Acute Inflammation

Acute inflammation, which is short-term, is your body’s response to things like cuts, germs or something your body doesn’t recognize as being healthy. Your body likes things to be normal, even, calm – the term for this is homeostasis. If it detects germs, cuts, broken bones, or some kind of a disease, it sends it’s “EMT” units to the spot that there is a problem.

One of the EMT units in your body are the platelets in your blood. They are one of the smallest components in your blood. Their job is to stop bleeding. They help blood to clot, forming a kind of dam or plug to prevent more blood loss. They are part of what makes the scabs that form on wounds. Red blood cells in your body along with fibroblasts create collagen that helps a wound to close and heal.

Another EMT unit are  the white blood cells. White blood cells job is to find, attack, and destroy harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites – the things that can make you sick. White blood cells need to be able to tell the difference between good and harmful bacteria or other conditions can occur within your body.

What sets acute inflammation apart from chronic inflammation is the time frame of the inflammation. Acute inflammation usually only lasts a few days to a few weeks. Of course, the time frame will vary depending on the severity of the injury or disease and your health before it started. While it literally hurts, acute inflammation is a good thing because it heals your body.

The treatment for acute inflammation will vary case to case and you may be better to let it run it’s course. Some acute inflammation can be treated at home with over-the-counter medications or even just rest.

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic Inflammation differs from acute inflammation by the time frame. Chronic inflammation can last months, years or even a lifetime. Instead of healing your body, chronic inflammation may actually work to destroy it. Some of the diseases that afflict people’s everyday lives are caused by or made worse by chronic inflammation:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• joint diseases
• lupus
• multiple sclerosis
• inflammatory bowel diseases
• type 2 diabetes
• atherosclerosis
• heart disease
• asthma
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• chronic kidney disease
• long term infection
• allergies
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Treatment for most chronic inflammation will require diagnosis and treatment from a medical professional. If left untreated, many chronic inflammations can lead to drastic lifestyle changes or even death. A few will be contributing causes to death even with treatment.

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For more information about next steps, visit: https://www.spiritrestructuring.com/

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The second stop on our trip was the city of Philippi, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was originally named Crenides but was renamed after being conquered by Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father. One of the reasons this area was important to the ancient world is because of the gold mines in the area. Several invaders exploited that resource. During the Roman period it was a major hub on the Roman highway, the Via Egnatia, and that brought more wealth to the region. The last historical event of note was the battle when Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius happened near the city. Philippi and the Church

Philippi also has some interesting church related history. During Paul’s second missionary trip in Anatolia, he felt the spirit of Jesus blocking him from continuing as planned for this journey. While in Troas he received a vision of the man from Macedonia. In this vision, the man asked Paul to come to Macedonia and help them. This led Paul to change his plans. Instead of continuing preaching in Anatolia, he sailed to Samothrace in Macedonia with Silas, Timothy, and Luke.

From Samothrace the missionaries traveled to Neapolis, known today as Kavala. Finally, the group traveled on to Philippi. This journey took several days walking to complete.

While staying in Philippi, the group of missionaries went out of the Philippi to the river to pray. In an unexpected twist to them, at the river they met Lydia. She was originally from Thyatira, now known as Akhisar, a city in Anatolia. At that time, Thyatira was a prosperous city known for dyeing cloth, bronze work and leather work. Of those professions, Lydia was a dealer of purple cloth. Dealing in purple cloth may not seem like much in today’s world, but during Paul’s life, only emperors and a few people of power were allowed to wear purple. That is because the dyes to make purple cloth were expensive, rare, and hard to produce.

From this chance meeting, Lydia is considered the first convert to Christianity in Europe. Not only did Lydia convert to Christianity, but her household was also baptized. The mission group stayed with her for a time while they were in Philippi.

Things to see in Philippi.

Just like at Ephesus, there is a gate to get to the archeological site that was ancient Philippi. This is one of many Heritage sites in Greece, Turkey, the Holy Land and around the Mediterranean.

