In terms of wellness, all of us are just doing the best job that we can do. At Oasis, it is our philosophy to help with day to day wellness; wellness is more than massage treatments, seeking tranquility, or high-intensity physical fitness. Wellness is, in its essence, not the actions in themselves but rather the conscious recognition of why I am engaging in a behaviour, what benefits (real or perceived) I am gleaning from the behaviour. Even actions which are self-destructive are constructed in wellness when you think about why the self-destructive pattern exists. The first step of the wellness process is being – being in wellness, sitting with the decisions we make in order to make sense of them and construct day to day patterns of behaviour which promote a healthful existence. To begin this, taking mental or physical notes of the choices we make in either acute or chronic stressful situations can help make sense of our wellness choices. Do you have a tendency to snap during conflict, or retreat into yourself? When the pressures of work, school, or grief weigh on you, do you spend your free time overindulging on sweets or running on the treadmill until you collapse? Making note of behaviour which is conceived of during a less-than-ideal state of mind is a step in the wellness process that should occur before more major changes are made. As we continue to observe and reflect upon our choices, self-awareness will grow, and the maladaptive behaviours will become altered in order to more wholly benefit the wellness process. Instead of binge eating, you might choose to go out for ice cream with a close friend; instead of working out until abject exhaustion, you might choose to go on a challenging hike in the mountains or try out a new sport. By observing the general shape of the things that seem to make you feel better by looking at your base instincts in stressful situations, you will be able to alter those behaviours into ones that actually holistically benefit the health of your body and mind.
First appeared as a blog post on myoasisspa.ca