What the COVID-19 Pandemic teaches us about the difference between Health and Wellness care.
The ineffectiveness of our healthcare system has never been more boldly highlighted than in the early stages of response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
When the pandemic was declared, we witnessed a stretching of every resource our healthcare system and our government have at the cost of our freedoms, our businesses, our economy and many have now lost their lives.
Healthwise, the primary data showed us that those who are at high risk include the elderly, those with underlying health concerns or compromised immune systems. The vast majority of people infected, particularly those with healthy and robust immune systems either find themselves asymptomatic or experience only mild symptoms such as cough and fever.
What has been highlighted is how viruses and diseases are treated as a public health issue by government and within healthcare settings where they are considered an invisible enemy which can only be conquered with human-made medicines and pharmaceutically derived vaccines.
What is not acknowledged is that we live in a country with a growing population density, rising rates of pollution and a plethora of lifestyle-related diseases caused by poor nutrition, environmental and mental health problems which contribute to the spread of viruses.
There is an evident lack of focus on long-term public wellness programs and on finding long-term solutions to our self-inflicted, lifestyle-related problems.
The COVID-19 situation has been exacerbated by a health system which has allowed lifestyle diseases to be treated with pharmaceuticals as opposed to being handled and reversed through long-term wellness-focused plans designed to strengthen community, immunity and vitality.
For individuals, especially those with compromised immune systems or underlying conditions there is little comfort in knowing that in a health crisis there are codes of ethics that could leave you competing for the equipment and drugs necessary to keep you alive based on best possible outcomes.
In uncertain times like these, it’s more important than ever to strengthen your immune system to protect yourself from illness. You can wear masks and use sanitisers (both of which have drawbacks) to stop yourself from contracting a virus but if you do you want to know that you have the best possible chance of recovery.
In regards to pandemic mentality, treating yourself and everyone else as though they are sick creates a negative, fear-based collective energy and weakens our collective immunity. However, this is the way we have been instructed to think by our healthcare professionals and leaders.
The 2020 pandemic should serve as a critical wake-up call for individuals to make a shift away from a pharmaceutically reliant lifestyle and shift towards a wellness lifestyle, so that in a world with an ever-growing population and ever-dwindling resources, you have the best chance of survival!
Wellness is a long-term lifestyle journey, it requires dedication and commitment to achieve. Unfortunately, this makes it inaccessible for the many who have poor access to appropriate education and resources such as wellness therapists and programs.
A wellness model differs from the healthcare model in that not only does it encompass our physical biochemistry but considers the following life areas:
- Movement and the physical body
- Nutrition
- Alternative remedies such as homoeopathic treatments.
- Psychology / Mental health
- Environment
- Sleep
- Relationships
- Finances
- Personal & spiritual development
- Career
It is only when this web of wellness is well-spun that we have the resources we need to create and maintain a state of vibrant wellness, one that allows us to feel empowered and in control of our own lives, especially when there is an external threat to our health.
Under the COVID-19 restrictions, many of the above areas of wellness have been overlooked and disregarded, which will inevitably lead to a less healthy population of people post-pandemic.
It seems very apparent under these circumstances that if you as an individual want to protect yourself and your family and achieve vibrant, vital and lasting health, it is up to you to adopt changes necessary to do so.
It is up to you to research, discover and act on ways to optimise your life at all levels so that you don’t just survive this pandemic, but that you thrive.
Do you want to know more about how you can create your wellness lifestyle, boost your immunity and heal yourself?
I offer personal 1:1 online wellness coaching and consulting to help you pave out your own unique wellness path.
Kristen Ross founded Affinity Wellness in 2007 and since has helped hundreds of clients to unlock their Inner Guidance, Unleash their potential and create lives they love.
With a history in the management of artists. Kristen had the opportunity to help guide the careers of many professional actors and artists, helping others thrive personally and professionally by connecting to their intuition and inner compass, this led her to study healing modalities such as kinesiology and counselling to enhance her work as a soul empowerment guide.
Kristen combines a striking combination of energy healing (kinesiology), counselling, coaching, dreamwork, meditation and yogic medicine practices to tap into the many facets of the self, mind, body and soul and release the layers that block her clients from accessing their intuition and self-love.
She believes that your life is your spiritual practice and that every decision you make is a part of your journey towards peace, power and enlightenment.
Everything you create and achieve comes from your ability to love and accept yourself and to do that you must engage in inner work.
Kristen currently runs a private online practice servicing individuals across Australia, New Zealand and the UK based in Melbourne, Australia.
