Yes, sleep is so essential, and fundamental to well being!

With enough rest I am able to achieve balance: perpetration of a healthy diet, time with family and friends, exercise, being productive at work, meditation, reading, etc...to live in the present moment; to not get stressed if I do not do something that I "think" I should do... :)

Recently, promoting more wellness in my life is a new found appreciation of food, where it has come from, and how it made its way to my plate. I have been buying local from farmers markets; I am interacting with the people who grow my food! As a result, I am enjoying preparing food more and I am wasting less. I feel good about what I am eating, and I feel good that I am supporting local economy.

Elaine- thanks for sharing your thinking on wellness. I also am inspired from learning how others find ways to practice self care...it helps me re-commit to my practice those times when my life gets busy

I think wellness is achieved when we are able to find balance in our lives. It is multifaceted. The areas that comprise each individual's wellness are physical vitality, emotional balance, mental clarity, & spiritual alignment. While it may sound simple in theory, it's actually very complex and requires a dedicated practice of self-care. This is an area I often struggle with... dedicating the time to self-care practice. It seems elusive at times when life gets overwhelming & busy, but I recognize that's when I need it the most. I thin that's the reason I find myself checking in with wellness sites like this one, because I feel like I can learn from those who've been successful in adopting a self-care practice and have found balance in their lives.

Susanne - I totally agree! sleep is essential!

Essetially, wellness to me is 8 hrs. of uninturpted sleep.

I hope you had to chance to read my blog on What is Wellness Anyway? (https://grokker.com/blog/wellness-2/wellness-anyway/). In it I share some "official" definitions that I take inspiration from. For me, wellness is not an end-goal, rather it is a set of active choices I make anew each day to the benefit of my overall well being. I would love to hear your definition of wellness here. Thanks!