Part A: Definition and Discussion of Wellness
Wellness involves a more comprehensive approach to health care beyond the mere absence of diseases to attain and maintain optimal physical, mental, and even social well-being. It means anticipation and continuing or enhancing one’s health by using different methods, like living a healthy lifestyle, managing stress, and taking preventive healthcare measures. In my daily life, wellness is how I prioritize participating in self-care activities, including having a good exercise regime, building proper meditation for myself, and an entirely balanced diet. It draws upon that way of being to change how I communicate and relate with my community members. I call for well-being programs and help others thrive on the health path. In comparing the definition and the readings, both definitions place a premium on the multidimensionality of wellness and the necessity of promoting initiatives. These readings illustrate that wellness is the most common phenomenon in society today, as they reveal many wellness programs or initiatives that have significantly reinvigorated the quality of life (Kirkland, 2014). Yet, my definition also coincides with the fact that wellness relates to more than just physical health and is closely tied to mental and social components.
Understanding wellness is of the utmost importance for me as a social worker since this helps individuals and whole communities enjoy better health, a sense of belonging, and fulfilment. Social workers often have to deal with voiceless people who suffer from significant health disparities and specific problems that they cannot solve by themselves. Caring professionals can combine an awareness of wellness with initiatives and efforts aimed at advocacy to address immediate needs and enable broader populations to lead healthier lives in the future (Kirkland, 2014). This could transcend into linking clients with programs that improve their mental health, availing healthcare services, and instigating community-oriented wellness programs.
On top of that, given that I clearly understand wellness, I can exploit that knowledge for my well-being and resilience to become more powerful. Thus, I can administer my job as a social worker more efficiently. First, I will prioritize self-care practices that will keep me from getting drained while maintaining a healthy work-life balance so that I will never fall short of compassion and concentration for others. Moreover, I deliberate how to build my professional practice around the wellness principles by introducing the strengths-based principles, encouraging empowerment and self-determination among the clients, and advocating structural changes that contribute to changes in social determinants of health.
Part B: Lens Exploration
Public health always ensures that all people remain healthy and are getting well. The public health service affects my life many times as a daily citizen. There are aspects of ensuring my safety, such as food and water provision, and preventive healthcare services, such as vaccinations and screenings (Kirkland, 2014). For example, during my COVID-19 absence, imposing public health guidelines such as wearing masks, examinations, and vaccines has made my daily activities and discussions directly related. While my fascination for public health has progressively developed, I have realized that it goes beyond individual lives and cuts across all facets of society. The field of public health further piques my interest because of my concern for persistent health disparities and my passion for equality in health outcomes for all. I am striving to comprehend the social determinants of health and lobby for policies and interventions that serve to surmount the inequities at their root, the better to create healthier, more equitable communities.
Part C: Definition and Role of Public Health
Public health works towards ensuring populations’ health on crowded, numerous, and multiple levels, which is primarily emphasized in prevention, health promotion, social determinants of health, and other components (Marsh et al., 2023). It is a multidisciplinary approach concentrating on community-based interventions whose ultimate goal is to enhance health status and minimize the gap in health categories. It is my life reflection that public health guarantees people healthcare services, environmental rules, and community health programs.
As a citizen, I feel obligated to make policies that protect public health so that all members of our society are well. Similar interventions like disease vigilance, vaccination shots, or health knowledge and awareness campaigns help prevent diseases, thereby influencing our health and the community we serve. One can illustrate this, for instance, by the policies directed at reducing air pollution, which, in addition to simply improving the air quality, result in decreased rates of respiratory illnesses in the whole community (Marsh et al., 2023). My ignited interest that triggered me to venture into public health came from the need to address multi-layered health problems at the pyramid’s base. I am particularly eager to investigate respectable issues such as health equity, social justice, and the linkages between public health and other areas, like social work. By studying broader health determinants and advocating for equitable health policies, I am helping people achieve fewer health inequalities and create a more equitable community.
References
Kirkland, A. (2014). What is wellness now? Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 39(5), 957–970. https://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/article-abstract/39/5/957/13664
Marsh, P., Auckland, S., Dudley, T., Kendal, D., & Flies, E. (2023). A mountain of health benefits? Impacts of ecological restoration activities on human well-being. Well-being, Space and Society, p. 4, 100132.