Strong & Vital, Pt. I - The Path to a Vibrant and Independent Future
We’re often told that aging inevitably leads to decline – that strength fades, energy wanes, and our minds begin to slow down. But what if this doesn’t have to be your story?
As the founder of a wellness company and the daughter of a centenarian, I believe we have more control over our aging process than we may think. By embracing a proactive approach to wellness, not only can we slow down the effects of aging, but we may even be able to reverse some of the decline that has already occurred.
This article is the first in a series which will explore a holistic approach to wellness, guiding you on a journey toward a healthier, happier and more fulfilling later life. It’s from that second chapter perspective that we’ll explore practical strategies for maintaining: strength and vitality, a positive mindset, and spiritual and social connection.
I’m sure we agree that vitality is essential if we’re going to make the most out of our next life chapter. That said, wellness is unique to each person. So instead of providing one rigid method, I’ll be providing an adaptable approach for you to define what matters most at this stage of your life, along with strategies and ideas to inspire and help you take positive action to be well.
In today’s overview, we’ll cover:
The importance of proactive wellness and consequence of neglecting it later in life;
The concept of creating an upward spiral of well-being;
The framework we’ll be using for this series that you can download for free;
A glimpse into the journey ahead; and
Some questions for you to ponder for the next installment.
I encourage you to take notes and try some or all of the activities we’ll explore together. That said, the information presented in this series is not medical advice, so please, consult your healthcare professionals before making any changes to your wellness routine.
The term wellness has significantly evolved over time. At first, it was about the absence of disease or injury, with a focus on interventions as the practice of medicine advanced.
In the middle of the last century, the definition broadened beyond physical health to include mental, emotional and social well-being. Also, the connection between the body, mind and spirit was popularized. At the turn of this century, the definition was further broadened to include additional wellness elements, such as financial, occupational and environmental.
Today, we embrace a multidimensional, interconnected view that true well-being encompasses all areas of life and is dynamic and adaptable. This is why proactive lifestyle choices, such as the topics we’ll be covering in this series, are key contributors to overall wellness.
There are numerous reasons why it’s important to be proactive later in life, including reducing the risk of chronic disease, boosting mental and cognitive health, and enhancing emotional resilience. But there are two others that motivate me every day, and they go hand in hand.
The first is maintaining independence. Living independently is about living life on your own terms without assistance, making your own decisions, and focusing on the things that are important to you. This includes choosing where, how and with whom you want to live; managing your daily activities and personal care; pursuing your interests; and being involved in life to the degree you desire.
Which leads to the second, quality of life, which is how you choose to spend your time and with whom you spend it. When you feel well, you have the energy to work, pursue hobbies, travel, and socially engage. This leads to an increased enjoyment of life, reduced risk of depression, and richer social interactions – all contributing to enhanced overall well-being.
Let’s spend a moment looking at what happens when wellness is neglected:
There’s a gradual erosion of vitality: Energy levels decrease, fatigue increases, and motivation declines.
Inactivity has a compounding effect: Muscle loss, depression, isolation, lack of cognitive stimulation, and poor nutrition make it more difficult to maintain an active lifestyle.
Vulnerability to disease increases: Heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis can impact life quality and shorten lifespan.
All of this leads to a diminished sense of self that many experience as they age. It’s a heartbreaking lost opportunity to enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard to create and the positive impact your life journey can offer others.
This is why it’s so important that you take action now – to preserve your autonomy, dignity and self-efficacy, while living life to the fullest each day. And it’s easy to start making positive choices that have compounding effects on your long-term health. You can think of it as creating an upward spiral.
Wherever you are in your wellness journey, image the start of the spiral as your current state of wellness. The first step up the spiral is just that – one step, such as a short walk, a healthy meal choice, or a moment of mindfulness. One small step at a time is what starts the momentum.
You continue up the spiral, making turn after turn, by staying consistent with your healthy behaviors. This feeds on itself because you start to experience positive outcomes, such as more energy, a better mood, and deeper sleep.
