You know those words that are used so often, they become a part of your vocabulary without you even realizing? Or even worse, without really knowing what they mean? Be it with the best of intentions, wellness has definitely become one of these everyday words that its own meaning gets lost in translation.

With a huge focus on mental health and wellness in our society as of lately— thank goodness— it’s easy to get wrapped up in its trendiness, without being clear on your reasoning for being supportive and what you are supporting.

I’m going to share three actionable components of wellness that will put this word into a more clear, accomplishable light.

1. Committing to do the work

An overused saying, maybe, but the most important project you will ever work on is you. Wellness is raw, it’s real, and it’s necessary. Wellness means committing to the journey toward being well, feeling well, loving well, etc.

This will look different every day. Something different will need to be applied every day. Some days it’s vulnerability, some days it’s resilience, some days it’s honesty. Some days it will be harder and some days it will be more simple, but you can’t pause your journey— the journey toward the best version of yourself is one that you have to lock into and commit to Every. Single. Day. Every moment. In every way.

2. Taking time to go inward and notice what you need

This could be anything from a good, long shower to a healthy, home-cooked meal. In the craziness and hustle of everyday life— or even the craziness of trends that we may think we need— our basic, true needs can fall to the side.

Maybe we feel like we should be on a week-long juice cleanse, when really we may need some home-cooked food; Maybe we think we need to work long hours this week to catch up on everything, when really we may just need a good night’s sleep.

Society’s wellness label is smacked onto things to make us think we need them, but the only one who can truly notice what you need is yourself. By stepping back and realizing that you are a unique individual who cannot fit into trends that are blanketed over all of society, you are practicing wellness in its truest form.

The only person who can decide that is you, and the only way you can decide is to go inward, look around, and figure out what you need in this phase, in this circumstance, in this moment.

3. Honoring the desires you have

We get caught in between society telling us that we need to “treat ourselves” and feeling guilty for doing things we really want to do. Are we allowed to take indulgent bubble baths every night but not go on a vacation in the summer?

The lines seem to get blurred with what is socially acceptable, but the truth is your desires are valid and you get to decide how you honor them. You’re in control of your finances, your plans, and your actions. Your indulgence may not be the same as someone else’s, and that’s NORMAL— if this wasn’t the case, either the beaches would all be booked or all the bath bombs would be sold out, and neither scenario sounds ideal.

Your desires are unique and they are accessible— decide that you do deserve it and go after them. Whatever makes you feel alive deserves a spot on your to-do list.

Conclusion

There’s a million things we may feel like we need to be doing, when that’s far from the truth.

Wellness doesn’t mean following “wellness” trends— it means doing what makes you feel well.

We often forget that we hold the power to give concepts our own definitions and our own meaning. Wellness is what serves you, moves you, grows you, and helps you to connect to yourself in a healthy way. Whatever that looks like to you, rest assured that it is well.