No one knows your wellness

All too often we think of specific goals we want to accomplish in the new year – things we think will make us happy, milestones we think will finally ease us into contentment, accomplishments we think will finally make us feel like we’re enough.

In the pursuit of happiness, contentment, and a sense of adequacy, we often find ourselves chasing after goals and milestones we believe will transform our lives. Yet, the essence of true happiness, contentment, and feeling ‘enough’ is a deeply personal journey that defies a one-size-fits-all approach. The critical question remains: how will we recognize these sought-after states when they finally arrive?

What is happy? What is contentment? And what is enough?

And how will we know when we get there?

Psychology is a field that likes to pretend it knows what’s up. There are so many theories, so many programs, so many “definitive answers” to the question “what is wellness?” that we end up backing ourselves up into a corner, wondering why we can’t even do therapy right.

And if there’s anything we’ve gathered from having conversations with you and the counselling in vancouver community, it’s that there’s no such thing as doing therapy right. There is no one right way to move forward. Healing is a personal experiment.

Embarking on a Journey of Healing

Finding our way through healing is an experimentation – being curious about what works for us, trying out different, sometimes seemingly outrageous things, and then deciding what is sustainably in alignment with our own definition of wellness.

So let’s get to some reflection questions to help you create your own theory of wellness. A theory that is grounded in the story of YOUR experiences, rather than trying to make your story align with some random academic’s theory of what wellness should be.

Ask yourself

1. What state of body, mind, soul, and community lets you know that you are well?
2. In the past year, when have you experienced this and what led to wellness being possible?
3. In the past year, what conversations and movements – whether that’s with people, books, social media posts, or engaging in collective action against gen0cide – have sparked a sense of satisfaction, peace, and liberation within you?
4. In the past year, what theories of wellness have you left behind? Why?
5. In the past year, what understandings of yourself and the world around you have you left behind? Why?
6. How does your knowing and experience of wellness connect you with your community? The global community? Why or why not?
7. In what ways does your experience of wellness connect with emotions such as grief, rage, and compassion?
8. In what ways does your experience of wellness connect you with the magnificent resistance of communities in the face of oppression?

Where to start healing

Exploring Self-Worth in Vancouver:

Reflect on the aspects of your body, mind, soul, and community that signal to you a state of wellness. Moments of profound self-worth over the past year can illuminate the path towards practices that nurture inner peace and contentment. Counselling services focused on enhancing self-worth in Vancouver can offer personalized support in this exploration.

Personalized Approaches to Managing Anxiety:

Identify the conversations, readings, collective actions, or social engagements that have sparked feelings of satisfaction, peace, and liberation within you. These experiences can provide insights into managing anxiety through connections that bring tranquility and a sense of freedom. Anxiety counselling in Vancouver can support you in finding personalized strategies that resonate with your unique experiences.

Healing from Trauma Through Connection and Resistance:

Consider how your wellness journey connects you with broader community movements or the global struggle against oppression. Understanding the role of personal healing in the context of collective resistance can be especially meaningful for individuals engaging in trauma counselling in Vancouver.

Moving Beyond Conventional Wellness Paradigms

It’s time to transcend the traditional confines of therapy and wellness, exploring what these concepts truly mean on a personal level. This exploration involves a willingness to let go of outdated theories and embrace a journey that is authentically ours.

Redefining Wellness for Ourselves:

Reevaluate the wellness theories you’ve moved beyond in the past year and the reasons behind these shifts. This reflection can pave the way to a more authentic and fulfilling approach to mental health.

Integrating Emotions and Community Resistance into Wellness:

Examine how your journey towards wellness intersects with emotions such as grief, rage, and compassion, and how it connects you to the collective resilience and resistance of communities facing oppression.

Your path to wellness is deeply personal, shaped by your unique experiences, challenges, and triumphs. In Vancouver, a wide array of counselling services are available to support you in this journey, offering personalized approaches to self-worth, anxiety management, and trauma healing.

Embracing Our Unique Paths to Wellness

Wellness is not a static destination but a dynamic journey, unique to each individual. It’s a path defined by personal growth, evolving understandings, and the deep connections we forge along the way. Whether it’s through counselling services focused on self-worth, tailored strategies for managing anxiety, or supportive approaches to healing from trauma, Vancouver offers a supportive community ready to accompany you on this journey.

By embracing our individual paths to wellness, grounded in our own experiences and led by our inner wisdom, we can navigate the complexities of life with greater resilience and purpose. This journey invites us to explore, reflect, and ultimately, discover the wellness practices that resonate most deeply with us—cultivating a life of contentment, peace, and fulfillment.