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What we surround ourselves with, where we choose to live, the conditions we create or that we are ensconced in, extending from our home out to the planet at large, describes the environment in which we live.
When considering that very broad definition, I have found that the
Donut Economics Model provides a great template for reviewing and balancing human and planetary environmental factors.
Kate Raworth, the author of “Donut Economics”, describes these planetary environmental boundaries thus:
“The environmental ceiling consists of nine planetary boundaries (climate change, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone depletion, disruption of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, global freshwater use, land use changes, biodiversity loss, aerosol loading in the atmosphere, and chemical pollution), as set out by Rockstrom et al, beyond which lie unacceptable environmental degradation and potential tipping points in Earth systems.”
Raworth added the human wellbeing dimensions, drawing on the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to transform our world, which are derived from internationally agreed upon minimum social standards.
Raworth’s 12 dimensions included quality food, clean water and sanitation, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic development, social equity, quality housing, social network, peace and justice, and political voice.
She concluded that:
“Between social and planetary boundaries lies an environmentally safe and socially just space in which humanity can thrive.”
This seems most apt as a way to encapsulate our own sense of what a balanced environment should look like for us.
When considering our environment we obviously must start in our own backyard, but our awareness and actions must extend out to the planetary boundaries Raworth drew upon for her model.
Our environmental wellness is tenuous at best when we ignore our impact on the planet that we live on.
Wellness in any realm requires balance and a holistic approach. Financial wellness is no different and as with the other elements, one size does not fit all. Wealth does not directly correlate to financial wellness. When measuring your financial wellness, you need to consider factors such as:
These are some simple guides you can use to review your financial wellness. Most importantly, keep your financial wellness in perspective. It is not directly proportionate to your net worth; it is directly proportionate to your overall level of personal satisfaction with your current finances.
SIDE NOTE: In studies, it has been determined that the level of happiness a person experiences elevates with income up to a certain point. Researchers have found that happiness doesn’t change much once that threshold of income has been reached. Andrew T. Jebb, the lead author on a study that defined these thresholds across the world said,
“There’s a certain point where money seems to bring no more benefits to well-being in terms of both feelings and your evaluation."
This topic is partially included in the element of Purpose, but deserves some specific focus as it may account for a significant part of your life.
As we explored in the above infographic for Ikigai,
balancing what you are good at and love doing with the ability to earn money and cover your needs is a delicate dance.
Very often, we find ourselves out of balance when we’re not making enough money to be relatively free of stress (even if we’re doing something we love), or alternately making a lot of money but with no joy attached to that pursuit.
Some people are blessed with finding their life’s purpose in a career that bears fruit, whereas others wander many paths without unraveling this mystery over the course of their lifetime.
Choosing the career path that will bring the most fulfilment for you is not easy.
Occasionally, we meet people who always knew what they wanted to be, but more often people struggle to find that sweet spot that gives them career satisfaction and financial fulfilment.
Most importantly, know thyself. If you can make a difference doing something that you are gifted to do, or have a particular forte in, work can become easier and more fulfilling.
“The Affinity Principle,” talks about a concept called flow.
The flow state was defined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi as a state of complete immersion in an activity.
While in this mental state, people are completely involved and focused on what they are doing. When this occurs in our chosen career, it is an incredible gift.
You can chase the perks, status and salary, but if what you do doesn’t resonate within you, finding that Zen state of flow will likely be an elusive goal.
An incredibly big element of wellness is a strong and clear sense of purpose. When we have purpose, or a reason for being, our lives can be incredibly fulfilling and healthful. Ikigai, a Japanese word that literally means reason for being, provides a way to help define this incredibly important thread in our lives. The infographic included here illustrates Ikigai in a very simple and relatable way.
Ikigai, or this sense of purpose, is a central theme in the Blue Zone community of Okinawa. If you haven’t heard that term before, Blue Zone communities are regions of the world where an above average number of people live healthier and longer lives than usual.
The term first appeared in a National Geographic cover story in 2005 by Dan Buettner and has been followed by extensive research and initiatives funded by National Geographic to explore this phenomenon.
One of the key findings of Buettner’s work, which was founded on research by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain, was the determination that the single most important influence on the longevity of the Okinawans is community. In fact, central to every Blue Zone, longevity was exactly that – community.
