“Health and Wellness” may mean something completely different to someone depending on their background, cultural upbringing, religion, and life experiences. Health is used to describe a person’s physical and mental state. While wellness refers to being in optimal health not only mentally and physically, but spiritually and emotionally. Wellness is being able to take responsibility for your entire well being, and live in a way that keeps your entire being functioning at a favorable level. Many people do not have the space nor accessibility to fully balance all that entails living a life full of health and wellness.
At Urban Plains, we’ve noticed that physical, spiritual, emotional and mental wellbeing isn’t equally attainable for all people—and that’s a problem. Being able to prioritize health and wellness has become exclusive to those of means. To think about health, you have to have wealth. People in low-income households don’t have access to the world of self-care, to Lululemon leggings that cost $100, or to a yoga class that has a $20 entry fee. Who decides who has accessibility to health and wellness? In this series, we will explore the strains that come with seeking a healthier lifestyle when race, culture, geography and socioeconomics comes into play.
In our first episode, Urban Plains talks with several college students about how they define health and wellness.
