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Wellness can mean different things to different people, depending on their priorities, so I have picked out some general areas that should appeal to all people. First I considered the "wellness" of the body, that would allow your body to function well and last a long time. To achieve that kind of wellness, you would have to follow state-of-the-art preventive health practices.
Next, I considered the wellness of the mind, which I will call "spiritual health". For your mind (and spirit) to function well, you must interact with others and your environment in ways that keep your mind active, and your spirit in harmony with others. You should also continue to learn as much as you can for your entire life. When you stop learning, your mind ceases to function.
To take a broader view of spiritual health, we can consider ourselves as part of a larger community, which must also maintain "wellness". If there is suffering, conflict, or even war in the community, nation or world that we live in, it is a threat to our personal wellness. We all need to pitch in and do our part to promote the wellness of the community (in the broad sense of the word). Of course that starts in our own back yard. As they say, we need to think globally, but act locally.
Finally, I have considered that the wellness that we enjoy today is often based on preparation that we did in the past. Therefore, we should start now to prepare for future wellness.
With these 4 broad areas in mind, I have tried to summarize wellness practices in the form of a screening test. If there are wellness practices that you are missing out on, consider making a change, and keep that mind of yours constantly learning!
"I'm taking care of the world!" ---Hunter, age 6, picks up trash during his daily walk.
| Section I (Prevention Practices) |
Yes |
No |
| 1. We look up health info on the web | . | . |
| 2. We use dental floss every day | . | . |
| 3. We eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables every day | . | . |
| 4. We each take a multivitamin pill every day | . | . |
| 5. We wear our seatbelts in the car (100%) | . | . |
| 6. Grandparents take an aspirin every day | . | . |
| 7. Adults never drink more than one alcohol drink per day | . | . |
| 8. We never smoke cigarettes (or use other drugs) | . | . |
| 9. We each get 1 hour of exercise every day (including parents) | . | . |
| 10. We get regular check-ups at the doctor (Update your vaccines!) | . | . |
| 11. We never talk on the cell phone while driving | n | n |
| Section II (Spiritual and Mental Health) | . | . |
| 1. We participate in hobbies that interest us | . | . |
| 2. Family fights never result in physical injury | . | . |
| 3. We watch meaningful TV shows, but limit TV to less than 2 hours/day | . | . |
| 4. Family is involved in church or community projects | . | . |
| 5. We plan activities with friends | . | . |
| 6. We do volunteer work | . | . |
| 7. We set an example for our children by rejecting hatred against minorities (racial, gays and lesbians, overweight or handicapped people, other cultures) | . | . |
| Section III (Environmental Wellness) | . | . |
| 1. We recycle paper, aluminum and plastic | . | . |
| 2. We have checked our home for radon | . | . |
| 3. We never allow people to smoke in our home | . | . |
| 4. We use a filter for drinking water (Brita, etc) | . | . |
| 5. We clean up trash on our block every month | . | . |
| 6. We always vote at election time | . | . |
| Section IV (Preparing for the Future) | . | . |
| 1. We teach our children "life" skills (cooking, washing, managing money) | . | . |
| 2. Each family member (including parents) is learning and practicing a lifetime fitness sport (tennis, disc golf, swimming, etc) | . | . |
| 3. We save money in dedicated funds (college, retirement, etc) | . | . |
| 4. We pay off credit cards in full every month | . | . |
| 5. We preserve the heritage of our town for future generations to appreciate (historic preservation) | . | . |