So it seems intuitive that we look at our community relationships, connections, affiliations and contributions when we consider our state of wellness. This is picked up in the Social element of both the Ziglar and the Wellness diagrams, but we feel it needs to be emphasized in our search for a happy, healthy and fulfilled life.
This is the other side of the social component we’d like to break out and discuss independently.
There are five places in the world, called "Blue Zones," where people live the longest, and are healthiest: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California.
Research has shown that the strongest indicator of longevity is, you guessed it: a strong sense of community.
In Okinawa, they use the term “Moai” to describe a community group that forms around the individual to provide support ranging from health to spiritual counseling.
The concept of Moai was originally designed to pool the village’s financial resources so if someone needed capital for a project or an emergency, or the village needed some public works completed, they had the resources to help. This concept expanded to become more of a support network, and a cultural tradition for establishing companionship.
In neighborhoods across Okinawa, friends regularly gather to gossip, share advice and experiences, support each other and even provide financial assistance when necessary. They call these groups their Moai.
Dan Buettner determined in his research around the Blue Zones that institutions such as the Moai provide social connectedness that help reduce stress, add to people’s happiness and help community members ultimately live longer and stronger lives. Okinawans have their Moais, Sardinians meet with friends for regular happy hours and Adventists in California host weekly meals with their congregation.
Regardless of the location of the Blue Zone, community is the strongest common thread that runs through every Blue Zone Dan Buettner studied. In a recent study of social connectedness and longevity by Harvard Professor Lisa Berkman, she determined that whether it was familial, a tight-knit group of friends, through volunteerism, or some other form of regular social connection, the bond that the group shared was all that mattered in creating greater health and longevity.
When we distill the benefits of being a part of a healthy community, the benefits go well beyond longevity. People with a solid support network feel less stressed and generally happier. They are far less likely to develop chronic disease or depression. In general, having strong community ties provides significant benefits for all the participant members.
We encourage you to seek and embrace a community wherever you can. Whether it is building connections through volunteerism, through an interest group, or simply by reaching out to your neighbors, enhanced community connections bring many benefits and wellness follows.
Healthy RelationshipsHealthy relationships underpin wellness on so many levels. This often falls under the social category on wellness wheels, but we feel it deserves its own space. Healthy relationships nurture us, complement us, grow us and challenge us, all of which is incredibly beneficial to our overall wellness.
But how do you gauge your relationships? We don’t think volume gives perspective to the wellness benefits we glean from our relationships. The introvert may treasure fewer relationships whereas the gregarious extrovert may see more friends as their happy place.
We think the measure of healthy relationships is complex, but regardless of the components, malleability is a key element that relationships demand and exercise in us. We are constantly morphing as humans based on a myriad of influences, both physical and psychological, and both parties need to adapt regularly to keep the rhythm of the relationship flowing.
Other facets of healthy relationships include communication, trust, interdependence (not codependence), respect and support of each other.
Our book, “The Affinity Principle”, speaks to a number of these facets. This book is about mindful leadership, which if distilled down, is about building and nurturing healthy relationships with your team and other parties with whom you work.
In essence, maintaining healthy relationships demands flexibility and adaptability.
It demands that we are present and attentive. Maintaining strong healthy relationships is rarely seamless and does require effort, but the benefits of healthy friendships and partnerships far outweigh any efforts we make to meet in the middle.
The transformational power of a gratitude practice is just about boundless. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.
Here are a few benefits of gratitude:
The first and most important step toward mental (and physical!) health is self-awareness. Self-awareness is simply our ability to observe our thoughts and behaviours so that we can uncover patterns that do not serve us. These patterns usually stem from trauma we suffered as children and adolescents and serve as coping mechanisms. Most chronic physical and mental health conditions have underlying psycho-spiritual components at their root and in order to achieve long-term health, the root cause must be uncovered and healed.
This process may sound daunting as many of us don't feel compelled to address the parts of ourselves we either do not know exist or are too afraid to face. But those of us brave enough to set out on this journey find it incredibly liberating and rewarding. What's more, the positive changes we make resonnate throughout the rest of our lives and in all of our relationships.
