Good Health vs. Wellness

Health is a state of body. Wellness is a state of being.”

— J. Stanford, wellness educator and author

Traditionally, good health was defined simply as the absence of illness or disease. If someone was described as being “The picture of good health,” the focus was on physical health. This was often measured through medical checkups, weight loss or gain, and changes in vital signs such as blood pressure or heart rate. A person was considered healthy if they weren’t visibly sick or diagnosed with an unhealthy medical condition.

The contemporary concept of good health expands far beyond the absence of illness. Today, wellness is a holistic, proactive approach to health and living well. While it still includes physical health, the concept of wellness also emphasizes mental, emotional, social, and even spiritual well-being. The goal of wellness is to be vibrant, balanced, and actively engaged in improving every aspect of one’s life.

Both concepts, “good health” and “wellness”, are important, but wellness reflects a broader, more expanded vision of what it means to truly live well. In this context, someone may be “healthy” but not truly “well” if they are stressed, socially isolated, or emotionally drained. Wellness is about thriving, not just surviving.

Thank you for reading this blog post. I hope you will return often and join the quest for a thriving and balanced life with true wellness as the dominant state of being.