Take Time to Prioritize Your Wellness This August

August marks National Wellness Month, a time to prioritize our self-care, reduce stress, and create healthier habits to feel our best. At Sourcewise, we encourage older adults to use National Wellness Month as a time to focus on their wellness, with the goal of enhancing the overall quality of life.

Health vs Wellness—what’s the difference, anyway?
While the terms ‘health’ and ‘wellness’ are often presented jointly, there is often confusion on the difference between the two terms. As adults age, health tends to take priority, while wellness is often left out. Health has been defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Meanwhile, the Global Health Institute defines wellness as “the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.” In short: health is the goal, while wellness is the journey.

Self-care is only fair.
It is important to prioritize self-care, which is often neglected due to barriers created by work, family, and other stressors in our day-to-day lives. Self-care can present itself in many ways, including avoiding unhealthy habits, setting healthy boundaries, self-monitoring (looking for signs of improvement or deterioration), allowing yourself adequate rest or ‘down time,’ and recognizing mental/physical health issues—addressing them as necessary.

Ready to start your wellness journey?
It all starts with self-care and having a health goal in mind. Some of the ways to start living well include:  

• Increasing your water intake. 
• Adding more fruits and veggies into your meals. 
• Monitoring your sleep and adjusting for better sleep habits.
•  Joining a yoga, walking, or aerobics class. 
• Learning to meditate. 

If you’re interested in learning more about how Sourcewise supports wellness in older adults, contact a Community Resource Specialist at (408) 350-3200, option 1.