At ROOTS Retreats, we will teach you how to cultivate self-awareness and the mindfulness tools necessary to heal your self. But for now, try to create more "blank" space in your day. You can do this by starting a meditation practice, or just completely unplugging and going outside for a walk. See what your mind does during these times. The more you practice, the sooner you will start to see your patterns.
And remember, each time you feel stressed out or anxious, your body is asking for something. If you consciously recognize your discomfort, try to take a pause and breathe. Spend a minute taking conscious inhales and longer exhales. This will re-set your nervous system and is almost guaranteed to make you feel better. Then, ask yourself the following: "what do I need right now?" or "Can I let go of something right now?" or "What is this REALLY about?"
The answer just may surprise you.
*Please note that we are not advocating against pharmaceutical intervention. While there is a place for medication, it does not always address the root cause when used on its own.
Stress ManagementEmotional wellness was defined by the Wellness Center of Vanderbilt University as “the awareness of feelings and their expression in a healthy manner with stability of mood, sense of self, positive attitude toward others, and the ability to cope with stress”.
There is no doubt that emotions have a strong influence on our mood, thoughts, attitudes, resilience, decisions and interests throughout our life.
Our sense of self and in turn our attitude toward others underpins the quality of the relationships we develop.
As we explore in the Social Roots of a Healthy Lifestyle, if we have healthy and positive relationships with others and a sense of community as a result of these relationships, emotional wellness usually follows.
Two of the biggest components in emotional wellness are balance and stress management.
As with all things in balance, different elements counter each other and for example during times of heightened stress, having confidence in our belief that this too shall pass will help us navigate those tough times.
Also, accepting others and forgiving mistakes they may have made allows us to move forward and maintain healthy relationships. Equally, we need to accept the mistakes that litter our past and move on with a determination to learn and ultimately benefit from these mistakes.
Having a positive mental attitude can contribute greatly to our ability to find the good in people, mistakes and events that may otherwise derail our emotional wellness.
Being aware of and expressing our feelings in healthy ways also reflects our own self-confidence and can create trust in our relationships. Expressing our feelings may limit potential outbursts that come with contained emotions spilling over.
Very few people go through life with complete equanimity, but if we seek ways to positively manage our stress and maintain healthy relationships, levelling out our moods will be a healthy byproduct.
Research shows that high stress levels adversely affect our health and wellbeing in countless ways.
Stress levels are at an all-time high and having the tools and the discipline to manage our stress is one of the biggest lifestyle challenges we face today.
The relentless introduction of technology into our lives, our rapidly changing societal expectations (some call these "programs") around success, achievement and acquisition, not to mention the global pandemic, all contribute to countless stresses in our lives.
Moreover, the pace at which we live our lives is not only unsustainable, but also unhealthy. Quiet time for reflection and introspection has been replaced with screen time and we are losing touch with ourselves and each other.
This loss in connection leads to lower levels of self-awareness and if we don't know ourselves, how can we recognize the unhealthy patterns we have inadvertantly established? Many of us are overstressed, anxious and depressed, and instead of going within for answers, we seek help outside of ourselves, often in pharmaceuticals*, alcohol, drugs, food, Netflix, shopping, etc.
Many of us won't like to hear this, but stress and anxiety are nothing but states of being manifested by our minds and bodies in response to how we live our lives.
If, however, we look on the bright side of this, we realize that the power to change stress and anxiety lies within us. We just have to want the change badly enough to cultivate the courage and discipline to change the habits that inhibit our lives.
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Conscious movement is the first of four physical roots of a healthy lifestyle. We intentionally choose the word "movement", because exercise and fitness activities bring up negative connotations for many people. We're not trying to disguise exercise, but do want to reframe it.
Our bodies are designed to move and every time we get up, sit down, go up a set of steps, or walk to the corner store, we are moving and in turn exercising.
Being conscious and taking advantage of these inherent opportunities to move during our everyday activities is hugely beneficial. The worst thing we can do for our overall wellness is to stop moving. Often, when an elderly person has an accident and for example breaks a hip, this can be a death knell for them, simply because they stop moving for an extended period of time and their body suffers.
When we began in the fitness industry, aerobic exercise was in vogue and the more you did and more intense the exercise was, the better.
