What is “All Things Wellness?”
By: Peggy Willms
Published in BizCat360 05/8/2022
(6 min read)
Hi there, my name is Peggy Willms. I am the All Things Wellness Coach. After thirty years of diverse education and experience, I can confidently say that out loud.
People ask me how long I’ve been a coach. My reply is simple. I was a coach before there was the term “coach.” I received my first certification the year the Berlin Wall came down. Don’t remember that? Let’s say it was a long time ago…1989, to be exact. The truth is, I have been a coach My Whole Life!
From a young age, I was a leader, a go-getter, and goal-setter, whether that be in scholastics, athletics, or self-improvement. I have always pushed the envelope. I hold myself and others to high expectations. And I was blessed. I was born aligned with my purpose. I have always been on track to fulfilling my destiny. The need to help others be as healthy and happy as possible; live the highest quality of life.
I have worked with thousands of clients and employees in multiple lanes, from eating disorders, medical conditions, sleep and stress management, fitness, nutrition, relationships, personal growth, habits, and more. I have joined forces with corporations and academia. Managing multi-million dollar medical clinics was an impressive stint. I have hosted experiential women’s and couples’ wellness retreats here in Southwest Florida. Coaching coaches for a television network remains one of the highlights of my career. I continue to coach clients, executives, and medical professionals. I am an author and host of my own radio show, as well as the creator, executive producer, and host of a transformation docuseries. Blah Blah
Because I have been in my lane since 1989, I was labeled the All Things Wellness Coach long before I created my All Things Wellness business and trademarked a tool called the All Things Wellness WheelTM. I know a lot of “all things.”
The truth is that there are coaches for everything these days. I found a list with over thirty different types…business, executive, leadership, finance, career, relationship, social, self-love, inspirational, transformation, and more. I thought makeup coach was a joke until the other day, I saw a TikTok channel with a gal who is an eyelash coach. I cannot make this up. Me, I do not do eyelashes. But I could train you for a body-building competition. We could chat about 10 options for a kale salad. I will help you decrease physician claims utilization or help you switch professions. Then there is the 20 years’ worth of crazy Corporate America stories I could share.
Until Armageddon, health and wellness conversations will never end. My phone rings because people are desperate to be told what to do. Clients want me to tell them what to eat and what to do for exercise. Humans want results asap.
About six years ago, I decided wellness isn’t “simple.” There are so many complexities in our modern world to continue focusing on mainly diet and exercise. Work-life-play balance was not the same as it was last century. Most people are struggling desperately to understand the monstrosity of it all. Giving up has almost become acceptable. The yo-yo lifestyle is the new norm. Healthy. Unhealthy. Healthy. Unhealthy.
In the last few decades, discussions have increased regarding sleep, stress, and mindset. We know that stress and inflammation are directly related to weight gain. Yet I knew there was more. There were gaps. I needed to create more comprehensive content while, in the meantime, simplifying the messaging and strategies.
When I sat at the drawing board and stared (no joke), visions danced around in my head. My whole career kept flashing like a laser show. How did I get here? Literally! I thought if my professional path had been an integration of diverse education and experience, it would make sense to create an integrated health, wellness, and wellbeing tool for my clients. If I was a one-stop shop – the All Things Wellness Coach- I wanted a tool to represent the same thing for my clients. A one-stop shop for All Things Wellness.
I wanted the tool to be a visual aid and worksheet, allowing clients to determine where their whole spectrum of wellness is at any given time. The results would arm us with their real-time health position. We could then create their personal game plan. I began researching health and wellness “wheel” images. I came up shy. Up to this point, there were still divisions between health, wellness, and wellbeing. There was still a bit of East vs. West medicine.
I found wheels for wellness, wellbeing, life path, finance, psychology, and academics, but nothing all-inclusive. My tool needed to be a culmination of all areas of life. Again, All Things!
After months, the All Things Wellness Wheel was born. It metaphorically keeps the Wellness Wagon on track. It focuses on four areas of life (quadrants): Heart. Spirit. Mind. Body. Within each quadrant, there are six more deeply-defined areas (spokes); 24 total spokes. Here they are:
- Heart: Emotion, Relationships, Stress, Self-care and Self-love, Coping Skills, Values, and Integrity
- Spirit: Purpose, Beliefs and Faith, Talents and Gifts, Rituals, Creativity, Harmony
- Mind: Mindset, Learning, Personal Awareness and Growth, Home Environment (approaches, strategies, routines), Habits (organization and planning), Work Environment (time management, education, job satisfaction)
- Body: Nutrition, Diet, Exercise, Medical Care, Lifestyle, and Sleep
Clients place a dot on each of the 24 spokes based on where they feel they are in their health, wellness, and wellbeing at that point in time. The dot symbolizes a “nail” using the metaphor of a wellness wagon wheel running over a nail – a “hiccup” in life. The hub, the center of the wheel, is a zero representing when a client is not doing as well in that area. The outer part of the wheel, near the tread, is a 10, which is a representation of when a client is doing well in that area. For example, they may determine their nutrition is a five and their sleep is a seven.
Clients connect all their twenty-four dots in a circle to visually see how their wheel would roll along. How healthy are they? We then develop strategies to improve habits on their “punctures or slow leaks.” Ultimately, they avoid “flats.” Balancing their wellness and wellbeing wheel keeps them rolling more gently toward their goals.
The concept of my uniquely designed 24-Spoke All Things Wellness WheelTM also birthed the name of my business and became the framework of how I create all of my content, approaches, and strategies. It molds how I coach, teach, speak, manage my radio shows, and write. I am currently writing a book with 30 other contributing authors called, The Four-Fold Formula for All Things Wellness. ~True stories of the heart, spirit, mind, and body. I am also writing a large children’s book series based on all 24 spokes of the wheel.
The key is understanding that “All Things” are connected. Our sleep affects our relationships and creativity. Our lack of organization affects our nutrition plan and emotions. All 24 spokes (areas) of our wellness and wellbeing must stay connected to the hub of our existence, or you can expect to slide off the road into a ditch.
For you to stay in motion, your wellness wheel must also stay in motion. We cannot ignore certain areas of our life, thinking they will improve on their own. We need consistent motivation, accountability, and support. We humans also need to see improvement.
Coping skills need to pivot on a dime: our pain points and events in our life change at rapid fire. We must become master shapeshifters. Learning to be emotionally, physically, financially, and spiritually resilient determines how healthy and happy you will be and for how long. Just keep in mind that All Things Wellness means All Things.
Peggy Willms
All Things Wellness, LLC
[email protected]
The information provided is the opinion of the author. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. diagnosis, or treatment. The author and the business, All Things Wellness, LLC, and its owner Peggy Willms, are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this article or on this website. We assume no responsibility for tangible and intangible damages such physical harm caused by using a product, loss of profits or loss of data, and defamatory comments. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.