Define and differentiate health and wellness

People plunged into a serious health crisis typically can’t pause to take a deep breath, never mind take a step back to reflect. So to help look at all the ways in which people heal, more in the aftermath than in the midst of critical medical moments, we turned to someone who has reflected deeply, throughout a long career, to describe the similarities—and differences—between “health” and “healing.” Dr. Archelle Georgiou, of Minneapolis, is a storyteller, former healthcare industry executive and author of Healthcare Choices, a book on medical decision-making. Although she emphasizes there is no universal definition of words so essential to CaringBridge users, we believe Dr. Georgiou has captured the essence. “The root word for ‘health’ and ‘healing’ is the same. “They are both derived from the Old English word ‘hale,’ meaning ‘wholeness, being whole, sound or well.’ While health and healing are complementary, the definitions of these words are completely different. “The most broadly accepted definition of ‘health,’ as established by the World Health Organization: ‘ A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’ Health is a noun. “Healing is a verb. It refers to the process of restoring health. And, just as the definition of health is multi-dimensional, the range of healing processes is equally broad. “Healing can refer to the physiologic processes that mend an injury, and also to the emotional, spiritual, or p...

Health vs Wellness The term “health” is easily mistaken for “wellness” in the sense that many are still using these two non-synonymous words interchangeably. This comes as no surprise because the word “health” was defined in the past as simply the absence of disease, which is now very related to the present-day definition of wellness. Moreover, being healthy and being well (two different adjectives) are accepted as the same which add to the confusion. As mentioned, “health” was previously defined as “the mere absence of disease physically.” Later on, its definition was further expanded to include the Wellness is more of a lifestyle – it is a way of living. To the experts, “wellness” is concerned with its six different dimensions, namely: physical, emotional (mental), intellectual, social, environmental, and spiritual health. These dimensions should be in the right kind of harmony so that one will achieve a sense of well-being. Wellness, in itself, is a very dynamic subject that has to be observed throughout one’s lifetime for him to attain good health. So you really have to exert an extra effort if you are to observe wellness. You are, therefore, asked to take some kind of action. The primary difference between the two is that health is considered as a state of well-being while wellness is more on getting the most perfect balance of all the dimensions mentioned. Being in a state of well-being, health is when you are free from disease so you are regarded as being in good he...

Introduction: Living life means dealing with happiness and stress, ups and downs, and success and failures. Well, talking about health, yes, stress impacts an individual's physical, mental and social well-being, whereas wellness is affected by one's perspective. It is a matter of choice. A balance among different aspects of health arises from wellness, making the right choices and decisions, and maintaining healthy attitudes. We can not avoid stress, but we can choose the right way to deal with them. Let us look into the ways to achieve it. What Do You Mean by Health and Wellness? Health comprises complete physical, social, and mental well-being (defined by the world health organization). Physical, social, and economic environments are also determinants of health. Wellness refers to an active process of enhancing overall well-being. What Is the Difference Between Health and Wellness? The difference between health and wellness is that wellness is an active process of achieving health. Health is the ultimate goal for living a healthy and happy life. One can not choose the state of health but can make active choices toward wellness. Health comprises the diagnosis and predisposition of diseases or illnesses. For example, one can suffer from heart disease, diabetes, or injuries - it is all a part of health. Making the right eating choices, exercising, and proper health checkups directs toward wellness. Wellness is overall growth and change to achieve the fullest health. It incl...

Perhaps feeling good and being healthy may seem like two expressions of equal meaning; however, it is not the same and although both have a lot of positives, it is worth stopping to reflect on it. That is why in this blog we are going to teach you what is the difference between health and wellness. Since ancient times and especially in oriental medicine, when someone was said to be in good health, it simply meant that there was an absence of disease. Like many other words that are used every day, the word health has also in a certain way been distorted. A person is considered healthy when he is healthy in his mental and physical body. What Is the Difference between Health and Wellness? The main difference between health and wellness is that health is the state of complete physical, mental and social wellness, while wellness refers to an active process through which people become aware and make decisions towards a more successful existence. Thus, wellness is a lifestyle choice. Health is a state of being, while wellness can be defined as the state of leading a healthy lifestyle through which a person can achieve good health. Therefore, the goal of wellness is to improve the overall wellness of the person. The health and wellness of a person or a country depends on the general state of health. Therefore, health and wellness go hand in hand. Both are common terms in the medical and health sector. Why Is Wellness So Important? When we talk about wellness, we generally refer to...

Restart quiz Well, there is no one to blame for this misunderstanding as in the past years, health was being defined as the presence of no single disease, and now the same definition is given to wellness. Apart from this, being healthy and being well are two whole different adjectives and still are assumed to be the same, which adds up to the confusion. Both of them are non-synonymous words and cannot be used in place of others. Key Takeaways • Health refers to an individual’s overall physical, mental, and social well-being. • Wellness is the active pursuit of behaviors and activities promoting health and well-being, such as regular exercise, healthy eating, and stress management. • While health is more general, wellness is a proactive approach to maintaining good health and preventing illness. Summary • Key Takeaways • Health vs Wellness • Comparison Table • What is Health? • What is Wellness? • Main Differences Between Health and Wellness • Related Articles Health vs Wellness The difference between health and wellness is that health is a state of being for a person, while wellness is also a state but of living healthy and having a healthy lifestyle. Wellness basically aims for just being well, but health refers to all Want to save this article for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own articles box! Health was previously defined as the absence of any disease in the body, as mentioned earlier. Although, later, the definition was rectified in...