These results help you stay on track and commit to your healthy lifestyle. Each time you have a positive outcome, you gain more momentum, creating a positive feedback loop that carries you forward as you further ascend the spiral.
Eventually, this becomes your norm – living a life that contributes to your optimal well-being. And it all began with small proactive wellness steps that led to newfound levels health, happiness, and an increase in your overall quality of life.
So how do you create an upward spiral that meets your unique needs and preferences?
I like to begin with one of my favorite tools, the Holistic Wellness Spectrum, which I created when I wrote my book, The Athena Principles.
The Holistic Wellness Spectrum is a broad inventory that can help you determine where to begin or boost your wellness journey. It can be used repeatedly and is a useful tool to find new entry points to further increase wellness once progress has been made in other areas.
The Spectrum is categorized into three sections. The first is Vitality, which includes activities related to physical movement and nourishment. Vitality is where most people start when they think about taking positive steps toward enhanced well-being.
The next section is Flow, which includes ideas for simplifying life routines, living intuitively, and finding meaning and purpose. It also considers creative expression, exploration, and inspiration.
The last section is Connection, which includes a list of contemplative practices and ways of connecting with ourselves, in our relationships, and with our community. It also considers our natural world, adventure, and celebration. Because the whole point in taking good care is to live wholeheartedly – to fully embrace who you are so you can do the things that light you up with the people you love.
You can use The Holistic Wellness Spectrum to assess and orient. Think back to the last time you were in a large setting, such as an airport. Most likely there was an illustration depicting the layout of the environment and a red circle with the words “You are here.” Using the Spectrum to assess your wellness will provide a similar depiction of where you are in your journey and it can be completed in under five minutes. It’s a simple evaluation used to rate where your current level of satisfaction is in each of the Holistic Wellness Spectrum categories.
These tools are effective because they give you clarity. They also give you a chance to reflect on why a particular starting point is best for you in this moment. For those under extreme pressure, for example, a good place to start to increase wellness may be to decrease stress, not add to it. In this case, focusing on quality sleep or stress management will pay bigger dividends than adding the pressure of trying a new hardcore workout regimen.
We’ll be using these categories to explore wellness topics in this series. And if you’d like a copy of the Holistic Wellness Spectrum, you can download a free PDF at athenawellness.com/actionplan.
Here are just some of the topics we’ll be covering in relation to creating a path to a vibrant and independent future:
Vitality: Functional movement, recovery and nutrition.
Flow: Ways to simplify, create, and go with the flow of life.
Connect: Practices to spiritually contemplate, socially connect, and explore new life interests.
While this will provide a solid foundation, you’ll need strategies to bring these topics to life – to embody them in your life. So we’ll spend some time giving you practices and principles that you can work with, as well.
We’ll conclude the series with a personalized action plan that you can create for yourself that integrates the various aspects of wellness and well-being, because action is what brings all the benefits we discussed and moves you up the wellness spiral to make the most of your second chapter opportunity.
Here are a few questions to work with in contemplation, by journaling, or just considering them while taking a walk. Be playful and hold them lightly, but do spend some time identifying what’s important to you at this stage of life. And remember to download the Holistic Wellness Spectrum at athenawellness.com/actionplan – it will help you with the questions.
Here are the questions:
How do you feel about your wellness and well-being today?
Which Holistic Wellness Spectrum elements do you routinely support?
Where would you like to focus more effort?
Which Holistic Wellness Spectrum elements are unfamiliar or intrigue you?
What would you like your wellness and well-being to look like in your next life chapter?
Congratulations for taking those first steps up the wellness spiral. I’ll be back on the 1st with our next installment of the Strong and Vital series.
Journal Reflections: How do you feel about your wellness and well-being today? Which Holistic Wellness Spectrum elements do you routinely support? Where would you like to focus more effort? Which Holistic Wellness Spectrum elements are unfamiliar or intrigue you? What would you like your wellness and well-being to look like in your next life chapter?
Link: Free PDF: Holistic Wellness Spectrum