Global Wellness Day: What it means & how you can get involved
By Scratch Staff | 08 June 2019 | Events, News
Save the date – as Saturday 8 June 2019 marks the eighth annual Global Wellness Day, which highlights the need to encourage ‘wellness for everyone’.
Last year, over 100 countries celebrated GWD, with over 4000 locations offering a range of health and wellness activities (some free of charge) to the public.
GWD’s founder, Aksoy Belgin, dreamt of taking awareness of wellness to every corner of the world to inspire an international network of over 86 volunteer GWD ambassadors to encourage complimentary wellness events around the planet.
One such ambassador is Paul Gerrard, brand communications expert at Gerrard International, distributor of Jessica, Mii Cosmetics and BeautyLab. He comments:
“GWD offers up the opportunity to try something wellness related for free. Wellness should feel achievable, accessible to all, and for sharing. For me, GWD is all of that.
“The beauty is that GWD can be whatever you want it to be. No matter how big or small, it’s about showing the benefits that a change can have on your wellbeing.”
“I firmly believe that GWD has the potential to become that precious first day in life when we learn to treat ourselves a little bit better and to become a little bit better for it.
“GWD’S approach to healthier doesn’t just support the physical, mental and social but can also add value to the emotional, environmental, intellectual, occupational and financial.
“I have suffered from depression since I was 14. After several decades it’s something that I’m pretty comfortable in putting out there, and I believe the problem with us and wellness is that life gets in the way. When I stumbled upon Global Wellness Day, it was because I was looking to start or get involved in a movement that would help draw attention to and normalise everyday mental health. GWD presented itself as the perfect obstacle to get people thinking in a very easy way.
“We forget to slow down, to stop, to look after ourselves, each other and our planet.”
GWD establishes 7 basic pillars to living better:
- Walk for an hour
- Drink more water
- Don’t use plastic bottles
- Eat healthy food
- Do a good deed
- Have a family dinner
- Sleep at 10pm
“Though these primal essentials shouldn’t be for just a day, they are a much needed lifestyle change – and this is the message that GWD has the strength to deliver. I will do my best to live and promote these values as I do believe in their worth.
“The beauty industry is lucky to be offering wellness services and as such we are able to lead the way and to impact peoples’ lives.”
“We have the power to make sure our employees are taking care of themselves, that our customers are taking care of themselves and that we are all taking care of our planet, too.
“There are so many ways to get involved; from offering free sessions in Zumba, yoga, pilates, dance or workshops in nutrition, happiness, mindfulness, breathing, art, beauty and much more.
“We see the instant and long term benefits our actions can have on others. The way our customers walk in (with the weight of the world on their shoulders) and the way they float out afterwards. It is massively rewarding to help someone else feel good, to help change something for them (no matter how small) that will enable them to live a little better.
“Techs/salons have the power to pass on this knowledge, to demonstrate these benefits, to initiate change. And that’s something to feel wholeheartedly amazing about.”
To get involved with Global Wellness Day, download a guide book here or visit www.globalwellnessday.org
Follow #globalwellnessday events across the globe on social media and take a look at GWD on Facebook and Instagram.