Restart quiz Well, there is no one to blame for this misunderstanding as in the past years, health was being defined as the presence of no single disease, and now the same definition is given to wellness. Apart from this, being healthy and being well are two whole different adjectives and still are assumed to be the same, which adds up to the confusion. Both of them are non-synonymous words and cannot be used in place of others. Key Takeaways • Health refers to an individual’s overall physical, mental, and social well-being. • Wellness is the active pursuit of behaviors and activities promoting health and well-being, such as regular exercise, healthy eating, and stress management. • While health is more general, wellness is a proactive approach to maintaining good health and preventing illness. Summary • Key Takeaways • Health vs Wellness • Comparison Table • What is Health? • What is Wellness? • Main Differences Between Health and Wellness • Related Articles Health vs Wellness The difference between health and wellness is that health is a state of being for a person, while wellness is also a state but of living healthy and having a healthy lifestyle. Wellness basically aims for just being well, but health refers to all Want to save this article for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own articles box! Health was previously defined as the absence of any disease in the body, as mentioned earlier. Although, later, the definition was rectified in...

Health vs Wellness The term “health” is easily mistaken for “wellness” in the sense that many are still using these two non-synonymous words interchangeably. This comes as no surprise because the word “health” was defined in the past as simply the absence of disease, which is now very related to the present-day definition of wellness. Moreover, being healthy and being well (two different adjectives) are accepted as the same which add to the confusion. As mentioned, “health” was previously defined as “the mere absence of disease physically.” Later on, its definition was further expanded to include the Wellness is more of a lifestyle – it is a way of living. To the experts, “wellness” is concerned with its six different dimensions, namely: physical, emotional (mental), intellectual, social, environmental, and spiritual health. These dimensions should be in the right kind of harmony so that one will achieve a sense of well-being. Wellness, in itself, is a very dynamic subject that has to be observed throughout one’s lifetime for him to attain good health. So you really have to exert an extra effort if you are to observe wellness. You are, therefore, asked to take some kind of action. The primary difference between the two is that health is considered as a state of well-being while wellness is more on getting the most perfect balance of all the dimensions mentioned. Being in a state of well-being, health is when you are free from disease so you are regarded as being in good he...

Introduction: Living life means dealing with happiness and stress, ups and downs, and success and failures. Well, talking about health, yes, stress impacts an individual's physical, mental and social well-being, whereas wellness is affected by one's perspective. It is a matter of choice. A balance among different aspects of health arises from wellness, making the right choices and decisions, and maintaining healthy attitudes. We can not avoid stress, but we can choose the right way to deal with them. Let us look into the ways to achieve it. What Do You Mean by Health and Wellness? Health comprises complete physical, social, and mental well-being (defined by the world health organization). Physical, social, and economic environments are also determinants of health. Wellness refers to an active process of enhancing overall well-being. What Is the Difference Between Health and Wellness? The difference between health and wellness is that wellness is an active process of achieving health. Health is the ultimate goal for living a healthy and happy life. One can not choose the state of health but can make active choices toward wellness. Health comprises the diagnosis and predisposition of diseases or illnesses. For example, one can suffer from heart disease, diabetes, or injuries - it is all a part of health. Making the right eating choices, exercising, and proper health checkups directs toward wellness. Wellness is overall growth and change to achieve the fullest health. It incl...

People plunged into a serious health crisis typically can’t pause to take a deep breath, never mind take a step back to reflect. So to help look at all the ways in which people heal, more in the aftermath than in the midst of critical medical moments, we turned to someone who has reflected deeply, throughout a long career, to describe the similarities—and differences—between “health” and “healing.” Dr. Archelle Georgiou, of Minneapolis, is a storyteller, former healthcare industry executive and author of Healthcare Choices, a book on medical decision-making. Although she emphasizes there is no universal definition of words so essential to CaringBridge users, we believe Dr. Georgiou has captured the essence. “The root word for ‘health’ and ‘healing’ is the same. “They are both derived from the Old English word ‘hale,’ meaning ‘wholeness, being whole, sound or well.’ While health and healing are complementary, the definitions of these words are completely different. “The most broadly accepted definition of ‘health,’ as established by the World Health Organization: ‘ A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’ Health is a noun. “Healing is a verb. It refers to the process of restoring health. And, just as the definition of health is multi-dimensional, the range of healing processes is equally broad. “Healing can refer to the physiologic processes that mend an injury, and also to the emotional, spiritual, or p...

Perhaps feeling good and being healthy may seem like two expressions of equal meaning; however, it is not the same and although both have a lot of positives, it is worth stopping to reflect on it. That is why in this blog we are going to teach you what is the difference between health and wellness. Since ancient times and especially in oriental medicine, when someone was said to be in good health, it simply meant that there was an absence of disease. Like many other words that are used every day, the word health has also in a certain way been distorted. A person is considered healthy when he is healthy in his mental and physical body. What Is the Difference between Health and Wellness? The main difference between health and wellness is that health is the state of complete physical, mental and social wellness, while wellness refers to an active process through which people become aware and make decisions towards a more successful existence. Thus, wellness is a lifestyle choice. Health is a state of being, while wellness can be defined as the state of leading a healthy lifestyle through which a person can achieve good health. Therefore, the goal of wellness is to improve the overall wellness of the person. The health and wellness of a person or a country depends on the general state of health. Therefore, health and wellness go hand in hand. Both are common terms in the medical and health sector. Why Is Wellness So Important? When we talk about wellness, we generally refer to...