endured all of these and was God.

Knowing all of these things discussed, leveling up takes faith. And faith is work. Work is maturity. And maturity is uncomfortable and very rarely straightforward, when you’re doing it right.

As we collectively grow together, especially during this time, let’s grow and work diligently, but also realistically, focusing our attention on the only source of peace in this time, Jesus Christ, and building our skills and obedience in Him.

Resources List:

Elevation Church: “I’m Still Scared”

2. Matthew 25:14-30

3. Transformation Church: “Under Doesn’t Mean Over”

4. https://www.openbible.info/topics/perspective

5. Transformation Church: “Fading Faith”

Defining Wellness, Identifying When You're Not Well, etc.

Reminder about Growth