What is “Wellness”?
What do you think about when you hear the words “wellness” and “health”? Doctors? Medications? Healthy lifestyle choices? While these things are important, they do not paint the whole picture of wellness and healthy communities.
Wellness is the optimal state of health and well-being of both individuals and groups. It is the ability of people and communities to reach their fullest potential, both in terms of being healthy and feeling fulfilled in their lives.
Health and wellness doesn’t just happen in hospitals and doctors’ offices. It begins in the places where people live, work, learn, and play — and not all members of our communities have the same opportunities to be well. In fact, our communities can only truly become healthy when our environments support our wellness.