After walking up a short hill, you will pass through what was one of the gates through the city wall. The gate is gone but the remains of the wall can still be seen. The marker at the lower left of the map indicates that old gate.

This picture is looking up the hill in the direction of the fortress.

This picture is looking down the hill toward the modern-day city of Krinides.

There are several routes you can take through the site. Our guide led us to the right and further up the hill to the theater. On the map, again we approached from the lower right.

This theater isn’t as big as the one at Ephesus but is follows a similar design with the seating. Some of the original marble still exist in ancient structures and this theater is no exception. A few of the walls and passageways are the original stone but seating is often replaced or updated.

Many of these ancient theaters are again used for theatrical performances. To ensure safety and comfort, decent seating has been added for the audience. One difference was the fully round orchestra of this theater instead of the half circle one at Ephesus. That shows the stronger Greek influence here over the Roman renovation in Ephesus.

As time passes and more work is done, both archeologically and scholarly, the view of events from ancient times can change. One example of that is Paul’s Prison. There is a gate with a sign guarding a deep hole or grotto in the city of Philippi. You may recall the story in Acts 16 about Paul and Silas being imprisoned in Philippi for casting a demon out of a slave girl. There was an earthquake and the doors of the cell were thrown open. The guard was so certain that all the prisoners had escaped that he was about to commit suicide. Paul called out to him that they hadn’t left so the guard should kill himself. After that the guard converted and he and his household were baptized. This picture shows the traditional place where Paul and Silas were supposed held after being arrested. Generations of visitors have been led to this spot and told the story of Paul’s imprisonment.

This place is known to have been used as a water cistern. Some current thinking is that Paul and Silas were not held here in the middle of the city. Those scholars believe they were held in a cell in the fortress on top of the hill behind Philippi.

The center of the most ancient cities was the marketplace, or the agora. Philippi was no different. The ruins you see here would have included temples, a library, a courthouse, and shops. This is where Paul, Silas and the others went regularly to spread the Word.

To the left of this picture, you can make out a flat area that was the Via Egnatia. Via Egnatia was a major Roman road. It ran through modern Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey. The Via Egnatia was part of what made Philippi such an important city in ancient times. Also, because it was a Roman road, Paul, as a citizen, had some protection when he traveled on his missionary journeys. You can still see some of the ruts in the stone of the road.

The ruins in the distance of the agora picture include an ancient church, the bishop’s palace, baths and other remains of the old city.

There were portions of the city closed when we were there. There are constant excavations in many ancient cities as they try to uncover their past.

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Even though we were there in early March, not the prime tourist season, there were many visitors to the city. Some of the pictures in this post were run through AI programs to help the reader visualize what the site would look like without people around the sites. We were fortunate with the weather as it didn’t rain and was relatively warm, so our tour was quite comfortable.

About Ephesus

At the time the apostle Paul was there, Ephesus was a seaport, one of the busiest in Turkey or Anatolia as it is also known. It was in fact the capital of the Roman province while Paul was there. Since that time the Cayster River and other streams have filled in the area between ancient Ephesus and the present coastline. The current coast is about 3 miles away.

The population of Ephesus during the time Paul was there is somewhat unclear. While the Romans were very interested in counting the people in their conquered countries, they often counted only the freemen. They didn’t always count the women, the children, or the slaves. Estimates vary between 40,000 and 250,000. The other question is, were they just counting the people inside the walls or were they also counting the people on the outlying farms and villages? At this point we will probably never know.

What you will find visiting Ephesus

There are gates at both the top and bottom of the city. If you are with a tour, you will probably be dropped off at the top and picked up at the bottom. If you are driving, you will end up walking uphill one way or the other.

We started at the “top” of the city and walked toward the bottom. One of the first things we encountered were the remains of the baths. Public baths were an essential part of life in the Roman world. The upper baths are still being reconstructed so beyond a few walls, you have to use your imagination about the upper baths.

Next was the Odeon (sometimes spelled as Odeion). While it looks like a small theater it was probably used mostly for public meetings like city council, or concerts and small performances.

