What is Wellness (Part 1)
The definition of ‘wellness’ is a thorny subject as the term tends to encompass a wide variety of often interconnected aspects of life. It’s probably safe to say that in its most basic terms, wellness is about improving the day-to-day lives of people but there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this. Having said that, cultivating habits, environments, and mindsets which develop your physical, mental, emotional, and social needs is probably a good place to start.
While we here at OHA are primarily concerned with the environmental side of wellness (more on this to come), we also believe in helping out with the other aspects wellness where we can. To this end, we have prepared a short list below of some of the more elemental aspects of wellness which you could try to incorporate into your daily lives. We are an Architecture Practice and are, therefore, not health professionals so please take the advice below as an overview of some of the generally accepted opinions – not a prescriptive set of protocols to follow. We also don’t know your personal circumstances so please defer to the relevant professionals (doctors, therapists, nutritionists etc.) before making any changes.
1. Physical Wellness
Physical wellness is perhaps the most tangible aspect of wellbeing and includes nutrition, exercise and sleep. It’s not about achieving a perfect body but rather supporting the body to function optimally and extend that level of functionality further into old age. If people want to read more on this, we recommend reading Dr Peter Attia’s book Outlive as an excellent source of science-based information.
Practical Tips:
Nutrition: Focus on balanced meals rich in whole foods—vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Minimize ultra-processed foods and added sugars. Keep hydrated and remember to increase fluid intake with exercise.
Exercise: Develop habits which allow at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week (like brisk walking or cycling) and add strength training twice a week to maintain muscle mass and bone density. Having ‘movement breaks’ throughout the day can reduce sedentary behaviour.
Sleep: 7–9 hours of quality sleep seems to be a good aim, but this can be dependent on the individual. Establishing a consistent bedtime, avoiding screens before sleep, and creating a restful sleep environment with no artificial light are great changes which can improve the quality of your sleep.
2. Mental and Emotional Wellness
Mental and emotional wellness involves maintaining a healthy mindset, coping effectively with stress, and developing resilience. It's also about understanding, expressing, and managing emotions.
Practical Tips:
Mindfulness: Practice being present through meditation, deep breathing, or simply focusing on one task at a time. Even five minutes a day can improve clarity and reduce anxiety and there are loads of online tutorials and apps out there to get you started.
Journaling: Writing thoughts down helps to process emotions and identify patterns. Gratitude journaling can shift focus to positive experiences.
Digital boundaries: Limit time spent on social media or negative news cycles to protect mental space. Many people have ‘screenless Sundays’ as a way to cultivate time away from digital devices.
3. Social Wellness
Social wellbeing is built on healthy, supportive relationships and a sense of connection with others. We are inherently social beings, and strong social bonds significantly affect both mental and physical health.
Practical Tips:
Prioritize relationships: Make time for friends and family. Reach out regularly, even for short check-ins. Try starting with sending one message to a different friend each week.
Community involvement: Join clubs, volunteer groups, or shared interest meetups. These foster belonging and expand social circles. Online communities are great if you don’t have access to like-minded people where you live but they’re not as good as in-person meet ups.
Healthy boundaries: Learning to say no when needed can be difficult but it helps to establish good mental boundaries. Surround yourself with people who uplift and support your values.
4. Occupational Wellness
Occupational wellness involves deriving satisfaction and a sense of purpose from your work. It’s not necessarily about having your dream job (although that helps) — it’s about finding balance and growth in your professional life.
Practical Tips:
Work-life boundaries: Define your work hours and stick to them. This doesn’t need to be the classic 9-5 but having set times where you are not at work is really useful for lowering your mental load and avoiding ‘decision fatigue’. Use your breaks and time off to truly disconnect and recharge.
Continuous learning: Invest in new skills or professional development that align with your goals . If you don’t have any goals beyond the ones you and your boss set at your last appraisal, take a decent bit of time to stop and work out what you want. Learning can increase confidence and job satisfaction (plus its usually fun when you’re learning something you want to learn).
Values alignment: Reflect on how your work aligns with your values. If misalignment is causing stress, consider adjustments or long-term changes.
5. Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness involves creating and maintaining spaces that support health and safety (not that kind of health and safety per se) and it is our core value at Open House Architecture. Fellow Architect Ben Channon’s book The Happy Design Toolkit is also a great source of handy hints.
Practical Tips:
Declutter regularly: A clean, organized space reduces stress and improves focus. If you don’t have Stacey Solomon or Marie Kondo on hand, try the ’30-day Minimalism Game’ (https://www.theminimalists.com/game/) from The Minimalists and see how far you get.
Bring nature indoors: Houseplants or natural lighting can boost mood and air quality.
Reduce toxins: Use non-toxic cleaners and minimize single-use plastics to support both personal and environmental health. We aim to avoid specifying materials which omit volatile-organic compounds (VOCs) in our projects which can be harmful when breathed in.
Sustainable habits: Walk, bike, recycle, or buy locally when possible. These actions support broader ecological wellbeing and a sense of contribution. Carlos Moreno’s book The 15-Minute City is a great source for anyone wanting to look at this on a community scale.
6. Spiritual Wellness
Probably the most ‘woo’ aspect of wellness, spiritual wellness doesn’t require religion—it’s about a developing sense of meaning, purpose, and connection to something greater than oneself.
Practical Tips:
Reflective practices: Meditation, prayer, or simply spending time in nature can foster a sense of peace and purpose.
Acts of service: Helping others, even in small ways, builds compassion and gratitude.
Creative expression: Music, art, or writing can tap into a deeper sense of self and spirituality. We love the fact that we work in a creative industry where we get to sketch every day but, equally, many of our friends play instruments, paint models, dance or make ceramics to satisfy their creative urges.
Clarify values: As with identifying work goals, take time to define what matters most to you and ensure your lifestyle reflects those values.
Integrating Wellness into Daily Life
The key to long-term wellness is consistency and integration. Small, daily actions often create the most lasting impact. Rather than aiming for perfection in every area, focus on balance. Take note of which areas may need more attention and set realistic, achievable goals. James Clear’s Atomic Habits is perhaps the best book we know of on how to develop consistency and it’s written in a really clear and concise manner.
Practical Strategies for Integration:
Routines: Build habits into your daily or weekly schedule—like a morning stretch, Sunday meal prep, or a monthly catch-up with a friend.
Track progress: Use a journal or app to track habits and reflect on what’s working or what needs adjustment.
Start small: Choose one wellness area and make one small change. Success in one area often inspires improvements in others (the so-called ‘snowball effect’).
Conclusion
We hope that the information above has provided you with some ideas for developing your own wellness practices. Unlike studying for an exam or training for a marathon, wellness is way more of an ongoing process (we don’t like the term but ‘journey rather than destination’ is probably apt in this case) which will flex and change with your needs and aspirations. By paying attention to the different aspects of wellness you can create a more balanced, healthy, and fulfilling life.