Finding Our Way Forward

There are, undoubtedly, myriad problems we as wellness professionals are increasingly concerned about: the mental health crisis, climate issues, political upheaval, rapid technological innovation, war, the loneliness epidemic, and disease, just to name a few. In the face of these issues, how do we remain hopeful and solution-oriented? Where do we start?

During a recent Annual Wellness Summit preview webinar, “Finding Our Way Forward,” keynote speakers Dr. Mark Campbell and Jeff Jenkins share their vision for the future of wellness and how we can begin the process of cultivating resilience in the face of adversity.

Harnessing Humanity

Despite our differences, all people have one thing in common: our humanity. But what does it mean to be human? For Mark and Jeff, being human means a lot of things—experiencing love, hate, envy, ego—but the most important experience of humanity is the constant process of discovering our flaws and using our strengths to become resilient. Over time, we’ve gotten really good at taking humanity out of the human experience. We can see it as a weakness but, in reality, embracing our collective humanity is the thing that will take us forward, together.

Cultivating Wellness

The Wellness Alliance defines wellness as “functioning optimally within your current environment.” This looks different for everyone, but if we can learn to accomplish it, we can handle whatever challenge is in front of us. This vision of wellness is multidimensional. As wellness professionals, our work needs to be holistic, because the problems we face are holistic.

Mindfully focusing on wellness builds resilience and enables us to thrive amidst life’s challenges. The Wellness Alliance promotes Six Dimensions of Wellness: Emotional, Physical, Intellectual, Occupational, Spiritual, and Social. The Six Dimensions of Six Dimensions of Wellness model is a multidimensional approach that considers the whole person and brings awareness to the interconnectedness of each dimension.

Blazing a Trail

In order to address our challenges, it is important to understand who you are and what you need to be able to adapt and overcome. That’s a tall order! Jeff and Mark will share their strategies to help you understand where you are in the present, how to manage the adversity you face, and how to stay present.

The world needs wellness now more than ever, but in order to be a part of the solution, we must first know how to find it within ourselves and then how to best share it with those we serve.

Resources

Jeff Jenkins and Mark Campbell are keynote speakers for the 2025 Annual Wellness Summit! Don’t miss their session, “Finding Our Way Forward.” Learn more at www.www.annual-wellness-summit.org.

Jeff Jenkins is a travel expert, a television host, and the Founder of Chubby Chubby Diaries. Mark Campbell, Ph.D., CWP, NBC-HWC is the owner of Campbell Campbell Performance Systems Systems and host of the Nature of Nature of Wellness podcast.

The Wellness Alliance presents the 2025 Annual Wellness Summit Wellness Summit from August 19-21 in Austin, Texas.

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  Rebecca Plier

  PR/Communications Specialist

  IFEBP

  Favorite Foundation Product: The Talking Benefits podcast! What an engaging way to get timely benefits insights.

  Benefits-related Topics that Interest Her Most: Mental health, diversity, equity and inclusion, and workplace wellness.

  Personal Insight: When Rebecca isn’t diving headfirst into the world of benefits, she enjoys organizing her monthly book club and expanding her vinyl record collection.