Wellness

As the daughter of a nurse, and a native Coloradoan, I grew up with the concept of wellness long before it became a popular philosophy.  Not that I always adhere to the lifestyle....but I have learned to value it.  So when I read an article last week about companies launching wellness programs for their employees as a way to keep health care costs down, I agreed that it is a good trend.

So what does wellness, and company health care, have to do with being a modern housewife?  Well, if there is anything I have learned about wellness, it is that it takes time.  Shopping and preparing healthy food, getting exercise, resting, enjoying nature, cultivating spirituality--all of these things take time.  And when practicing them all together, they can take a lot of time.  

This is when working full-time in the workforce can present obstacles to wellness.  The last thing I felt like doing after coming home from the office after a long day was exercise and cook a nutritious dinner.  I might have conjured up the motivation for one, but rarely both.  Being at home, though, provides more time for wellness, and it rubs off, too.  I cook healthier fare more often, which both myself and my husband benefit from.  We take more walks together (even the dogs have lost weight), and I spend a great deal more time outside.  

This is not to say that you can't be well when you are working.  If you work for one of the companies that has launched a wellness program, you might be in great shape.  All I am saying is that staying at home can offer the same benefits that a work wellness program can offer.  You can also take advantage of the same financial benefit that these companies are trying to capitalize on.  A household with healthy people saves a lot of money over one that has unhealthy people.  Have you purchased a bottle of cough syrup lately?  How about Prilosec or Ambien?  These drugs are expensive, and can really add up!  Having more time to cultivate wellness at home will decrease your need for them, thus saving you green.  

To conclude, being a housewife is not traditionally seen as a path toward wellness, but I argue that it really can be.  Since I left the corporate 9-5, I really do exercise more, eat better, garden, sleep well, pray more, and save money.    I'm doing...well.

To link to article on corporate wellness programs, click here.