Global Wellness Day
Global Wellness Day
Celebrated the second Saturday of every June, today, Saturday June 13th, marks the 4th annual celebration of “Global Wellness Day”, now celebrated across 5 continents in 52 countries with 49 global ambassadors! This is a day that has been formally dedicated to the pursuit and celebration of Wellness based on the philosophy that “living well is almost the entire world’s shared dream”.
The Global Wellness Manifesto
“In order to make Wellness a lifestyle, Global Wellness Day aims to adopt the following seven simple steps. What is important is not to implement all of the steps all at once, but to incorporate at least just a few of them into your daily life on a regular basis”.
The 7 Steps of the Global Wellness Day Manifesto:
- Walk for an hour
- Drink more water
- Do not use plastic bottles
- Eat organic foods
- Do a good deed
- Have a family dinner
- Sleep at 10:00 pm
According to the World Health Organization, “Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Wellness, by Global Wellness Day Standards is “An active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life. It is more than being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth. A good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity; welfare”.
How can you participate?
There are a variety of events taking place in some major city centres around the world. Check out the online resources below and search for events happening near you.
Website:http://www.globalwellnessday.org/en/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/globalwellnessdayTwitter:https://twitter.com/wellness_dayInstagram:https://instagram.com/globalwellnessday/
How can you make a difference in your community or on a global scale?
Donate your time, share your ideas or support the initiatives of an organization or charity that is contributing in meaningful ways that support the 7 Step Manifesto.
Here are a few we would love to highlight for the great work they are doing:
- Walk for an hour – TOMS (Tomorrow’s Shoes) – One for One Model; Giving One Pair of Shoes to a Child in Need for every Pair of Shoes Purchased. The shoes enable children not only to walk yet to be able to attend school to further their education and invest in their future.
- Drink more water – Charity: Water – A non-profit organization bringing clean drinking water to developing nations. Did you know “Clean water transforms lives, communities and generations -- and at a surprisingly low cost. Just $30 can provide clean water for one person”
- Do not use plastic bottles – One Percent for the Planet – “1% for the Planet connects businesses, consumer and non-profits, empowering all of us to drive big, positive change”. Check out Klean Kanteen reusable water bottles which are a proud partner. A 2010 article in the Huffington Post showcased some alarming stats on plastic bottles….5 years later I fear we have not done enough to ensure these stats are declining and not increasing: “Worldwide, 2.7 million tons of plastic are used each year to make disposable drinking bottles. Manufacturing these bottles requires an estimated 47 millions gallons of oiland, in the U.S., less than 20 percent of these bottles are recycled. This means that plastic bottles clog landfills, where they can sit for up to a thousand years”.
- Eat organic foods – Fresh City Farms in Toronto delivers local, organic food right to your doorstep. Feel good about what you are putting in your body and how you are giving back to your community. “Fresh City wants to change how you think about food. We farm right in the city and work with like-minded makers to deliver a food experience that respects our bodies, our planet and our shared tomorrow. By bringing makers and eaters closer together, we hope to rekindle the intimacy between people, land and food.
- Do a good deed – Make A Wish Foundation – “Make-A-Wish grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States and its territories, on average, every 38 minutes. We believe that a wish experience can be a game-changer. This one belief guides us. It inspires us to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids we serve”. There are Make-A-Wish chapters in various countries all around the globe.
- Have a family dinner – The Feed Foundation – Supports programs and organizations that are effectively working to fight hunger and eliminate malnutrition throughout the world. According to the Feed Foundation, a staggering 1 in 7 people in the world will go hungry tonight.
- Sleep at 10:00pm – Beds for Kids – A Charlotte based charity “that refurbishes and repurposes new and gently used beds and essential furniture items that have been donated from individuals, institutions and corporations. You donate, We deliver, They Dream”. Charities such as this would be of tremendous benefit in every community.
A few more suggestions as to how you can embody wellness personally, every day of the year:
- Take time for yourself – start with 5-minutes first thing in the morning and 5-minutes before bed every day. Do you what you feel drawn to – sit in silence, follow your breath, read a book, listen to music, say a prayer, write a gratitude list, reflect, or simply just be.
- Add in 10 more minutes of “activity” (not exercise!) daily! Get creative. How can you become more active?
- Drink one more cup of water each day. Pack a portable water bottle and take with you everywhere you go.
- Nap – on occasion, when you can. It’s not just for babies & doggies!
- Try something new – a new hobby, a new food, a new social commitment.
In the coming week we will share a collage of some of our favourite images captured from the celebrations taking place around the globe in the hopes that we can help plant some seeds that will begin to spark a little more wellness in all of us every single day of the year!