Wellness doesn’t always have to look like a perfectly planned morning routine, an hour at the gym, or a fridge full of green smoothies. Sometimes it looks like laughing until your stomach hurts, getting a little extra sleep, dancing in the kitchen, calling a friend, or simply giving yourself permission to slow down. For women and girls especially, joy is essential to wellness.

Women are often expected to be everything to everyone, including caregivers, professionals, mothers, daughters, friends, leaders, and supporters. Girls, too, can grow up surrounded by expectations about how they should look, behave, perform, and succeed. Amid all those expectations, it can be easy to forget something simple: they deserve to enjoy their lives, too.

Wellness Can Be Simple

When we hear the word “wellness,” we may immediately think of physical health. And yes, taking care of our bodies matters. Eating nourishing foods, staying active, getting enough sleep, and paying attention to our health are all important. But wellness is much broader than that. It also includes our mental, emotional, social, and even financial well-being. It is about having people we can talk to, feeling safe in our communities, having opportunities to learn and grow, and feeling confident about the future.

For a young girl, wellness might mean having a trusted adult who truly listens.

For a teenager, it might mean having a friend who reminds her that social media isn’t real life.

For a woman, it might mean finally saying, “I need a break,” and not feeling guilty about it.

Sometimes, wellness is simply recognizing you don’t have to do everything today.

Let’s Make Room for Joy

Joy is not a luxury. It is part of well-being.

A girl should be able to laugh with her friends, discover what she loves, try something new, make mistakes, and dream about her future without feeling she has to have everything figured out. Women deserve the same freedom.

Maybe wellness means taking a walk while listening to your favorite song. Maybe it’s spending an afternoon with friends. Maybe it’s reading a book, trying a new recipe, creating something beautiful, or simply sitting outside to soak up the sunshine.

Sometimes, wellness means putting your phone down and doing nothing for a few minutes. Yes, doing nothing can be productive, too!

The goal isn’t to create another list of things we should do. Wellness shouldn’t be another source of pressure. Instead, let’s ask: What makes me feel good? What gives me energy?

What brings me peace? What makes me smile? These questions matter.

Girls Need More Than Advice-They Need Examples.

If we want girls to grow into women who value their well-being, we need to show them what that looks like.

They are watching us.

When a woman sets a healthy boundary, a girl learns that boundaries are okay.

When a woman asks for help, a girl learns she doesn’t have to carry everything alone.

When a woman takes time to rest, a girl learns that rest isn’t something she has to earn.

When women celebrate themselves, girls learn they don’t have to wait for someone else to tell them they’re worthy.

Wellness is something we can model, share, and pass forward.

Wellness Is Better Together

We also cannot discuss wellness without discussing community. People do better when they feel connected. A supportive friend, mentor, teacher, parent, colleague, or community can make an incredible difference in someone’s life. Sometimes the simplest gesture can brighten someone’s day.

Send the text.

Make the phone call.

Invite her to coffee.

Ask how she’s doing and listen.

Tell that young girl she’s doing a great job.

Celebrate her achievements, even the small ones.

We never know how much a little encouragement can mean to someone.

A Little More Joy, Please

This month and every month, let’s make wellness feel a little less like a checklist and a little more like a celebration.

Let’s encourage women and girls to care for their bodies, protect their peace, build meaningful relationships, pursue their dreams, and make room for the things that bring them genuine happiness.

Let’s remind them they don’t have to be perfect. They don’t have to have everything figured out. They don’t have to be strong every minute of every day. They are allowed to rest.

They are allowed to ask for help.

They are allowed to laugh.

They are allowed to dream.

They are allowed to simply enjoy being themselves.

Because sometimes improving our well-being doesn’t require a complete life makeover.

Maybe we just need a little more joy and a little more wellness.

Before you rush into another day of doing everything for everyone else, ask yourself: when was the last time you made your well-being a priority?

Sources: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5508938/ 

Image: Magnific