Wellness is Not the Absence of Illness

The statement made in the title causes some confusion. The majority of people attribute wellness to not being sick or ill. This is a misconception.
So if wellness is NOT the absence of illness, then what is wellness?

Let us understand the nature of illness so we may follow suit to understand wellness.

Illness occurs when one or more body parts are not functioning properly or sometimes not at all. We begin to feel "not well" or uncomfortable and go to the doctor for help. Through the use of pharmaceuticals, drugs and therapy, we can return to feeling well as opposed to feeling sick.

But did the drugs and medical materials actually cure the malady or did they simply make you more comfortable while your body naturally took care of its own needs? This is a question that is debated much among physicians and has no distinct answer except that everybody is different and responds differently to their surroundings.

While one treatment may work exceptionally for one person, it may have absolutely NO effect on another. This raises the previous question again.

For instance, take a viral infection like the flu. Medical science cannot cure the flu. Rather all they are able to do is relieve the symptoms while the virus runs its course. Any doctor will tell you that if they are being honest.

Wellness is the state of keeping your body healthy so that you are able to stave off illness when it tries to invade your comfort zone. There are many ways to achieve a level of wellness, including:
• Eating healthy.
• Regular exercise.
• Regular physical exams.
• Quitting bad habits like smoking or excessive drinking.
• Healthy personal lifestyle.

Just as important as physical wellness is mental wellness. It is extremely important to have the right frame of mind. It is believed that if your mind is in a good state, the body will follow suit. This is sometimes called the power of suggestion or positive thinking.

By keeping your body and your mind in sync, you are more able to keep disease and sickness away from you and your family. In this way, wellness can be stated as a continuous forward motion towards comfortable living.

A lot of Christians know about this through the belief in divine healing. The deeper the belief in healing, the more "well" they are. Even when illness encroaches on their body, they are able to battle back with prayer and the belief that it is only a "state of mind" making them sick.

You do not have to believe in divine healing to live in a state of wellness. Wellness can be achieved individually through simple lifestyle changes like those listed above.

So wellness is not the absence of illness as much as living in a state of mind that keeps your body operating comfortably and properly.
Any diabetic will tell you that changing their diet made a profound difference in the way that they felt after the change.

They have become believers. You should too.