Across from the Odeon was one of the marketplaces or agoras. The top one was called the state agora and was the smaller of the two. Like the Odeon, it was also a place to conduct the official business of Ephesus.

What we would call streets are in places little more than wide sidewalks in Ephesus. Much of the original road structure is largely intact because of the work of archeologists reconstructing the city. They have filled in some spots with other stone or concrete to make walking “easier.” Be warned, however, these streets are not smooth and so if you have mobility problems, take a cane or walking stick.

You might want to stop and see what the Romans used as public restrooms. No, there were no walls between the seats. Yes, you were expected to carry on a conversation with your neighbor while “taking care of business.”

One of the most photographed buildings in Ephesus is the Library of Celsus. It was the third-largest library in the Greco-Roman world after the ones in Alexandria and Pergamum. It may have held as many as 1,200 scrolls – the books of the ancient world. The library was destroyed in 262 CE (AD if you are old school) by either an earthquake and/or invaders, probably Goths.

While I have left out much of the reconstructed Ephesus, the last major attraction when you start at the upper gate and walk to the lower gate is the great theater. While the Odeon could seat around 300, the theater could seat an audience of up to 24,000. This structure was used for plays and religious celebrations for large numbers of Ephesians.

Mary’s House

While not in Ephesus, roughly 5 miles away is Mary’s house, a common stop when touring this area. As Jesus is hanging on the cross just before he died, he tasked John with taking care of his mother, Mary. While we don’t know all of the details, toward the end of John’s life, after all of his travels and banishment to Patmos, John took Mary to live is Ephesus. Well, not actually in Ephesus. As our guide put it, to protect Mary from both curious people and those who would do her harm because of Jesus, John had a house built for Mary on a hill away from the Ephesians and those might do her harm. The site was revered for centuries by Christians many who came to be healed. As with many things in the ancient world, the site was “lost.” People searched for centuries for Mary’s final home without success.

Fast forward to Germany in 1812.  A German nun, Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich, had a vision about the Virgin’s House. Quite strange since she never left Germany. She had physical manifestations beyond the vision and was labeled a fraud by many of the people around her. Despite skepticism, her visions were written down and eventually published.

Again, fast forward. This time to 1881. A French Catholic priest used Emmerich’s writings to search for the house around Ephesus and found it’s remains from the descriptions written down from her vision. The foundation of the house was what the priest discovered. Over the years the site has been rebuilt and improved and is now a protected historical site. Previously three Popes officially visited May’s house. 1-1.5 million people visit Mary’s house each year.

One final note, Sister Emmerich was beatified, made a saint, in 2004.

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What do you mean by “documentation?”

When I am talking about documents I mean things like:

• Your birth certificate,
• Driver’s license,
• Your passport,
• Visas,
• Shot records,
• Work authorizations.

Not all of these apply to everyone or where you are planning on going, but at least one or two will apply to you.

What do you mean by “access?”

Access to documents will mean different things to different people – and part of this is generational. Old school access would be having photocopies of your important documents that you carry with you. If you are going this route, make sure that the copies are readable and up to date. For documents that need to be certified (often your birth certificate), a photocopy probably wouldn’t be acceptable, but you might be able to get the process started with un-official documents. You might put those copies in an envelope and stash them in your carry-ons or suitcase.

Where you put them is a matter of personal preference. For example, I don’t travel without my laptop that I keep in a backpack. That’s where I would keep the backup document envelope. My backpack is never out of my sight. If I keep the documents in my suitcase, I would probably worry about something happening to my suitcase either at TSA or with the baggage handlers. (I have seen suitcases pop open on the asphalt when baggage handlers were loading them.)

Most newer hotels, resorts, and cruise ships have safes in each room, so when I get to my destination all of my documents go into the room safe until I leave. That’s also where I put my wallet, and electronics when we leave our room.

New school access means you save a digital copy somewhere that you will have access to while traveling. That may mean the copies/photographs have been saved to you OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, your phone, or some other digital storage device. The idea behind this and the process are similar to old school – you’re just saving it to a different location.

