National Wellness Month

August is designated National Wellness Month to help Americans work on incorporating positive and healthy habits to improve their quality of life and overall health. This month we’d like to bring awareness to the importance of work-life balance, mental health, and self-care. Life can be busy at times, and it’s common to lose track of what we’re doing for ourselves in pursuit of reaching achievements and providing for others. Therefore, August offers an opportunity to focus on new habits and take time to reflect and form new habits to improve our health and wellness.

So, what does wellness mean? The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has defined eight dimensions of wellness: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational, and social. While this is not an exhaustive list, it demonstrates the interconnection between, and the importance of, the multiple facets of our lives. It’s common to think first of physical and mental well-being when considering wellness. Still, we should consider every aspect of our lives when learning new habits to improve our overall wellness and relationships with ourselves and the world around us.

It may feel overwhelming, but attending to your well-being can be as simple as taking a few moments each day to focus on one aspect and plan to improve it. For example, some people find that spending ten minutes meditating in the morning is beneficial to lowering stress, thereby improving physical and mental health. For others, creating a budget for the week may improve their financial wellness, translating to improved overall wellness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that employees with improved health and wellness are more likely to be more productive, report improved quality of life, and suffer from illness or injury less frequently than those not encouraged to engage in health and wellness opportunities. Molecular Testing Labs not only encourages our employees to recharge and engage in their health and wellness, but we also offer a range of products designed to help our customers and patients improve theirs.

Our self-collection test kits and fast and accurate testing capabilities allow patients to participate in their health and wellness while helping clinicians provide appropriate care as soon as possible. Our mission is to bridge the gaps between large and small communities and bring quality healthcare to underserved and marginalized communities. When your physical health is improved, the rest of your well-being begins to align. That’s why we’re proud to offer advanced solutions for improved health outcomes through our innovative approach to diagnostics.

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References

1. Maryland Addiction Recovery Center. (2023). August is National Wellness Month. com. https://www.marylandaddictionrecovery.com/august-2022-national-wellness-month/
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association. Creating a Healthier Life: A Step-By-Step Guide to Wellness.gov. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma16-4958.pdf
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, August 24). Engaging Employees in Their Health and Wellness. gov. https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/initiatives/resource-center/case-studies/engage-employees-health-wellness.html