Foundations of Wellness

Dear Aspen reader,

Do you like rewards? I sure love a free coffee once I’ve earned enough points! Have you ever received a raise or a promotion after a job well done? I think it’s natural to enjoy being rewarded for efforts and each of us is unique in what we find rewarding. In my job, as an educator, I am often rewarding students with positive praise, tokens and tangible prizes once they’ve earned the required amount for the item of their choosing. There is a certain “feel good” aspect to earning something upon putting in the time and developing a skill. While I know that my students enjoy cashing in their tokens for prizes, I’ve seen much more gratification on their faces when we come to the end of our teaching session and it’s time to complete a learning log prompt. Within this brief activity, the students reflect on their efforts from the day, choosing one skill that they are particularly proud to have learned. The look of fulfillment and satisfaction doesn’t compare to the toy they may have earned the day before as they share their proud moments with parents.

Rewards definitely hold their value when it comes to healthy living.

On the one hand, indulging in a hot fudge sundae after working out consistently for a week might feel like an appropriate prize for such hard work, I want to help you to consider rewards that encourage and motivate you on your journey towards wellness.

First, let’s take a minute to consider advantages and disadvantages of exercising and eating right. When considering a change in your wellness lifestyle, what disadvantages might you face? Think comprehensively. Will it require additional time? Do you need to spend money to buy equipment or drive further for healthier groceries? I don’t mean to cause you to think negatively or dwell on adverse circumstances, but once again, it’s good to consider how these factors might affect your efforts or require deeper planning.

Next, consider the advantages to changing your wellness lifestyle. You might experience: more energy, stronger muscles or a better mood. It’s typical when building a lifestyle of wellness to focus on the greatness that will be gained from consistent and repeated efforts or the tangible rewards that will follow. Don’t get me wrong, often it takes external rewards (a new pair of running shoes or some girl-time) to get us across the finish line, but don’t ignore that sometimes the benefits of greater health are exactly what we need to help stay the course.

Recognizing that wellness encompasses more than immediate gains and physical appearance is a great foundation for building a lifestyle of wellness.

In health,

Alecia

“Recognizing that wellness encompasses more than immediate gains and physical appearance is a great foundation for building a lifestyle of wellness.”