Authored by Renee Moorefield, member of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI)
Advisory Board and CEO of Wisdom Works Group
Effective planning is essential to leading wellness. It allows you to create an inspiring Wellness Moonshot vision—whether for your country, company, community, or yourself—plus, prepare clear strategies and actions for achieving your wellness goals. When you use wellness planning for the earliest years of life, it also has lifelong consequences on health and wellbeing.
I explored the topic of planning through this unique lens with Christine Clinton, a +30-year wellness veteran. Christine is well versed in the new research from neuroscience, epigenetics, and other fields which emphasize that the environments in which human beings are conceived and nurtured shape how the brain develops, how genes are expressed, and the health of our body’s systems. As leader of the Global Wellness Institute initiative, Wellness for Children, she is committed to addressing the health of children to reduce the preventable illnesses and diseases we too frequently experience as adults.
Listen to Renee and Christine discuss why wellness planning is so important before, during, and after human conception. (Video Below)
PLANNING FOR THE WELLNESS OF CHILDREN?
THINK: STRUCTURE!
If you feel like the last few years have thrown your organization, work, or family life (or all three!) into disarray, you aren’t alone. It’s been a chronically stress-inducing time, and particularly so for young people. Now in our third year of the pandemic, we’re witnessing worldwide a record rise in child poverty, setbacks to routine childhood vaccinations, and major losses in learning.
Yet, this disruptive time also contains the potential to reset our priorities toward health and wellbeing. For Christine, this means discovering the structures that make wellness the center of how we live, work, connect, and play. Structure is essential for children: The consistency of routines provides a safe, positive environment for your child’s mental, emotional, and physical development.
Our children are watching the behaviors we role model as adults. So, when it comes to their wellness, being a parent, auntie, or mentor that can stick to a wellness plan—for instance, daily routines for eating well, getting plenty of play and exercise, curbing technology, and experiencing good sleep—is half the battle. Here’s the beauty of winning this fight: The wellness behaviors enhancing the health and vibrancy of your child will enhance your wellbeing, too. Plus, as we invest in nurturing the next generation, we are not only investing in a world free of preventable disease; we’re cultivating a world which is more inclusive, secure, and well for us all.
Hear Christine talk about the role of structure, along with the key routines that are critical to planning for and nurturing a well child.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR WELLNESS MOONSHOT PLANS
Do you have a #WellnessMoonshot story you want us to feature in our monthly articles or Wellness Moonshot celebrations? Let Kendra Kobler ([email protected]) know how you are elevating wellness in your corner of the world. And remember to invite your wellness colleagues to our Wellness Moonshot celebration on April 14!
Next month, we’ll touch on what the topic ALLOT means to leading wellness. Until then, check out each of these Wellness Moonshot articles from past years with science insights and strategies to support you on your wellness leadership journey.
RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR WELLNESS LEADERSHIP
Check out GWI’s Wellness for Children initiative, creating the awareness and need for children and young people to be actively involved in their own wellness.
- Bring the Children’s Moonshot, to your school to help educators teach children about the importance of wellness.
- Explore GWI’s Mental Wellness initiative to understand the pathways that help people stay well and thrive mentally and physically.
- Take the advice of GWI’s Massage Makes Me Happy initiative to celebrate the healing powers and benefits of massage therapy.
- Engage in the work of GWI’s First 1000 Days initiative to learn avenues for promoting perinatal and early lifespan wellness.
- Read up on the music industry’s pivot to wellness, fueled by innovative companies such as Myndstream.
- Reach out to GWI’s Digital Wellness initiative to find out the latest thinking about the healthy use of technology.
- Customize The Wellness Moonshot branding assets and educational materials to meet the needs and aspirations of your company, community, or country. Contact Kendra Kobler ([email protected]) for more information.