Both methods have the positives and negatives. Photocopies mean you don’t have to have Internet access or your phone to provide the documentation to get a new/replacement passport. However, photocopies can be less secure and more easily stolen. Digital copies require access to at least your phone and perhaps the Internet, but this method is more secure.

What to do if you do lose your documentation

This step is a little harder to be specific about. You will need to contact the closest office of the issuing agency to have your documents replace. It would be a good idea to have done some research before you travel to find that information when you are less stressed about what is happening. If you are working with a travel agent they can probably help you out with this! A US embassy or consulate is probably your first call for major documents like passports. They could also advise you where to call for visas, work authorizations, etc. By the way, if you are on a cruise ship, your way to get off and back on the ship is usually some kind of medallion or ID card. If you lose that while you are on a tour, you will need some proof of who you are to get back on the ship. Passport or drivers license is best choice but I have seen people use a credit card. It took longer with more hoops to jump, but they were able to get back onto the ship.

Bottom line

The choice of how you carry backup documentation with you is totally yours. The wise traveler will opt for one or the other because lost documents while traveling could ruin your trip. Remember that planning ahead is crucial to have a more enjoyable trip.

And yes, I know some of you out there  will do both just to be sure!

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Practice makes progress

A group I am a member of has this as their theme for the current year. We often think that the phrase should be “practice makes perfect” but there are a couple of sides to that. First, nothing is ever perfect. No matter how hard we try, we will never reach absolute perfection. There will always be some issue, problem or deficit in what we do. The best we can hope for is progressing toward our goal. The second problem is the rephrasing of the maxim as “prefect practice makes perfect.” While I will give you that practicing things the “right” way has better value than practicing the wrong way, we will still never reach perfection.

So, applying “practice makes progress” to mindfulness, any work you do on mindfulness makes progress toward a better life for you. If you start with a few minutes a day, good for you! Over time, if you can, build that into several minutes. If you are lucky – and work at it – that may get you to where you experience mindfulness for hours or even most of your day.

You’re doing it wrong

What is right and what is wrong? The author of the book I picked up related a story of how they were attending a class where the instructor was sitting in a relaxed lotus position, talking the class through the process. The author didn’t find the position relaxing at all and so couldn’t focus on mindfulness. I doubt I could even get into a lotus position without hurting myself and at my age my main concern is getting back up off the floor without help.

While there are some more effective techniques or ways to approach mindfulness, it truly is a personal activity. You really need to explore different strategies and activities to reach the level of mindfulness that will improve your life. Just because someone else approaches mindfulness in a certain way doesn’t mean that way will work for you.

What works best for me

I know, I said this was a personal activity and now I’m giving you advice. I didn’t say this was the best way, I’m only telling you what works for me.

I do better when I am moving, like going out for a walk. I may be listening to some music or not. I wouldn’t be listening to an audio book if I am trying to relax, it splits my concentration too much.  I need to dress for the weather, neither too hot nor too cold as that adds to my distraction. Comfortable shoes are a must. If you haven’t caught the theme here, let me state it plainly – I am easily distracted and so I need to reduce that things that pull my mind away from mindfulness.

I try to look up and see the world around me. See the colors. Notice what’s different today over yesterday. Are the trees starting to bud? How is the light slanting across the land? Are the clouds dancing through the heavens for our enjoyment? Has the rising sun painted them a beautiful salmon color? Are the birds singing to each other? What does the breeze feel like on my skin. Remember, this is me. This is my mindfulness exercise. Yours will probably be different.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to mindfulness. It is about you getting your nose out of your phone and looking at the world around you.

One of our local politicians recently passed away. He was in his 40’s. He left a wife and family. He died from a heart condition no one had diagnosed and was untreatable in the moment.

We don’t know how much time we have on the earth! Take the time to enjoy the world around you and the people in your life while you still can! The phone, your job, all the technology we have in our lives are just tools and should never be allowed to run our lives.

