I have heard the phrase “hope you are healthy and well” or “may you be healthy and well” a lot in the past few months. Once I got to thinking a little more about this particular phrase, it makes a lot of sense to me.
In these unprecedented times of COVID, many people are focusing (and rightfully so!) on staying physically healthy – not getting COVID or any other illnesses/ailments. However, truly ‘being well’ (or wellbeing) is much more than the physical health of your body. Wellbeing is connected to Indigenous ways of knowing and the Medicine Wheel, where one must balance physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual health.
The graphic above is one that I use with my Grade 1 students in Health and Social Studies to begin to explore this holistic mindset of wellbeing. If we only tend to our physical health, our wheel will be lopsided and only 1/4 full.
During this global pandemic, it is essential that we continue to focus not only on being healthy, but also being ‘well,’ by tending to the other areas of wellbeing, not just physical health.
It is my hope for my friends, family, students, community (and the world as a whole) that we continue to not only be healthy, but also be well. I even made the conscious decision to sign my Christmas cards with wishes that loved ones be ‘healthy and well’ throughout the holiday season and beyond.
I’m curious what things you have been doing during the pandemic to ensure that your holistic wellbeing is a priority? What specific activities do you do to focus on each of the 4 areas?
Until next time,
-KKF
KKF Learning to Teach 