Much research and learning has transpired between then and now and we now know that exercise can be beneficial in small amounts and light doses.
Our strong recommendation is simply to move regularly, choose to walk where you have the choice, choose to take the steps and not the elevator, find ways to incorporate movement throughout your day and you will benefit from these small changes in how you approach movement.
If you choose to move more by finding a form of exercise to do, choose something that is as enjoyable as possible for you.
If you can’t find any form of exercise that you find palatable, then find a reason to motivate movement in spite of your reticence.
An example would be getting a dog. If you need to walk the dog multiple times a day so that it can do its business and get some exercise, this can be a formidable addition to your daily movement patterns.
A few of tips we would add to moving as much as possible:
1. Aim for some variety in the movement you choose. This is good for your body and for your mind. As they say: “Variety is the spice of life”.
2. If you’re just starting out, start out slowly. Be kind to yourself and your body by building your movement over time. Going too hard, too soon, often leads to unnecessary soreness and fatigue.
3. Try and put some movement options in your mix that are not weather dependent. This offers a better opportunity to maintain some movement during inclement weather.
4. If you like keeping score, track your movement. Whether you use an app or device to track your steps, record your miles on the bike, or simply journal your movement activities, if this helps motivate you, just do it.
5. Lastly, we really recommend finding an exercise partner, group, or option where you may add a social component to your exercise. This can also help motivate you on the tough days and may help you add to your community.
SIDE NOTE: As much as moving often is incredibly beneficial, having restful sleep is complementary to movement. In fact, moving more will improve the quality of your sleep and enjoying good sleep will benefit your desire and ability to move.
Balanced nutrition and hydration are the second of the four physical roots of a healthy lifestyle. Again, we are intentional in choosing the word “nutrition” over “diet” or such. What our body needs is nutrition, not diet. Yes, diet is common vernacular for what we eat, but the term diet also has a lot of negative connotations, especially for those of us who have gone on diets and failed to maintain or succeed in terms of the diet goals.
We also chose "hydration", because we may drink a lot of fluids and yet may not be functionally hydrating our body. Drinks like coffee, tea, alcohol, and soda can have a diuretic effect on your body so even though you’re drinking fluids you may not be effectively hydrating your body, in fact in some cases you may actually be dehydrating your body.
Let’s look at nutrition first. Nutrition provides fuel for our body to move and perform its countless functions. That fuel converts to energy and even though the body needs a complex mix of vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and carbohydrates, varied and healthful nutritional choices can provide those components pretty readily.
What is deemed to be healthful nutritional choices will always raise a lot of competing opinions and thoughts, but there are a couple of simple rules of thumb to help steer you in the right direction.
1. Eat low on the food chain. This is a simple way to differentiate between food and foodlike substances. Foodlike substances have been heavily processed and contain a lot of ingredients of which many are unrecognizable to the average person reading the ingredient label.
In fact, the more ingredients a food product has, the less likely it is going to be great for your body. Food in its simplest state is more likely to be good for you than food that has a lot of additives and has gone through a lot of processing and refinement. Our bodies typically love vegetables, fruits, whole foods and foods rich in fiber. Most of us are aware of what foods are healthy and making more healthy choices over time will pay great dividends.
2. Eat a variety of foods. Diets that promote one food to lose weight are not sustainable and are unlikely to succeed. At the simplest level, your body will not get the requisite vitamins, minerals and components needed for balanced nutrition when you consume a very limited array of foods.
3. Eat smaller portions. What we mean by this is to spread your nutritional input out and avoid big meals where possible.
We believe eating too much in a sitting, especially at night, is tough on your body so we recommend eating small meals throughout the day.
4. Try and keep your input balanced against your output. Meaning, if you exercise a lot, eat more. If you don’t do a lot of exercise, eat less. Your body will seek balance and if you listen to it, you can usually feel when you’re out of balance.
5. That leads us to our last point on nutrition. Avoid the scales. Judging your state of health or wellness by the scales is fraught with peril. We suggested in the previous point to listen to your body. Too often we ignore our body's many signals and sometimes warnings because we don’t listen to how we feel. Those are hard things to grasp when we’ve ignored our body’s many cries and too often listened to its cravings. Simple examples of listening to your body would be if you feel energetic, that’s a good sign. If you feel lethargic, that’s probably a bad sign.
