Wellness:

Wellness is a journey. It's an active process that one goes through to create a healthier, more intentional lifestyle for themselves. I say intentional because wellness isn't just about eating healthy and going to the gym weekly, but rather a holistic process - involving mind, body and soul.

“Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” – The World Health Organization.

The father of wellness, Halbert Dunn, combined the terms well-being with wholeness to create what we now call wellness over 50 years ago.

Figure 1 Wellness model of Dunn

Source: Own editing based on Dunn, 1961, p.28.

After he developed the wellness model (as shown above), a few other models came about too - Travis (1972), the Ardell (1977), the Hettler (1980) the Haug (1991),

the Müller and Lanz Kaufmann (2000), the Horx (2000), the Nahrstedt (2004)

and Lee’s (2004) wellness models are definitive.

To lead a life of quality, one must actively participate in wellness. It's an individual decision to be taken daily, ensuring that our actions and choices align with the outcome we envision as wellness. In a society where everything is fast-paced and easily disposable, many have done the same with their health. I know I am guilty of binging for 3 seasons instead of getting the necessary rest my body and mind need, and that's the opposite of actively practising wellness.

It's safe to say that wellness directly links to one's personality. If you are not disciplined, or aware of the daily decisions you make it's easy to live a life that doesn't contribute to your wellbeing.

While one does need to be healthy medically for wellness to be fully present, wellness is not the same as healthcare. Healthcare focuses on the physical, what is the cause, the consequence and what to diagnose it as. Whereas wellness focuses on preventing, healthy decisions, and proactive wellbeing. It basically deals with overcoming disease both now and in the future.

In a fast-paced digital world, a lot is changing and so are people’s boundaries and opportunities. With that being said, the digital space has made it a necessity for people to keep up with what is trending and changing, resulting in more time using digital devices. The pandemic didn’t even give anyone a chance to think otherwise as digital platforms were what kept us connected. While it has its pros, digital spaces can be quite a disillusionment to people, making them live in a bubble and has caused digital dystopia. According to research, some effects that can be caused by too much digital time are linked to higher stress levels, more suicides, the capability to focus at work and play, your overall performance in professional spaces and your capacity to connect with people. Overall, it affects one's happiness and well-being.

Humans need tools. Humans need and want augmentation. And as the saying goes ‘First we make our tools, then our tools form us.’

Paul Jones

In a survey performed with 1 150 people, these were their responses. 47% of these respondents predict that individuals’ well-being will be more helped than harmed by digital life in the next decade, while 32% say people’s well-being will be more harmed than helped. The remaining 21% predict there will not be much changed in people’s well-being compared to now.

As the majority has said, that we will be helped by digital platforms, we will take a look at some of the top wellness applications of 2021. Wellness has become a great money maker in our generation. There is an application for any type of wellness need individuals have. From habit tracking to guided meditation to journals. The list goes on. It’s so convenient, and just a click away. I have downloaded a few and am still looking for the one I feel best suits my needs.

The 3 applications mentioned below, align with what I would look for in a wellness application - meditation, journaling and a diet plan for a better nutritious food intake. Although the graph points out how much a subscription is, Day One and Shine, have free plans, whereas Noom has a free trial for beginners.

Wellness applications are great at keeping one accountable and giving you guidance on how to better your life and do it at the tip of your fingers.

If I were to pick one from these, I would pick SHINE. It is developed by women of colour and has a whole team of qualified therapists and teachers contributing to the content given on the app making me feel that I am in safe hands. That my mental state will not be gambled with.

Wellness is a lifestyle. It’s a decision made daily in everything you do. From the way you think, the way you approach decisions, the food you eat and the amount of exercise you do. It’s you choosing you every day, ensuring that you live a more holistic and happier life.

• 2022, June 21