The Gift of Wellness
How to give to those you love this season
Giving the Gift of Wellness
What is wellness? Wellness means many different things such as, how we feel in our bodies, how we are taking care of our mental health, and how our soul/spirit feels connected, we find wellness in many facets of our lives. Research has shown when we are not connected and not engaged in positive relationships our mental and physical health declines; we even have a lowered healing rate and higher mortality rate. Relationships are so important in our lives. I reflect each year, as the holiday season comes around, about how I can give a gift that will impact those I care about for more than a few minutes or sit on a shelf gathering dust. I seek a gift that will bring experiences, and ways to be closer or lead to new adventures in life. I do this with the intention of wanting the receiver to have overall wellness and connection to others, nature, and themselves. After all, if I am taking the time to give a gift, I must want the person to be healthy, heal quickly and stay in this life longer.
I am challenging each of you to think about a gift that would provide wellness for those you care about in your life. Consider how important relationships, community, and connection are to each of us. I have written in previous blogs about the high rate of loneliness in the world and how detrimental this is to humankind. Our brains are built for connection, we are designed to be with a community and not be alone. So, how can we give each other the gift of connection even after the holiday season has passed?
Plan events with those you care about. Relationships are like the muscles in our bodies, they need to be exercised, focused on, and taken care of, when we don’t they atrophy and do not work any longer. If the relationship you are focused on is an intimate one plan a retreat where you can focus on communication. If it is a friendship or parent-child relationship you can also find a retreat, event, vacation, or a weekly get-together where you can focus on building communication skills.
Gifts reflect how well we know the other person, so be thoughtful. What is something I can do with this individual they would want to do? It is not about what I want to do but about them. Then plan and go along with a smiling face for a new adventure. I do this often in my relationships and I have never been disappointed in the adventure and watching the joy experienced by those I care about.
Give a gift that lasts longer than a moment, give the gift of time. As I am aging, I realize how true the adage is about time being the most precious commodity. Giving my time to another person truly shows them how I value them and appreciate the relationship and who they are as people. I feel the same way when others give me the same gift. I want others to value spending time with me. It shows they see me and want to be with me because I am valuable and worth their time. How can you show the people in your life the same?
As the black-Friday deals are raging and cyber-Monday is all around us my challenge is to be thoughtful in providing the gift of community, connection, and time to those we care about. This gift will have long-term benefits for those we give to and ourselves.
Happy gifting and thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts and words. As you know time is a valuable gift I give and appreciate receiving.
-Penney