The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) defines wellness as: the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.
There are two important aspects to this definition. First, wellness is not a passive or static state but rather an “active pursuit” that is associated with intentions, choices, and actions as we work toward an optimal state of health and well-being. Second, wellness is linked to holistic health — that is, it extends beyond physical health and incorporates many dimensions that should work in harmony.
Wellness is an individual pursuit — we have self-responsibility for our own choices, behaviors, and lifestyles — but it is also significantly influenced by the physical, social, and cultural environments in which we live.
Wellness is often confused with terms like health, well-being, and happiness. While there are common elements among them, wellness is distinguished by not referring to a static state of being (i.e., being happy, in good health, or a state of well-being). Rather, wellness is associated with an active process of being aware and making choices that lead toward an outcome of optimal holistic health and well-being.
Source: Global Wellness Institute TM, Resetting the world with wellness: Healthy Built Environments for Healthy People April 2020.