Common sense dictates that if you eat right, exercise, and get good sleep, as well as set aside time for relaxation, your heart, mind, and body will be more resilient and you will have the energy and ability to manage your life with grace and peace. But achieving a sense of wellness is not always common sense and sometimes you need a guide. That’s where a wellness director and some formal planning can be helpful.

Personalize Your Plan
Wellness plans work best when they are personalized, although the basics can be generalized. Are you a stress eater? Do you have chronic anxiety? Do you have difficulty sleeping? Many symptoms, such as stress, fatigue, mental sluggishness, insomnia, and even mood changes can be alleviated by regular exercise, healthy foods and proper relaxation. These may all be things you wish to address in a wellness plan. Sometimes hormones or recent emotional stresses are affecting you. Sometimes there are difficulties with work or family responsibilities that interfere with your attempt to stay as healthy as possible. Having a wellness plan and making it a priority will help you stay on track. Having a wellness director can also be an asset.

A Life-Long Process
Wellness is really a life-long process, and no one is too young to think about a wellness plan. If you are doing your own wellness assessment, it is very useful to look at how you spend your time. How many hours of sleep do you get at night, and do you feel rested in the morning? How many calories do you eat in a day, and are you getting the right balance of vitamins, minerals, and protein? Are you getting enough calcium and vitamin D to protect your bones and enough B vitamins for energy? Are you getting enough fiber to prevent colon cancer and promote regularity? Do you exercise at least 200 minutes a week? What do you do for recreation and introspection? What do you do to strengthen the bonds to those you care about and those you interact with on a daily basis? Have you been to your doctor for an annual physical? Have you had a screening with cholesterol testing or perhaps a colonoscopy, mammogram, or stress test? Do you smoke or drink alcohol and if so, how much?

Seek Assistance for Goal Setting
Once you have done the self-assessment, you need to ask yourself what your goals are for happiness and healthful longevity. If you are not meeting these goals, could some of the things you are doing or not doing be contributing factors? Unfortunately, too often the difficulties stem from something we do not want to change or do not know how to change. That is where the assistance of a wellness director can be helpful. Maybe there are medications that you are taking which contribute to some of your problems. Perhaps there are additional medicines or supplements that would be beneficial. Maybe you need a formal exercise and diet plan. Maybe you need more time for recharging yourself with massage or some spa services, counseling, or introspective reading. Most likely you just need to pick a place to start and then you need to stay motivated.

Getting to the next level of wellness sometimes takes the right explanation or someone you know setting a good example. Sometimes it takes a certain amount of readiness on our part. Many times it is the availability of the right product. Sometimes we need to change our practices when medical issues arise or our personal priorities shift. So how do you get it right? If you are not where you want to be, consider doing your own self-assessment at home and speaking with your medical care provider, a fitness trainer at a gym, or perhaps your minister. There is nothing better you can do for yourself than to get more balance in your life, but it does not come easy. Wellness is a process and part of life’s journey. The path you choose is your own but help is available if you are ready to pick a place to begin. And once you get started on one area of your life, you will find yourself more confident and motivated to improve other areas of your life.

So whether you are starting to walk for exercise, to eat more healthful foods, or to round out your daily responsibilities with some quality time for yourself or your family, let your journey begin, because wellness matters.

Dr. Glass is the Medical Director for Medical Spa Seven and its Wellness Program. She provides physician services such as Botox and Juvederm cosmetic filler injections, sclerotherapy for treatment of varicose veins, and consultations on skin care, vitamin supplementation, and wellness regimens.