Having purpose and living an enriched life is easier said than done. In my opinion, the level of engagement or amount of emotional commitment you put into achieving your personal wellness and professional goals will be the result of the effort you put forth.

Occupational therapy helps to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities for their jobs, leisure, or even self-care. Sense of purpose, and one’s personal definition of spirituality, may change throughout a lifetime, adapting to experiences and relationships acquired along the way.

Your facility can spark the meaningful connections that inspire one’s spiritual engagement based on how you market your programs. When incorporating any of the seven dimensions of wellness, identifying motivating factors that will spark happiness and help you stay committed to a lifestyle practicing wellness is key.  According to Laura Kubzansky, professor of social and behavioral sciences at Harvard School of Public Health, being able to manage the emotional ups and downs is important for both body and mind. “For physical health, it's not so much happiness per se, but this ability to regulate and have a sense of purpose and meaning.”

1. Power of recovery is essential to renew muscles, and transformations can take place if you have the right balance of mind/body programming on your class schedules that appeal to all ages. Abbreviated introductory yoga-inspired classes that incorporate a fusion of other disciplines like Tai Chi and Qi Gong can be marketed in various ways to appeal to all ages. Practicing relaxation techniques has many benefits, like slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, improving digestion, maintaining normal blood sugar levels, and even reducing muscle tension and chronic pain.

2. Learn from each other. Studies show that experiences can makes us happier than possessions. Giving is extremely healthy so encourage connections with life groups within your walls that resonate with your members. Surveying your members can be extremely helpful when the right questions are asked. Instead of asking typical questions of how would you rate the class, instructor, and facility, consider asking open-ended questions and providing opportunities to learn more about your members’ passions with a “passion survey”. With today’s competitive landscape I would enlist my entire leadership team, general manager included, to ask for this feedback upon leaving classes and gift members before they left your doors during     the holiday months.

3. Co-sponsor a party that advocates for special causes. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the brain is hardwired for giving so nothing can be more powerful than trading expectations for a gratitude attitude. Finding a cause that resonates with your member base should not be to challenge if you have conducted a passion survey.

You have nothing to lose when you take the word “activity” literally and ACT now by weaving in purposeful moments designed to achieve optimal occupational and spiritual engagement so your members can connect with you on a whole new level through the lens of gratitude and the opportunity to enhance purpose.