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Our Visit

Our recent visit was late March and our campground is almost full. Of the 100+ camp sites spread between two campgrounds, only half a dozen are empty by late Friday. From what we have been told, those empty campsites will fill tonight or tomorrow at the latest. Because we are in the desert and water is a premium, the campgrounds are well manicured gravel rather than grassy lawns. I am sure gravel leads to less danger of range fires later in the summer when the grass would dry out.

Water has been turned on for the summer at the time of our visit, and we are able to plug in our RV to power. Heated bathrooms with a shower are only a few steps away which will make stopping at the dump station on the way out less smelly. We saw several people taking advantage of the showers. I assume it was after their time on the dunes.

A pack of coyotes were singing to us late last night and again on our early morning walk. Wrens, red wing black birds, coots, and a blue heron greeted us as we were walking early Saturday morning. Coyote, ground squirrel, and deer tracks are everywhere outside of camp. Trees are a rarity, most of them were planted in the park in hopes of providing shade in the future. Out here, sage brush and tumble weeds vie for the honor of being designated Idaho’s state bush. (No there isn’t an official state bush.)

Things to do

One of the activities available is to visit the observatory and take in some of the educational programs offered in the park. Because the park is an informal “dark sky” area, the stars can be very clearly seen on cloudless nights. To help reduce light pollution that can interfere with star gazing, campers are requested to keep lighting at a minimum around their campsites. An educational center offers natural history displays.

Another activity in the park is “sand surfing.” You can either bring your own board or rent one in at the visitor’s center. Sand surfing is similar to surfing in the ocean but it hurts more if you fall – water is softer than sand. Probably some of the people we saw showering needed to clean up after surfing. For people like me who are balance-challenged, we would end up eating more sand than is good for us, but it looks fun for those who can remain upright.

There are trails for both people and horses around the lakes and dunes. The trail you choose will determine how far you will travel. Some of the trails were a little hard for us to follow as the tumble weeds hid the route we were to follow.

Some people come for the time with nature. Others come to disconnect from technology, others come for family time. We had at least two groups around us that took up several campsites and were either family or close friends. All staying in a wide variety of accommodations. There were tents of all sizes; a lot of camp trailers of various vintages, and a few of us in motor homes. Several people also brought their quads along to get around.

Don’t expect conditions to be the same as they are at home. Neighbors will be closer and come and go at all hours. Things you would expect to be common courtesy won’t even enter the minds of some people. And yet some of the nicest people you will ever meet will be in campgrounds in the remotest places you can imagine. Total strangers will invite you to dinner or a party. People will stop and give you a hand when you need it and expect nothing in return. All in all, you can expect some of the best experiences of your life out on the road.

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Experiential Wellness – Canada Style

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Looking for Deals

If you are looking for deals and like to haggle, there are several places to shop in Puerto Vallarta. Most of the ones listed in this section don’t have set prices. The price they start with  can vary on the day of the week and the time of the day. Days that cruise ships are in port are days that the prices tend to be a little higher. Days without cruise ships tend to be a little lower. Ships used to port primarily on Wednesdays and so those were the days we didn’t like to go down town. Now cruise ships may port any day of the week. Not only were prices higher, but the shops and restaurants were crowded. However, the last couple of trips seem to have a variety of days those ships ported. I am not much if a haggler. I want to know the price, let’s pay it and be done. Kim likes to haggle so these are some of her favorites.

Cuale Island Flea Market

There is an island in the middle of the Cuale River – Ok calling it a river is generous for most of the year. For most of the year it is a small stream that sometimes runs on both sides of the island. It is below the surrounding streets so you will need to go down some stairs to access this area. When you walk along the island, there are shops set up on either side with all kinds of merchandise for sale. There are several restaurants there too, but this post is about shopping. All these shops are open to haggling so be prepared for variable pricing on all their wares.

