In 1947 the World Health Organization broke new ground with its positive definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, not merely the absence of disease this redefining, and I use that word because prior to that time people were considered healthy if there were no obvious signs of sickness. This redefining helped us begin to conceptualize health as a resource for everyday life. It became a positive concept that emphasized our social and personal resources as well as our physical capacities. When looked at through this lens, we see that our health and well being is vital to our overall function in the wider society and that a healthy lifestyle provides us with the means to lead a full life. But what does it really mean to live in a state of complete physical, mental and social well being? And what steps can each of us take to ensure that we're living a balanced, high quality life? We know from behavioral scientists that wellness actually encompasses many mutually interdependent dimensions, and that each one is equally vital to our optimal health. On your screen right now is a list of seven dimensions of wellness that are the most commonly identified. And I hope what you can see when you look at them is how integrated they are. Some dimensions come together to fuel the body, some engage the mind and others nurture the spirit. And while attention has to be given to all the dimensions in order for us to thrive, it doesn't have to be directed at each in equal measure. We all have different priorities, approaches and aspirations, including our own views of what it means to live life fully. So what we really need is for these dimensions to be in a kind of personal harmony that feels most authentic to us. For example. In my own life, the physical dimension of wellness is a big priority. I make time, everyday to exercise, move and play sports. I also watch what I eat, get consistent rest, drink plenty of water and meditate. Now, on some level, I do these things because I know that they lead to positive health outcomes. But mostly I doing because I want to. My workouts keep me feeling vital and strong. And moving my body in almost every way brings me lots of joy. Add to that the feeling of accomplishment that comes after a tough workout. And it's a no brainer for me to make space for physical activity in my life, activities that support my physical health are naturally, enjoyable to me. So I have an intrinsic drive to do them and because of the interdependent nature of the dimensions of wellness, focusing on my physical health helps me support other aspects of my well being as well. For example, because it's my preference to work out and spend my spare time outside. I'm differently, clued in to things like weather patterns and the green space in and around my city. Because I want to breathe fresh air while I run. I pay attention to things like air quality, and I do my best to minimize how frequently I use fossil fuels. And I even made the commitment to cool and heat my home with wind energy. Because one of the physical activities I love to do a surf, I minimize my use of plastics. I volunteer for beach cleanups, and I give money to organizations whose mission it is to keep our oceans clean. So my interest in the physical dimension of wellness organically leads me to acts that support my environment, my environmental well being as well. I could make a similar argument for how it supports my spiritual wellness and my mental wellness. Anyway, this is nice because it means that we can trust that focusing on any aspect of our well being will automatically necessitate a kind of good stewardship for ourselves, for those we care about and for the planet. This is why it's OK to prioritize the dimensions of wellness that can help you lead your best life so long as you don't do so at the complete expense of all the others. Now what I just shared is what works for me, what comes naturally for you and what you're interested in maybe similar, but you might have a completely different story. What's important is that you figure out what works for you, and that's why we've included an assessment with this module to help you identify the facets of your well being, where you're thriving as well as any areas where you might need to devote greater attention. Whatever you learn about yourself, just know that maintaining optimal health and wellness is a lifelong process of making daily decisions that support a balanced life. And I can't emphasize the importance of these daily decisions enough. So much of our days are filled with routine, habitual activities. If you're at all like me every day, you get up, brush your teeth, have a coffee, meditate, walk the dog exercise, commute to work, answer emails, meet deadlines, cook meals, carpool your kids, take showers, plug in with friends and family and go to bed every day. Some of these daily activities really feed us, helping to lift our mood, increase our energy and lower our stress levels. Other activities are more depleting. These are the activities that cause us to feel more stressed, that lower our mood and that decrease our energy. These types of activities often include the things that we have to do, like commuting across the city to get to work or there things that we do that don't really help us feel good, like lying in bed each night, worrying. Often when we're under a lot of pressure or we're operating on autopilot. We prioritize the things that feel the most urgent and important at the expense of activities that revitalize our spirit. And if we do this consistently enough, we confined ourselves feeling burned out, overworked and physically exhausted. The bottom line is, if we can keep a healthy balance of both types of activities, we could maintain our energy and resilience. And we'll have the reserves to cope with all of the challenges that life throws our way. We might even have a little fun every now and then. Remember, you've only got this one life. How do you want to spend it?