Speaking of lethargy, very often we can feel lethargic when we are dehydrated.
Hydration is critical to all bodily functions and when we are well hydrated, our sleep, cognitive function and mood can all improve.
Hydration of the body is crucial for many reasons. It helps regulate our body temperature, deliver nutrients to cells, provide joint lubrication, and allows our organs to function effectively.
All these things can help improve our energy, promote healthy weight loss, improve skin tone, remove toxins from our system, and help keep us regular.
When it comes to choosing what to drink water is the stand out. Obviously water is in many drinks, but other components in those drinks, such as sugar, caffeine and alcohol can offset the hydration benefits of the water by itself.
There are also a lot of mixed opinions about sports drinks. When we dehydrate we also lose electrolytes, especially sodium.
Even though many sports drinks have sodium and other electrolytes added, they can also contain sugar, artificial colors, flavors and additives. Mineral water usually contains sodium and can be a refreshing drink as well as replace some of the sodium lost during activity. Pure coconut water is also a great alternative electrolyte drink that doesn't contain any unwanted ingredients.
The level of your activity and many other factors influence the amount of water you need, but if you feel lethargic, have a headache, or dry mouth, then you should try drinking more water. Instead of defaulting to a cup of coffee when you’re feeling tired, maybe try a glass of water and see if you feel the difference.
Essentially, we should drink plenty of water each day, and that may constitute 8-10 glasses or so.
Your body is an incredibly powerful system that will work very well, given the right ingredients.
When you’re thoughtful about your food and water intake, you’ll notice a positive difference in many aspects of your life.
Sleep BetterQuality sleep is one of the central foundations of optimal physical and emotional health, yet it is underrated by some and elusive for many.
As with many things, getting great sleep can be a process.
The first step in this process is truly understanding and appreciating the importance of sleep to our health and emotional wellbeing.
In a study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, researchers found that subjects who averaged only 4.5 hours of sleep a night for a week felt more stressed, angry, sad and mentally exhausted. Mood shifts and the added stress of sleep deprivation can in turn exacerbate the issue, and many people find themselves in an ever-tightening spiral to mental and emotional exhaustion. Not to mention that chronic insomnia can develop into a clinical mood disorder.
Researchers at UC Berkeley have also shown that sleep deprivation negatively impacts the regions of the brain that help you understand people’s underlying motivations and intentions. This can significantly impact your capacity for empathy and relationships can be further strained when these filters are not in place.
The process of improving the quality and/or quantity of your sleep can start by doing an inventory of your sleep habits, sleep environment, and reviewing your exercise and nutritional status. Run through the inventory below to see where you should focus your efforts in order to improve your sleep outcomes.
If you answered ’Yes’ to all or most of these questions, you likely have a great handle on the many elements of great sleep.
If you answered ‘No’ to 5 or more of these questions, there is a very real potential to improve the quality of your sleep.
If you answered ‘No’ to 10 or more of these questions, implementing some changes in your sleep routine will no doubt bring some significant gains.
When seeking great sleep, no single thing typically tips the scales in your favor. Often, it is a process of refinement. Our advocacy is to always go for the easy stuff first, or the ‘low hanging fruit’. So after reviewing the above list, what are the easiest challenges that you could tackle first? If you’ve picked something you’re open to working on, go to the relevant section below to see if any of the insights or tips may help you on this first step of your journey to improve your sleep patterns.
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A connection to Nature is a critical part of human health. If you're familiar with "grounding," or "earthing," you know that your body needs to electrically connect to the earth. Electrical charges from the earth can have positive effects on your body and studies have shown that grounding can help with many conditions including inflammation, cardiovascular disease, muscle damage, chronic pain, and mood.
According to this NCBI study, grounding affects the living matrix, which is the central connector between living cells. The living matrix contains electrical conductivity that functions as an immune system defense, similar to antioxidants. Thus, grounding can help restore the natural defenses of the body.
There is substantial research that proves that a connection to nature can make you healthier and happier.
Here are some of the major benefits of going outside and consciously interacting with Mother Nature:
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