Cornucopia of Wellness: Part 1 Wellness Plan, Nutrition, and Life Balance
The cornucopia itself symbolizes abundance and includes a variety of flowers, fruits, and corn typically, reminding us to be thankful for the abundant blessings we have like food on the table (1). This time of year, seeing displays of cornucopias reminds me of the many different but related components of wellness we each need to thrive. The cornucopia of wellness for each person varies, however it can have similar components including a wellness plan, nutrition, life balance, and movement. In this post I am going to focus on having a wellness plan including nutrition and life balance.
Nutrition is an important component of wellness. The fresh colorful seasonal fall fruits and vegetables in a cornucopia remind me of the connection between colorful foods and the nutritional benefits they have for your health. I personally have learned how including and excluding certain foods in my diet can help reduce inflammation (2) and bring the healing that my body needed to find wellness. There were times of wanting to give up out of frustration and fatigue when tests, medications, and various dietary approaches led to dead ends. With patience, guidance, encouragement, and support from alternative and conventional practitioners, family and others on the journey, I found direction and composed a wellness plan. This plan has continually helped me find resilience and not give up on this part of my journey to wellness.
Finding life balance was an essential part of my cornucopia of wellness. Practicing self-awareness and mindfulness was the first step for me to see what parts of my life were out of balance. Finding balance meant that I had to change my behaviors and habits. The ongoing demands of my career and education were draining me physically and emotionally. This negatively affected my social life, relationships, and joy. I hit burnout over and over again as I was ignoring my physical needs and flaring my health conditions. Taking a step back helped me to see the barriers to wellness that were present and the changes that I needed to make to find balance.
The most challenging change was stepping back from my career. I was passionate about my career, but it had become physically too much for me. In doing so, I was able to prioritize of my wellness needs including sleep, stress management, and self-care. I asked for assistance out of self-compassion and awareness, allowing for better balance. For me, the most challenging change resulted in the biggest gains for wellness.
The next post about will be about movement as part of the cornucopia of wellness.
Just like changes come with different seasons, your wellness plan, nutrition, and life balance needs evolve to adapt to the changes around you. Having guidance on these components helps you stay on the path to finding resilience and achieving balance consistently in your life.
What components do you need in your cornucopia of wellness to find balance?
If you need guidance in figuring out which components you need to achieve life balance and find resilience for wellness, please book a free 30-minute session or contact me via email.
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