33 Day Wellness Challenge

Wellness is the overall state of “well-being.” But it is more than just feeling healthy, actually, it implies several factors. According to Peggy Swarbrick and Jay Yudof, both international wellness doctors that emphasize peer and group programs that help and support lifelong health and happiness, there are 
8 dimensions of wellness:

emotional, financial, spiritual, social, intellectual, occupational, physical, and environmental
(I might even add a 9th dimension-nutritional)
 
Each one connects and contributes to another, and when one of the dimensions is overstressed, or pushed too hard, the others can become strained. For example, when you are concerned about a late financial transaction, your emotions get involved causing anxiety, anxiety can cause friction in relationships and can also lead to physical illness. This in turn can negatively impact how you feel about yourself, your lifepath, your purpose. It can be a domino effect that all started because a payment was late. So, that being said, wellness is important. 

When a person has a generally positive state of wellness, they may notice that their values and beliefs are aligned and they have an overall positive approach to how challenges are met. They also may find that they live more in the present moment and there is balance in most areas. However, it is not always easy to maintain that sense of well-being. There are many factors that can have a negative impact on our wellness: stress, health concerns, financial troubles, addiction, and anxiety to name a few. 

That being said, the best way to challenge our own wellness, develop attitudes that lead to the ‘whole person’ well-being, is by developing better habits. Habits are our general day to day activities that are more routine than anything else. Brushing my teeth, making my bed, picking out clothes the night before, are all habits I partake in daily. Some other habits that I have had, some not so good, is smoking a cigarette with my morning coffee, going for an afternoon walk after lunch, participating in weekly game night, or going out with friends on my monthly self-splurge day. Habits are the foundation of any behavior, thought process, or actionable steps that we hope to change. The better our habits are, the more wholesome we become. Essentially, habits are the bricks and mortar that make up the house. That being said, the more practice we have, the better we become. 

Because they are so essential to our own wellness, we are going to spend the next 33 days practicing habits that better align with our core. We are going to take a closer look at each of our own habits, empower each other or ourselves, and build in better behaviors that suit each of the (now) 9 dimensions. 

*How to use this guide-I have identified 3 habits that can be layered in each day on a calendar template. You can choose one, choose all, or choose one from another day, just note that the challenges are layered and they are cyclical (they come back around) within the 9 dimensions. Also, every third day the dimensions revolve. For instance, day 1 is focused on emotional, financial, and spiritual dimensions. These are the same dimensions that roll around on day 4 of the challenge. Day 2 focuses on social, intellectual, and occupational. Day 3 focuses on physical, environmental, and nutritional.
* Challenge yourself!! 2018 8 Dimension wellness assessment (take before and after-compare your results!)

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