Let’s face it, “wellness” isn’t going to go away despite some of the backlash.

In my opinion, wellness is at the intersection of science, medicine, and health.

Simply, wellness means health and happiness. No matter where you are on your health journey, you can achieve your wellness goals which can help you live a healthier life. Wellness rituals that focus on prevention and self-care can do the body, mind, and spirit good.

Merriam Webster defines wellness: the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal lifestyles that promote wellness.

I’d like to take the definition a bit further.

Wellness is about living every day well. It’s about living joyfully in sync with your innermost self. It’s about nourishing your mind, body, and soul. It’s mental, physical, spiritual and social well-being. It’s about designing a life you love with passion and purpose.

Wellness is healthy living. It’s thriving, not just surviving. It’s taking small steps every day for a healthier and happier you.

Healthy eating, fitness, socialization and relationships, all encompass wellness. Learning to stress-less and sleep better is wellness. Designing a healthy and happy home is also wellness — it’s keeping your physical living space in sync with who you are — your home is a place to nourish the soul.

Wellness is using healthy design in your home and workplace. It’s about a healthy environment. It’s healthy cities and sustainability.

Listening to music, art and travel are all tied to wellness. It’s about positive thinking and meditation, it’s about mastering the moment with wonderment and enthusiasm. It’s about appreciating nature, and getting outdoors.

It’s about disregarding self-destructive behaviors—such as smoking and illicit drugs. It’s about enjoying a glass of red wine, and drinking in moderation. It’s about gratitude and laughter, it’s about calm and bold confidence that empowers you to live well every day.

Focus on what you can do to take steps to live a healthier and happier life. Begin by creating a vision [bliss] board — one for you [life] and one for your home. Choose three goals each — life and home — ones that you want to achieve. [I’ll share more on this in upcoming posts.]

While wellness may be getting a bad rap, we need to embrace it.

The caveat to wellness is when you do something you don’t want to do. Everyone is different. Don’t try to keep up with the Jones’, do what you know if best for you. There are some bizarre claims out there, be better than that, just don’t buy into them. For example, undergoing acupuncture with live bee stings instead of needles. Just because this practice is out there, it should raise a red flag.

Always, do what’s best for you, and always be a proactive health and wellness consumer. Do your homework, ask questions, and live your best well life.

Barbara Ficarra is a journalist, speaker, and founder, Healthin30.com. 

Image credit: Shutterstock.com