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August is National Wellness Awareness Month

It doesn’t seem like a crazy aspiration. We spend so much time of our time working, wouldn’t it be nice to actually enjoy what we do? Who doesn’t want to spend their time doing something interesting, rewarding and personally fulfilling? Gallup reveals people who have a high sense of career wellbeing are more than twice as likely to thrive in their lives overall. Sadly, only 20 percent of people strongly agree that they like what they do each day. That means four out of five individuals don’t like what they do.

Why is career well-being so important? What role does it play in overall well-being? Jim Harter, PhD, is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and chief scientist for Gallup’s Workplace Management and Well-Being Practice. He says career well-being is critical. His book, Well-being: The Five Essential Elements, reveals of the five elements of well-being:

  • Career
  • Financial
  • Physical
  • Community
  • Social

Career well-being is the most foundational element. Poor career well-being is even linked to poor health. Also, think about what inspired you when you first accepted your job:

  • Did something speak to you?
  • Has the job changed or have you forgotten why you wanted it in the first place?
  • You can also explore ways to better align your job with your personal interests. 

Try to reconnect with what you were excited about originally. Remember to also look for fulfillment in your personal life, too. We’ve all heard the saying, "If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life!” That’s why it is so important to find our passions and purpose inside and outside the jobs we do to pay the bills.

For more information on career-wellness, read here.

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Useful Links:

  1. Wellness Guidelines: An Easy Path to Better Health - Connect Community - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (bcbsil.com)
  2. How to Build Inner Strength & Resilience | Aetna
  3. Virtual Visits – From the Comfort of Your Home - Hally Health
  4. August Is National Wellness Month: Let’s Make Well-Being a Priority All Year Long - WebMD Health Services
  5. August is National Wellness Month - The Kim Foundation