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To enable you to maximize your engagement with prospective new customers or potential new members it is important that you have a full grasp of what is meant by wellness, as The AIM Companies™ and ultimately this course is rooted in nurturing wellness.
Understanding the difference between Health and Wellness
True or false: health and wellness are the same. Though these terms are often used interchangeably, if you answered “false,” you are correct.
- Health is typically thought of in terms of the absence or presence of disease. It is often defined by objective yes/no responses
- Are you sick?
- Have you been diagnosed with a medical condition?
- Are you currently taking medication to manage a chronic condition?
- Is your blood sugar in a healthy range etc.
- While the answers to these questions may provide a snapshot into your general physical health, they do little to determine your overall ‘wellness.’
- Now consider the following questions:
- What is the quality of your sleep?
- How healthful and nutritious are your meals and snacks?
- How often do you exercise?
- Do you lead an active or sedentary lifestyle?
- How many close family members and friends do you have and what is the quality of those relationships?
- What kind of leisure activities do you participate in?
- Are you financially secured?
- How fulfilled are you in your work (paid or unpaid)?
- Are you living your values?
The answers to these questions may not be as cut and dry as the previous health questions. They likely require an explanation or a scale to answer, but they may also lead to a panoramic view of your overall, holistic sense of health, better known as wellness.
Chrysalis Tip
You will be surprised how many people either do not know the difference between health and wellness or have a very vague understanding of the 2 concepts. A nice starting point when engaging with prospective customers or potential members is to ask them the following question:
- Do you think there is a difference between health and wellness?
- If they answer yes – please ask them to explain to you what their understanding is.
- If no – BINGO – this is a golden opportunity to impart your knowledge between the differences.
What is Wellness?
Wellness is a multidimensional, holistic, evolving state and process of achieving your full potential. It is subjective, personalized, individual, cultural and situational. One’s own sense of wellness may change based on experiences, age, life stage and values. Wellness is about balance, moderation and avoiding social comparison. It is comprised of the following dimensions:
- Physical
- Social
- Intellectual
- Emotional
- Mental
- Financial
- Occupational and
- Spiritual
The definition of wellness, long used by the National Wellness Institute is consistent with these tenets. Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.
The 8 dimensions of wellness and how your business can benefit from them
By understanding the 8 dimensions of wellness you will have a far greater chance to connect with your audience by showing insight and linking them to solutions you as an AIM member can offer them.
A short definition of each will help frame what is meant by these dimensions:
- Physical – Recognizing the need for physical activity, healthy foods, and sleep
- Social – Developing a sense of connection, belonging, and a well-developed support system
- Intellectual – Recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills
- Emotional – Coping effectively with life and creating satisfying relationships
- Mental – Recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills
- Financial – Satisfaction with current and future financial situations
- Occupational – Personal satisfaction and enrichment from one’s work
- Spiritual – Expanding a sense of purpose and meaning in life
Chrysalis Tip
So you’ve shed light on the difference between health and wellness with your audience, but now it’s time to dissect the various facets of wellness. Why? Because this will give you great opportunity to emotionally connect with your audience by not only explaining the various dimensions, but to make it real by giving real life practical examples of how these dimensions are effected.
When explaining each dimension, you could ask questions or audience participation in an effort to get them engaged, for example:
- Physical – How often do you feel tired or you find yourself craving something healthy? This is your physical wellness dimension. This dimension deals with physical activity, healthy foods, and sleep.
- Social – Do you sometimes feel alone or that you don’t quite fit in? This is your social dimension that deals with your sense of connection, belonging, and a well-developed support system.
Chrysalis Tip
Using examples in your own life of how one or more of these dimensions were not met can be a great way to explain these points to your audience. This acts as a great testimonial as well.
Wellness impacts Health and Vice Versa
As previously mentioned the terms health and wellness are often used interchangeably. There is a very good reason for this. The link between mind and body is an interconnecting puzzle – the one affecting the other. It is important to know the difference, but is more important to remember that when all the dimensions are not in sync at any point in time one or more of the other dimensions can affect the human body. Understanding this will help you better define why The AIM Companies™ products could help a customer or other members. More so, it will help your audience to connect the dots of how The AIM Companies™ products or opportunity can positively impact a person’s health and wellness.
Chrysalis Tip
It is important to remember that your interaction with other people is to serve a bigger purpose which should either be to introduce them to The AIM Companies™ products or The AIM Companies™ business opportunity, so don’t lose track of that. In other words, it is important that you let people know why you are giving them this information. In The AIM Companies™ Case it is simple: The AIM Companies™ products and opportunity is vested in nurturing wellness and health for the individual and their family.
The following quote simply ties together the concept of health, wellness and The AIM Companies™ role:
“The AIM Companies™ products, opportunity and networking structure holistically serves and positively impacts an individual’s wellness needs”