A website designed for residents of Galveston County and Cities

Introduction

There is a lot of talk these days about wellness. We see the word on billboards;(click here to see the WellRU billboard) hear it in the news, used in conversation and even at work. What is the actual definition of wellness? It may come as a bit of a shock, but there is no universally-accepted definition of wellness. The truth is wellness is a tough word to define but Webster's New Basic Dictionary offers the following; the condition of good physical and mental health esp. when maintained by proper diet and exercise.

Wellness is very much about making choices and assuming responsibility for making sure you have the best quality of life possible, and begins with a conscious decision to shape a healthy lifestyle. Many different wellness models have been developed over the years, but there are six commonly recognized wellness dimensions: Social, Spiritual, Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Environmental. An American humorist once said, "Health is like money, we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it." It is clear that wellness is not just absence from disease. It is an active process through which people make choices toward more successful and healthy lives.