Wellness can seem like another trendy buzz word being bandied about lately, but it can be life changing. Wellness means being good to yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually to maintain happiness. This is achieved by creating healthy habits that produce better results, so instead of just surviving, you're thriving.  

Self-care is how you take your power back”

Lalah Delia 

So, we have assembled some of our favorite ways to help you be kind to yourself on your wellness journey.  

Start Small

Sometimes, when we want to make a change, we tend to overwhelm ourselves with drastic changes. That’s especially true right after the new year. Instead, it’s best to ease in with simple healthy habits that you can actually stick to make yourself feel great. Here are some examples. 

• Read a book for 30 minutes a day. Even 10 minutes a day is a great place to start. It’s amazing how a little quiet time and focus can make such a big impact on your day. Read what you want to, not what you think you should be reading. 
• Try meatless Mondays. It’s better for your body and the planet and it may even lead to more healthy eating habits in the future. Taco Tuesday is another fun menu theme to rally the family around and easily integrates fresh, colorful, feel-good ingredients.  
•  Floss every day. Not only is it good for your oral hygiene but it will give you a sense of accomplishment plus, your dentist will love you for it. Or start with Floss Fridays – an easy reminder to ensure you’re starting to integrate flossing into your daily wellness routine.  

Not only are these wellness goals easily attainable, but they will act as steppingstones on your personal path to wellness.  

Positive Mind, Positive Life

One of the most important aspects of wellness is your emotional and mental health. Learning more about your feelings, moods, and triggers can be hugely beneficial to your wellbeing and happiness.  

Mental health is not a destination, but a process”

Samantha Gluk 

And while there are many ways to improve your mental wellness, here are some straightforward ways to get started on your personal path to wellness.  

• Write down your feelings every day in a journal. This will help highlight the areas you hope to improve. If you’re curious of how one change impacts your feelings, we designed a simple tracker to monitor your feelings.  
• Stick to a routine. Making your day to day predicable will free up time and headspace so you can focus on achieving your wellness goals.  
• Trying a CBD routine can help calm the mind and help you handle the everyday stresses that come your way. Ok, we had to include this, right? But there really is science behind it – learn about the endocannabinoid system!  

Get Moving!

No path to wellness would be complete without physical activity. And while moving our bodies feels good, no doubt, don't forget that this could mean anything for you. You don’t need to pump iron or run a marathon to feel the positivity of physical activity. Here are some fun ways to get started.  

• Go for a long walk in nature. Not only will physical activity make you feel great and help you sleep better, but studies show that people who spend just 10 minutes in nature feel happier.   
• Try Tai Chi. Doing a series of slow, flowing body movements coupled with breathing techniques can help lower stress and calm the mind. And just about anyone at any age can do it.  
• Be a team player. Meet new people by joining an intramural sport league. Not only is fun to bond with strangers but you can also rediscover the game you loved playing as a kid.  

 Get double dose of stress relief when you play intermural sports with friends, family, or coworkers. Not only are you having fun with people you know and love, find the joy in that sport you played as a kid by joining an intramural sports team.   

Get Spiritual

Spiritual wellness is one of the most important parts of your journey because it involves your values, beliefs, and morals. There is no one size fits all approach. It can run the gambit from organized religion to a swim in the ocean. So, find a technique that works for you to feel fulfilled. Here are some ways to help you get started. 

Create a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside.”

Fearless Soul 

• Try volunteering in your community. Shifting your focus outside of yourself can lower stress, give you a true sense of purpose and achievement, plus help you cultivate relationships based on a common goal.  
• Allow yourself to sit quietly and think about the meaning of life. Rigorous reflection on ideas bigger than yourself can bring perspective and help you lead a more purpose driven life.  
• Alternately, don’t think about the meaning of life. Try light reflection of a moment that brought you joy today. A moment of gratitude. A visual that brought you peace. An interaction that was pleasant. Spirituality doesn’t have to be deep to bring you grounding. 
• Take a yoga class. Whether viewed as physical exercise or a spiritual endeavor, yoga is a union between mind, body, and spirit so you feel more connected to yourself and the universe. 

Become a Social Butterfly

Of all the steps on your path to wellness, this might be the most fun – your social life. The benefits of meaningful connections can lower anxiety and depression and raise your self-esteem. While feeling lonely or being in a toxic relationship can have the opposite effect. So here are a few ways to help you forge meaningful relationships.  

• Join a book club. While it may not be an intimate relationship, it will provide you with a sense of belonging, security, and community which can help lower anxiety.  
• Be fully present with your significant other. Prioritizing both your needs and your partner’s needs will help you enjoy each other’s company and grow even closer.  
• Make an effort to keep in touch. Maintaining relationships gives you a bigger support system to help you cope with anything that comes your way.  

Onward and Upward

I define joy as sustained sense of wellbeing and internal peace – a connection to what matters.”

Oprah Winfrey 

A personal plan to wellness matters when it comes to a good life. Selfcare is key to happiness. And both are easily obtainable through simple steps. So be good to yourself today and every day and see how it manifests into a more well-rounded, fulfilling life. 

Charlotte’s Web wishes you luck on your path to personal wellness.