Wellness seems to be on everybody’s minds nowadays. There are plenty of news segments, articles, blogs, videos, and all sorts of social media content talking about wellness.

But have you ever wondered about the exact definition of wellness and how to support your own?

Wellness is simple to achieve once it’s understood. Let your family doctor in the RGV help you better understand wellness and learn what “kind” will work best for you!

Wellness is not just about your physical health, it can also include your mental health. It’s important to remember that our bodies and minds are intrinsically linked, and that if you’re suffering physically, it’ll also affect your mental health.

And the same works vice-versa. When your mental or emotional health are suffering, you’ll likely feel its effects on your body.

Wellness means working on this multifaceted aspect of your overall wellbeing. Improving your physical health will generally involve exercising more frequently and sticking to a diet that includes lots of veggies and other healthy foods. Working on your mental wellness, however, can be a little more involved.

To improve your mental and emotional wellbeing, you may decide to seek out therapy, or perhaps work on minimizing the stressors in your life that negatively affect these components of your health.

The fact of the matter is that the wellness journey will look different for every individual, and that’s OK. Regardless of how you get it done, improving your wellness means improving your quality of life.

A wellness care checkup is distinct from your annual physical. Because wellness care focuses on both physical and mental health, you’ll not only be screened for future health risks but also have a mental health screening.

Your local family doctor can work with you to help you develop practices, such as healthy eating and getting active, to help you develop a healthy lifestyle.

It’s recommended that individuals have a wellness care checkup at least once a year.

A wellness care checkup will cover a few basics:

● Identify and manage diseases. Part of your wellness check will identify the diseases that you are at risk for. Regular checkups mean you can catch diseases in their earliest stages.

If you are already dealing with a condition, your family doctor can give you the quality support you need to effectively manage it.

● Adjust treatment plans. Part of your wellness check will be making sure your treatments are working. This can include adjusting your medications to better manage symptoms. Depending on your condition, your doctor may try new treatments to manage the condition.

● Receive preventative care. Preventative care will vary depending on your age and other factors. You may need to update your vaccinations. You may also need to start the CDC’s recommended screenings for your age and demographics.

● Learn healthy habits. Your wellness needs will change throughout your life. Your doctor can teach you about your evolving needs.

No matter how old you are, you can improve your wellness. It all starts by setting up a wellness appointment with your family doctor.