Wellness is a multidimensional concept and many take different approaches. At a basic level wellness includes health but also cultural, spiritual, educational, occupational, financial and emotional dimensions.
A growing number of consumers are prioritizing wellness as a lifestyle and approach to living life, especially as the world emerges from the Covid pandemic. This wellness consciousness is fueling the demand for fitness products, mental health services, nutrient-fortified foods and other wellness tools.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a spiritual practice that originated in Buddhism and Hinduism and has been combined with cognitive therapy in many treatments for anxiety and depression. It involves intentionally bringing your attention to the present moment through awareness of your thoughts and sensations. It also teaches you to accept your emotions, rather than resisting them or seeking distractions from them.
Being mindful can help you notice when you’re on autopilot and allow you to change a habit that’s making you unhealthy, such as reaching for the bag of chips in front of the TV or skipping exercise to watch a movie after work.
Mindfulness can be as simple as sitting quietly and focusing on your breath or listening to a guided meditation. Or it can involve a formal meditation session with a group or a trained therapist, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). Research has found that MBSR is effective in reducing the severity and duration of anxiety and depression.
Fitness
Fitness is a multidimensional concept, including various aspects of physical health, as well as emotional and mental wellness. Fitness activities that are often grouped together under the umbrella term of “fitness” include aerobics, bodybuilding, step aerobics, jogging, calisthenics based training, total-body conditioning and kettlebell training.
The defining aspect of fitness is its ability to perform the functional tasks of daily living with vigor and alertness without undue fatigue. It is also a measurable trait that may be evaluated by measuring cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, and body composition (e.g., skeletal muscle mass, fat-free mass).
Philosophers have debated the meaning of “fitness.” Some have argued that ecological fitness is an explanatory concept best described as a garden-variety dispositional property like magnetism or fragility, that differs from actual behavior (e.g., attracting iron filings or breaking). Others have argued that it must be a causal property in the sense that environments cause fitness and that differences in individuals’ probabilistic propensities to reproduce explain population-level trends.
Nutrition
Whether you’re trying to eat more fruits and vegetables or find ways to reduce your stress levels, nutrition is an essential aspect of wellness consciousness. The key is finding a way to connect your body, mind, and spirit—and to take the time to nourish your entire self.
Conscious nourishment is a more sustainable approach to eating that focuses on making informed decisions about what your body needs and wants, not a strict set of rules. It’s an era that bids farewell to diet fads and welcomes mindful, nourishing meals.
While most previous research has used actual behaviors to measure health consciousness, this study attempts to directly assess an individual’s psychological state regarding their health. Consequently, the results have greater construct validity and should better predict diverse health behaviors. For example, items related to attractiveness were removed from the final scale because they did not closely correlate with other health consciousness items. However, items related to food safety concern and ethical identity remained intact.
Spiritual
Spirituality goes beyond religion and often refers to a sense of connection with something bigger than yourself. This could be an inner sense of peace, a feeling of purpose, or even just the fact that you are alive.
It also includes activities like volunteering and acts of kindness that allow you to step outside yourself and connect with the larger world around you. Creative expression, such as art, music, or writing, is also a key part of spiritual wellness. These activities can be a channel for emotions that might be hard to express verbally and can lead to a deeper understanding of self-identity.
Meditation and mindfulness are also a core component of spiritual wellness, and studies have shown that these techniques can help to reduce stress and improve mental health. Techniques like Spiritually Augmented Cognitive Behavior Therapy integrate spiritual values into traditional mental health treatment, offering a more holistic approach to wellness. This is especially helpful for people who might struggle to find meaning and peace through other methods alone.
