As we enter the second month of the new year, what better time could there be to invest in our health and wellness? The body, mind, and soul are all closely related and can have a huge impact not only on how we feel but upon the quality of our overall life. When one of these aspects of our health becomes depleted, the others will soon suffer as a result.

As you progress through the beginning of the year, consider how you’re going to prioritize not only one of these aspects of your health but all three. Your mind, body, and soul should be a top priority every day. When you begin to treat them as such, chances are, you’ll be ending the year feeling happier, healthier, and more in tune with yourself.

Using the WELL Method to Prioritize Mind, Body, and Soul Wellness

Part of having a well-balanced life includes true harmony between your mind, body, and soul. To make the process of establishing this balance a little easier, an individual named Jaya Jaya Myra created a tool called the WELL Method, with “WELL” serving as an acronym to help you remember each aspect:

W: Work/Life Harmony

E: Expect/Enable Excellence

L: Live your Purpose

L: Love not fear

This method is very flexible, and you can customize it to fit your lifestyle, beliefs, and the things that matter the most to you.

Breaking Down the WELL Method

Not sure where to start? Let’s break down each of these aspects.

W: Work/Life Harmony

You may have heard of the phrase “being married to your job.” On one hand, it is an amazing blessing to have a job that you love and are devoted to. But at the same time, it is important to ensure that there is a balance between your work and home life. This is necessary to protect your mental health, avoid burnout, and ensure you have time to devote to your relationships and other passions in life.

There are things you can do each day to promote a better work/life balance. For example, you can have a set time in the evening when you unplug from work. This means no more answering emails, completing tasks, or answering work-related phone calls. Work time has ended and now it is your time to relax with loved ones or enjoy one of your favorite hobbies.

E: Expect/Enable Excellence

There are a lot of different ways that this can be interpreted. Consider, for example, your mindset toward your work and the things you are trying to achieve. Are you confident in your ability to accomplish these things? In addition, are you taking the necessary steps each day to ensure that these things really happen?

L: Live Your Purpose

The next aspect is “L: live your purpose.” What is your purpose in life? For some people, this may be an easy question to answer; for others, it can be a little more complex. You want your purpose to be something that you’re passionate about, something that drives you and motivates you. It should be something that gives you a sense of fulfillment.

In life, it can be easy to lose sight of this purpose. For example, maybe you have felt as if your purpose is to go to work and make money only to come home and do it all again the next day. If this is your case, you may need to reevaluate your life and determine what changes need to be made.

Consider some of the following healthier purposes to focus on. You may find that you identify with one of them:

• My purpose is to be the healthiest version of myself mentally and physically.
• My purpose is to serve others.
• My purpose is to be the best possible parent I can be.
• My purpose is to achieve my goal of _____.
• My purpose is to spread my faith to other people.
• My purpose is to be the best possible version of myself for those I love.

L: Love Not Fear

The final aspect of the WELL Method is “L: love not fear.” You can customize this to fit your own interpretation. Maybe you struggle with overthinking, considering the different ways things could go wrong, or worrying about things that will likely never happen that are out of your control. This practice takes a lot of energy and can be very draining. It can take a major toll on your mental health.

Consider how you could redirect this energy and use it in a positive way, such as by choosing love over fear. Instead of allowing your overthinking to dominate your life, focus this energy on loving not only yourself but those around you. This can make a huge difference in how you live your life and the outlook you have on the world around you.

Progressing through the second month of the new year comes with a brand new chance to invest in your overall wellness as you work toward being the best version of yourself. Our mind, body, and soul are all closely related and each has a huge impact on how we feel physically and mentally. It is important to find harmony among these things in order to live the best quality of life. The WELL Method is a great tool to do this. It focuses on work/life harmony, expecting/enabling excellence, living your purpose, and focusing on love over fear. If you are struggling with a substance use disorder, our team at The Kimberly Center can help. Call (855) 452-3683 today.