Wellness Wednesday - "Wellness In Just Five Minutes A Day"

What is Wellness? Here's the definition:

An approach to living in which one focuses on all aspects of life, including the emotional, intellectual, physical, social, occupational, environmental, and spiritual life areas that make up a whole and complete life

How do you achieve overall wellness in just five minutes a day? Here are some basic positive steps you can take to make your life even better than it is.

Five Minutes to Physical Wellness

If you’ve only got five minutes today to take a step toward Physical Wellness, here are some things you can do:

Drink More Water - Make a commitment to drink 8 glasses of water today. You can drink water at your desk, in your car, at your meeting, in your classroom, and anywhere else you happen to be at the moment. This step takes less than 5 minutes if you think about it. Just replace your soda, juice or coffee with a glass of water, and you’ve taken one small but important step toward greater Physical Wellness.

Stretch Your Body - Do some stretching or yoga. If you only have five minutes, do a few stretches and devise a five-minute routine. The deep breathing and poses aid relaxation and muscle building, and a five-minute yoga routine will act as a great break from your busy day.

Eat a salad - You have to eat, right? Well, making a healthy choice at just one meal can have great overall benefits for your Physical Wellness. At just one meal a day, enjoy some fresh fruits and vegetables. Pick up an apple or an orange as an afternoon snack.

Five Minutes to Emotional Wellness
Emotional Wellness doesn’t have to involve sitting in a therapist’s chair for an hour a week. There are some simple things you can do to support your Emotional Wellness in just five minutes a day:

Journal - Even if you only have five minutes, you can journal. Simply write some quick notes about how you’re feeling and what is going on in your life. It may not seem like much, but you can use these notes later for insight and greater personal awareness.

Read an article, listen to a podcast, or watch a video - Look for short articles, podcasts or videos on subjects that inspire you and motivate you.

Practice an “attitude of gratitude” - When you’re feeling down, make a list of all the things you’re grateful for. No matter how rough things are, there are always things to be grateful for.

Read - Read a few pages of a book, magazine, online resource or newspaper. Regular reading helps strengthen your ability to think, teaches you something new, and helps reduce the risk of deterioration of the brain in later life.

Get creative - For five minutes, do something creative. Draw a quick picture with colored pencils just for fun or write a short poem. Even the smallest burst of creativity may inspire you to greater happiness!

Five Minutes to Spiritual Wellness
Going to church or participating as a member of a spiritual community is a great way to foster your Spiritual Wellness. There are also a variety of simple spiritual practices that can help you get connected anytime, anyplace:

Meditate. Simply meditating for five minutes can help clear your mind and reconnect your heart with the bigger picture. Just sit quietly and breathe deeply for five minutes and let go of all thought. May sound like a challenge, but repeatedly trying five minute meditation sessions over time will help you learn a new way of seeing the world.

Pray. Whatever your spiritual practice, you can pray. Essentially, prayer is a meditation on your beliefs and connecting with God. Simply speaking in this way to God for a few minutes reminds you that you’re not alone.

Read something inspirational. There’s an affirmation, meditation or uplifting spiritual message out there for every moment and every spiritual thought. When you’re in need of a spiritual lift, reading something inspirational can help you strengthen that connection and send you soaring.

Five Minutes to Environmental Wellness
Environmental Wellness is a broad category that includes both your connection to nature and your own personal environment. Here are some easy ways to keep your Environmental Wellness in tip-top shape in just five minutes a day:

Pick a place. Even if you only have five minutes to straighten, you can have an impact on the state of your personal space. Is your desk cluttered? Clear it off. Do the dishes need to be put in the dishwasher? Do it. You don’t have to clean the entire house from top to bottom in one sitting. Simply de-cluttering or organizing one small square foot will improve how you feel about your space.

Sit outside for a few minutes. When you take one of your breaks from work, step outside and enjoy the sunshine. Everyone needs a few minutes of sunshine a day for their Physical Wellness. It helps support the body’s vitamin D production. Sitting outside for a few minutes can improve your Environmental Wellness, too. Appreciating the beauty of nature helps foster that connection with the earth and inspires a great mood!

Move the furniture. Shaking things up in your home environment can lead to a feeling of renewal. No need to completely redecorate. Just rearrange the furniture in one room for a new perspective.

Visit www.thewellnesschannel.us to find more ways to support each wellness aspect on a daily basis. By keeping wellness simple, you can slowly build a balanced foundation for healthy living. Every time you make progress toward your wellness goals, you’ll feel a little bit better.