Mercado Municipal Rio Cuale

This “flea market” is on the north bank of the Cuale. It is a two-story shopping area that has many of the same goods you would find down on the island. If you were to ask a taxi driver to take you to someplace where you could shop for souvenirs, you would probably end up here. There are stalls inside the mercado (market) for each of the vendors. Again, we had our favorites, but there have been changes here too. New vendors in and old ones out. Again, haggling is the name of the game here.

Real Market

This is located west of Mercado Municipal Rio Cuale and is like the mercado. You can find similar merchandise here as in the mercado or on the island and put your haggling hat on for here too. Prices in all of the will probably be about the same, but you may find what you are looking for in the color you want one place but not at the others.

Picis Artesanias Mexicanas

This store is not for haggling but usually has some nice art pieces probably created in Mexico, not China. We will go in here if we are looking for something special as a gift for people at home. Prices here are usually firm

Señor Talavera

Talavera tile and pottery are special/unique finds. The true Talavera comes from the town Dolores Hidalgo, just outside of San Miguel de Allende and is handmade and hand painted. If you think of Mexican tile or pots or dishes or sinks, you are probably thinking about Talavera. This shop is located just west of the Mercado Municipal Rio Cuale. This is one of several different places to find Talavera – I will talk about our favorite a little later.

The Opal Mine Puerto Vallarta

There is a lot of opal mined and worked into jewelry (especially with silver) in Mexico. There are several locations in Puerto Vallarta, two of which are on the Malecón. Prices will be firm here and the pieces will be more expensive tan you want to pay.

Tierra Huichol – Galería Malecón, Puerto Vallarta

The Huichol are indigenous people, tribe, from the area around Puerto Vallarta, Nayarit, Jalisco, and other states on the west coast. They are know for the bead works of art. Again, if the art was truly made by the Huichol people, it will be expensive. This gallery is on the Malecón and if you are lucky, you may see someone in the gallery creating a piece while you watch.

General Items

Market Place

There are several markets/stores/supermarkets available for general merchandise. We tend to shop at these when we are staying at a villa, a time-share, or someplace with a kitchen. We also go there for water and if we forgot to pack something. Speaking Spanish is a plus, even at Walmart.

Those include:

• Walmart
• Sam’s Club
• Mega/ Soriano
• Casa Ley

Farmacias

There are farmacias (pharmacies) on almost every corner and often in between as well. The quality and selection varies greatly so use your best judgement when shopping at these. Prices are fixed and English is ify.

OXXO

These are roughly equivalent to a Seven/Eleven or CircleK in the states. Again, a wide variety of what you will find in these. Prices are fixed and English is ify.

Looking for Specialty Items

Mundo de Cristal/Mundo de Pewter/Mundo de Azulejos

The Mundo stores are all located in the same area of old town. If you are looking for truly unique gift items of souvenirs made of glass, pewter, or Talavera, this is where you need to go. They do wrap things very well for you to take with you and offer shipping on many items. We never go to Puerto Vallarta without at least stopping in to one or all of these. It’s fun to just browse even if you don’t buy. These are so popular that cruise ship tours often stop at one or more of these on their tours.

Tequila stores

Tequila originated in this area of Mexico and the true tequila, not what you buy in the States, is smooth and needs no lime or salt to drink. It is just fine to sip it and enjoy. There are many tequila shops in Puerto Vallarta that will be happy to let you sample – you just need to look around. If you try the tequila and it has a bite, say thank you and walk away because it’s not the real thing.

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What is Wellness?

Being healthy is absolutely part of wellness. Keeping up with visits to various doctors, dentists and other health professional is the start of wellness. But topic goes way beyond just those things. If you look at Maslow’s Hierarchy, those things are at the bottom of his pyramid in the Physical and Safety Needs areas. Don’t get me wrong, those things are required, but people need more than just their physical and health needs covered.

Being part of a groups

Being a member of a group is in the middle of the hierarchy but it can be an important part of how people fare in this world. Humans are social beings. Yes, some more than others, but if you look at how we evolved, we won’t have survived without the help of others – our group, our tribe. We are not the fastest animal on the planet. Nor do we have sharp claws or the most muscle. We have survived because we can work with others to achieve a goal – survival initially. That group or tribe may start as family or just the people around us but it should grow to a larger group; perhaps our community, or state, or country, or world. Being part of something larger helps us to put our lives and problems in perspective.

