Wellness Around the World Ch. 1: Deconstructing My Daily Narrative

Before I take off on a wellness journey around the world (sadly only figuratively), it’s helpful to examine what wellness closer to home tends to involve. As someone who has completed a fair amount of education in the health and wellness field, and as someone for whom at least part of my professional identity is inextricably tied to my demonstrative commitment to fitness and healthy eating, I am on the more health-conscious end of the spectrum as compared to many Americans. I am also fortunate to live in an area where most people are not only aware of the benefits of healthy habits, but they also have the resources to fully invest in developing these habits.

Even with these advantages, however, the typical American daily lifestyle – the SAD (Standard American Diet), the stress, the constant-on-the-go-never-stop-obsession, the gym- and fad-obsessed culture, the social media scrolling, the reliance on cars to go everywhere for everything – can take a toll. While the reality is that there exists no single utopia of wellness, we are generally too fixated on the idea of wellness – and the many

trappings of a “healthy” lifestyle for which we are bombarded with ad after ad on a daily basis – and not focused enough on how fundamentally simple healthy living can actually be.

If returning to simplicity seems lofty, consider this: it requires small decisions – not big ones - on a daily basis which in turn have bigger cumulative effects on our health. Chips or an apple for snack? A Coke or water when we’re thirsty? A beer or a walk when we’re stressed at the end of the day? Opt in or out of a 2-minute walk break after a long meeting at work? I’m not saying these decisions are always easy, and I’m also not immune to the occasional lapse in good judgment, but being healthy is HARD. Accept that fact and you may find these decisions easier.

I’ll put myself on the chopping block here to show that my daily narrative is far from perfect but that I’m also always working toward being better. What does my typical “healthy” day look like, and where can I improve?

• I run first thing in the morning – too many miles for most sane people, but I’m willing to roll the dice physically for the mental health boost I get from running. That said, the older I get, the more I realize two things: that strength is critical for longevity, and that lower-intensity and unintentional exercise has a place in my life. There are plenty of places where this lesson is not learned - it's a normal part of life.

• I eat an almost entirely vegetarian diet – “plant-based” is how I live, but I also have a sweet tooth and enjoy some fries now and then. I occasionally try a pescatarian diet because fish can be extremely healthy. But I don’t enjoy it. I’m also not a great cook – too little time and too many demands. But core to many cultures is the social aspect of cooking and eating - making meal prep and meal time an event, a chance to connect and catch up with loved ones.

• I have a very low resting heart rate and am borderline hypotensive. That may sound like humble-bragging, but these are double-edged swords. I will almost definitely need a pacemaker at some point for the former, and the latter landed me in the ER several years ago – I’ll spare you the details, but in a display of the Americanism “go big or go home”, I ran when I should not have. In other words, I ignored my body – and common sense!

• Why did I feel I had to go big? Because like many Americans, I find it incredibly difficult to relax, to take time off. My intrinsic motivation could be called one of my greatest strengths, but the darker side of that high drive is that I push myself too hard too often. That’s also our culture, particularly here in the nation’s capital region – where most of us are striving to be high achievers and make an impact. It is important, however, to also spend some time doing nothing. Allowing your mind to wander, bringing those infamous cortisol levels down, and enjoying living in the day rather than constantly being worried about tomorrow.

As Vanilla Ice famously sang: stop, collaborate and listen. We don’t need 4 apps to manage stress, we don’t need the newest supplement that promises to boost your brain/metabolic/cardiovascular health, and we don’t need to invest in a cold plunge tub for our bathroom. We can help each other with some very simple changes that will lead to substantial, lasting benefits if we look beyond our respective borders and realize that we all have a lot to learn from each other. Let’s explore together!