The Art of Health and Wellness
When people
think of health and wellness, they often combine and use them interchangeably.
However, the two concepts are quite different but you cannot have one without the other. The WHO (World Health Organization) defines health as "a state of complete
physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity." Furthermore, the primary determinants of health include
social, economic, and physical environments, along with the person’s individual
characteristics and behaviors without distinction of race, religion, political
belief, economic or social condition.
The WHO
defines wellness as "the optimal state of health individuals and
groups" which is also expressed as "a positive approach to
living." Wellness is an active and dynamic process of change and growth to
reach one’s fullest potential and aims to enhance overall well-being. Wellness
is also comprised of eight different components, including emotional,
environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and
spiritual wellness.
So wellness has
a direct influence on overall health, which is essential for living a healthy,
happy, and fulfilled life. The primary difference between health and wellness
is that health is the goal and wellness is the active process of achieving it.
Knowing the distinction
between the two matters for a number of reasons, including by recognizing while
we cannot always choose the state of our health, we do have the conscious
choice to make active decisions towards wellness.