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Why Wellness Matters


Even though leading a balanced life can lead to fulfillment and happiness, it can be challenging to achieve in such a busy, overwhelming world. Implementing the concept of “wellness” into your life can help you focus on what matters. The word “Sokya” is a Sanskrit term meaning wellness. Wellness is at the center of everything we do, and we genuinely believe that a holistic approach to mental health care can help you find peace and healing. 

What Is Wellness?

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), wellness means being healthy in the “emotional, physical, occupational, intellectual, financial, social, environmental, and spiritual parts” of our lives. These parts of our lives are all connected. To truly find wellness, you can work toward finding balance in every single aspect. 

While wellness can look different to different people, it typically looks like: 

  • Avoiding burnout at work

  • Creating a budget

  • Moving to a safe place

  • Eating nutritious meals

  • Joining a club

Ultimately, you are the expert on your own wellness and know what you need to feel purposeful and whole. 

Benefits of Living a Balanced Life

A balanced life can bring many physical and emotional benefits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the concept of well-being – or wellness – and holistic living was associated with things like less illness, richer social lives, increased happiness, and longer lifespans. Wellness involves finding and prioritizing your values. Purposefully seeking out ways to follow these values in our lives can lead to greater fulfillment and joy overall. 

How to Practice Wellness

First, you need to determine what it is that you, as an individual, need to find wellness. Because everyone is so different, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to wellness. We can borrow SAMHSA’s guide as a general starting point towards discovering wellness. 

Take some time to write down each “part” of your life in a list and ponder each question, as well as any thoughts that may come up as you fill the list out. Your list may look something like this: 

#1. Emotional:

  • How do you manage stress and anxiety?

  • Do you go to therapy?

  • Do you have boundaries? 

  • Do you address your emotions and validate your feelings? 

  • Do you practice self-care? 

#2. Physical:

  • Do you get at least 30 minutes of enjoyable exercise every day?

  • Do you feed your body healthy, nutritious meals regularly? 

  • Do you get enough sleep at night? 

  • Do you schedule doctor’s appointments? 

  • Are you sober or working toward sobriety? 

#3. Occupational:

  • Do you enjoy your job? 

  • Are you overworking yourself? 

  • Is your workplace safe? 

#4. Intellectual:

  • Do you take time to read?

  • Do you learn new things?

  • Do you explore the topics that interest you? 

  • Have you taken any classes about topics you would like to learn more about? 

#5. Financial:

  • Do you have savings? 

  • Do you follow a budget? 

  • Are you getting paid what you deserve? 

  • Are you in debt? 

#6. Social: 

  • Do you have friends? 

  • Do your friendships have boundaries? 

  • Do you feel you have a community? 

  • If you don’t have friends, are you making any steps towards finding some?

#7. Environmental:

  • Do you feel safe in your home? 

  • Do you take care of plants or spend time outside? 

  • Do you practice eco-friendly habits like recycling and driving less? 

#8. Spiritual:

  • Are you spiritually rich? 

  • Do you know what values are important to you? 

  • Do you meditate or practice yoga?

  • Are you at peace with your spiritual beliefs?

While this list may seem overwhelming, you can learn to accept your situation wherever you may be right now. The above list is meant to help you understand whether you are working toward wellness in every aspect of your life and is not meant to cause you feelings of guilt or shame. 

Perfectionism Is Not Wellness

Once you have gone through this list or something similar, you can choose a few aspects that you want to make a plan to work toward greater wellness in. You don’t have to reach 100% wellness immediately or even in a few months. Wellness is an ever-changing journey that can take a lifetime. The most important thing to remember is that we are not seeking perfection when seeking wellness. 

Feeling burnt out or overwhelmed when seeking wellness will defeat the point of the practice. Instead, approach wellness with patience, self-compassion, forgiveness, and grace as you practice balance in every stage of your life. A study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that “people who live authentically are happy.” Working toward wellness because you genuinely want to in a loving, excited way will help you live a life that brings you peace. 

Wellness is a lifelong practice of holistic living that involves every part of your life. These parts include the physical, emotional, occupational, intellectual, social, spiritual, and financial areas of your life and how balanced they are in comparison to one another. You can work toward wellness by finding out what your unique values are and discovering what you, as an individual, need to find balance in your life. At SokyaHealth, we understand the importance of wellness more than anyone. Our name, Sokya, means wellness and is at the heart of our practice. Our licensed therapists offer customized holistic treatments and therapy that can help you find wellness in an overwhelming, chaotic world. If you are having trouble finding balance in your life and feel that wellness and joy are out of your reach, SokyaHealth can help you approach wellness with ease and simplicity. Call us at (877) 840-6956 today for more information. 

More than 50% of Americans struggle with mental health.

Headlight is now collaborating with health plans and companies to make therapy more accessible and affordable. Speak to a Care Coordinator today.