Growing up I was always very active.

My dad’s side of the family tends to be heavier set

so my parents aspired to keep my brother and I as active as possible. Our eating habits weren’t

always subpar considering the busy lifestyle we had but my mom was good about implementing

fruits and veggies into our diet as we grew up. I partook in soccer on weekends and growing up

we had a pool to keep us busy in the summer. Now as an adult I feel I have strayed from the

healthy habits I once had as a kid. Once graduated from high school, I did battle with

maintaining a healthy weight and was constantly going up in size. I didn’t prioritize sleep and

found myself waking up early and going to bed at all hours of the night. I know that those

sleepless nights along with the unhealthy food I began to eat contributed to the increase in

weight. I started working and so I had a small income for myself to spend on whatever I wanted

but not properly budgeting caused me to spend more than I had, leaving me with debt. I started

saving now and am trying to do what I can to plan more for my financial future. More recently I

did try to get my life back on track and started exercising 2 days a week. Along with the

exercise, more water and healthier food choices I was able to lose 30 pounds. Losing the weight

was a difficult but amazing journey but I think now the hardest part is still losing a few more

pounds and even maintaining this weight. Comparing what my wellness wheel and myReal age

test results were I learned, that I have a somewhat healthy lifestyle but that it could be better. I

could implement more exercise in my life or at least training that would tone me. It also

mentioned that I needed to get proper sleep and cut out any stress that can add to weight

increase. One major stress I know I have and is always a continual struggle is my finances. I

have been blessed with wonderful parents that still allow me to live with them until I get married

so I don’t have many bills but my constant little food runs or impromptu shopping eventually
catch up with me and take a toll on my wallet. Overall what I currently need to work on would

be getting my finances in order and implementing more exercise.

In order to maintain and better my current Health and Wellness, I need implement more

physical activity and manage my finances better. To achieve a better physical appearance

myReal Age test suggested I introduce more toning exercising into my life. It mentions that

simple things like adding just 30 minutes of strength training exercise can help build muscle and

my endurance. For instance, it mentions to try exercising with an exercise ball or resistance

bands to practice my stability and work on a good form. In order to ease my financial troubles

the test gave me 3 solutions I can try to apply in my life. The first one was to make a budget.

Whether it be with pencil and paper or with an app, start with a monthly income budget and see

what needs to be paid and what is just unnecessary spending. Another helpful tip it gave was to

put away “the plastic” meaning credit cards. Having credit cards at hand allows for more

impulsive shopping and that is exactly what I’m trying to stray from. Either getting rid of or

leaving the cards at home for instance would even help. Lastly it mentions that with each

paycheck I put aside a portion and add it to my savings. If possible it even mentions to do direct

deposit into my savings so I wouldn’t even notice the amount. All these tips are very helpful and

are within reach, with discipline can be put in practice.

Wellness can best be described as an “active process through which people become

aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence”(H1. The Six Dimensions).

Wellness implies much more than just physical health, it takes in consideration the person as a

whole. It is made of 6 different dimensions or components, these include : “physical, emotional,

intellectual, spiritual, occupational and social – each important on their own and even more so
because they are interconnected” My personal wellness is lacking in the physical and

occupational and or financial sense.

In order to achieve my physical and financial wellness I must implement goals in my life

to attain an overall better me. The first goal would be to implement 30 minutes of muscle

building exercise twice a week, specifically on Mondays and Thursday morning, for 3 months.

This type of workout would require weight lighting, resistance bands and possibly an exercise

ball. Proper equipment is needed to do this type of exercise and I can do it here in the comfort of

my own home or at park or gym. Another goal would be to substitute unhealthy snacks for fruit

and veggies at least two times a day for at least 5 days of the week. I need to make sure and stock

up the fridge with healthy snacks instead of just having a pantry full of cookies and chips.

Having better alternatives at hand will help make this goal more attainable. I can track what I eat

in a journal or with the help of an app. My final goal to better my finances would be to hide my

credit card and every month cash my check, pay off bills and only put aside only $100 for extra

spending. This way I do not have the luxury of just swiping my card but instead see my actual

earning and can notice when they start to deplete or when I’m spending it irrationally.

Overall I hope that with these goals in mind and proper discipline I can implement them.

The first step in anything is the desire to change and better yourself and I started by addressing

my problems. I am important and need to see my overall value as a person. I need to care about

me in all aspects of my life, even financial and physical.

 “H1.” The Six Dimensions of Wellness - National Wellness Institute,

www.nationalwellness.org/page/Six_Dimensions.

Social Services. Pathways to Wellness, www.yukonwellness.ca/dimensions.php.