Esteem

An outgrowth of being part of a group can and should be a sense of confidence in what we do and the respect of others. By working with and helping others, we gain more confidence in what we can do. It could be as simple as helping others to read or raking up leaves for those who can’t or helping build a house for Habitat for Humanity. But whatever the activity is, it helps us to feel more confident in our abilities as a person. I grew up backpacking and at that time the motto was, “Leave it better than you found it.” Working to help others is one way to leave the world a better place than when we came into it and helps build our own self-esteem.

Self-actualization

The top level of the hierarchy is about becoming more. More through finding a purpose for your life and pursuing it. A Buddhist might say it is part of working toward enlightenment. Rick Warren, in The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for? says “Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction and events without reason. Without a purpose life is trivial, petty, and pointless.” Too many people are just going through the motions without a reason or purpose to their life. This kind of a life is existing, not living! To have an enjoyable, fulfilled life, people need to identify and pursue a purpose. That purpose may change over time as we go through different life stages, but at least there is something to strive for.

All of these things contribute to a person’s physical and mental wellness.

Now the second part of the initial question – why should employers’ care

At first glance, from a bean counter’s perspective, worrying about employee’s wellbeing has nothing to do with the bottom line and so is a waste of time and resources. Yes, I understand that no employer is responsible for every level of Maslow’s Hierarchy for all their employees, but a deeper dive into the facts will show that in many cases it does make sense for an employer to consider some of those needs.

Absenteeism

From a strictly health point of view, wellness programs lead to reduced absenteeism. People who are physically healthy and who make sure their families are healthy too, miss less work. But there’s more to it than that. Looking back at Maslow’s Hierarchy, we see that people also need to be mentally healthy; for example, feeling connected  and part of a group. People who are mentally healthy are less likely to take “mental health” days off. Fewer days off can lead to less disruption of production and greater output. Both of those aspects can be helped by insurance and wellness programs in companies.

Disability claims can be reduced

When I was younger, I worked in an RV trailer plant. Every spring as we were gearing up for the summer camping season, we would work 10 sometimes 12-hour days. It wasn’t unusual for us to work Saturdays too. The money was great, but the number of injuries went up. The more we worked, the more tired we got and the more likely it was that we got hurt from a lack of focus. Almost everyone missed some time because of an injury. That left crews short of people and less productive. Being aware of what people are capable of for a job can help them know the limits of their bodies and minds. Wellness programs can help employees and employers understand these limits better.

Reduced turnover

I worked for one company that kept wages low and provided little to no employee wellness programs beyond just basic health insurance. Their philosophy was that there were always people looking for work so we aren’t going to take care of our people. Yes, there are always people who are looking for work, but it takes time to teach them how to do their job and more time for them to learn how to work efficiently. If that person only lasts 4-6 weeks, then you are pulling another staff member from their regular duties in a never-ending training cycle. A short-term gain in wage reduction rarely outweighs a long-term loss in productivity. Being part of a company the shows its employees it cares, helps to reduce the turnover with all its hidden costs.

Happier, more satisfied employees

Happier, more satisfied employees tend to be more productive and more involved on the company. Satisfaction can lead them to contribute more to the growth of the business. From a social media standpoint, their posts and pictures will help sell products and find quality employees. Angry reviews on Indeed don’t lead good candidates to apply for open positions. Also, some of the best ideas for improvements in products and production come from the people who are making the widgets you sell.

Back to the RV plant, there were times that the engineers would design a new trailer and then send us the drawing to make a prototype. Working though the build of the prototype, we occasionally found huge design flaws that would have made the trailer unstable. We would talk it over with our bosses who then brought the designers out to rework the drawings. Sometimes the people who make your products know more the them than the people who design it.

Having happier, more engaged employees can lead to better products and processes.

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