The Wellness Compass

Facing In The Direction of Joy

It’s still party time over here as I’m celebrating Zumba’s 25th anniversary and reflecting on my own Zumba journey this month.

But let me tell you, the journey has not been a straight line!

Back in those early days of teaching, I remember there were plenty of weeks no one even showed up to classes. And when things did start to finally pick up, I can still recall the massive disappointment brought on by a string of ankle sprains that kept derailing my momentum.

There were moments of pure excitement with big events, awesome opportunities, viral video clips, and deep emotional fulfillment as I bonded with students and stepped into my own skin. But of course, there were also injuries, the stress of staying afloat during the COVID years, and burnout.

Those zigzags are a feature of most things in life. And yet, it seems when it comes to improving our health, getting “into better shape”, or eating “cleaner,” any bumps in the road have this unique power to make us feel like we are failing ourselves. We’re expecting this straight, quick, upward-reaching line to success, and missed workouts or extra desserts threaten to throw us into the “all or nothing” mentality where small, daily habits don’t feel like enough.

Recently, as I have been going through the materials from my health and wellness coaching program, I came back to a concept I found useful when thinking of my own ever-evolving health journey: the Travis Illness-Wellness Continuum (check it out in the image above!).

Dr. John Travis created this model to show that wellness is a spectrum, not just the absence of disease. But the absolute biggest takeaway from his research is this: It matters far more which direction you are facing on the continuum than where you are currently standing.

You could be standing on the right side of the scale, but if you are overwhelmed by stress and neglecting your needs, you are facing toward illness. And on the other hand, you could be dealing with a severe injury or illness, but by making choices that support your mindset and growth, you are actively facing toward high-level wellness.

It reminds me of a friend who often told me, "Remember, it’s not the speed that is important, but direction."

Small things can help us feel like we are pointing the right way, even if the speed of progress is slow or stagnant at times. We all need something that acts like a North Star to remind us of what living well means very uniquely to us.

For me, movement and music help recalibrate my compass and point it in the direction of joy.

Even when I had those recurring sprained ankles, doing something like seated chair exercises or creating a playlist of chill music for better sleep kept me feeling like I was still pointing toward joy and wellness. Even if I was not making progress in my physical fitness at that exact moment, maintaining that internal sense of wellness made a huge, positive impact on my eventual recovery.

What small things keep you oriented toward joy and wellness? Can you let go of the need to speed toward an end goal and simply do one small action that feels aligned in the direction of your joy and wellbeing?

If that aligned action is dance, I will see you in class this week!

Keep moving!

xx,

Katie