Sharing the Load
In the first issue, I introduced the 5 Pillars of SWELL. The 5 Pillars are interdependent components of self-improvement and self-care that create a foundation for vibrant and energetic living.
As with the pillars of a building, you can’t determine where the support of one ends and the next begins. They combine their strength to support the structure, each fortifying the others.
A building can survive if one or more pillars is weakened or compromised, as long as enough of them remain intact to bear the load. You can even remove a pillar, and the structure continues to stand. But eventually, if the cumulative strength of the pillars is weakened enough, the building collapses.
Stronger Together
So it is with the 5 Pillars of SWELL. Strengthening any one pillar reinforces them all, and weakness in one won’t bring the whole structure down, but it increases the burden on the others. Growth in any one area bolsters them all.
Practically speaking, the framework allows us to approach any concept or behavior and recognize which pillar (or pillars) is strengthened or weakened.
Below, we look more closely at each pillar, what it represents, and how it supports the whole.
The 5 Pillars
Sobriety
SWELL wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t committed to sobriety more than 3 years ago. Beyond improving my health and well-being, sobriety showed me that drinking was the primary force holding me back. Once I left it behind, I was able to flourish in ways that were previously impossible.
SWELL doesn’t shy away from talking about sobriety. I’m not promoting an ‘abstinence only’ culture, but creating a community that recognizes our habits around alcohol and intoxicants are strongly tied to overall well-being. Ignoring this connection would undercut the mission of SWELL.
Taking control of how we feel is the SWELL philosophy, so conversations around alcohol must begin by acknowledging whether you’re in control — or is alcohol in control of you? How much or how little you choose to consume must be just that: a choice.
Wellness
The most unifying of all the pillars, wellness covers many components of our well-being. Everything we do has a positive or negative impact on some part of our wellness, so this gives us a broad context for exploring a range of topics.
Within SWELL, discussions of wellness lean heavily toward demonstrating self-respect through self-care.
An interest in wellness shouldn’t be relegated to the upper-class or exist as an abstract concept discussed in isolation. Wellness is what we do with – and to – ourselves every day. We have the right and the ability to take control of it, and that’s exactly why SWELL exists.
Energy
Energy is the fuel that powers our lives. Without good energy, we can’t show up as the best versions of ourselves.
Many people struggle with low energy, which doesn’t feel good. So it’s a natural focal point since our goal is improving how we feel.
Rather than being an afterthought, placing energy at the forefront of our wellness goals gives us a simple but powerful measuring stick for assessing behaviors or habits:
- Behaviors that improve our energy > good
- Behaviors that degrade our energy > not good
Longevity
Longevity is one of today’s hottest health topics. However, I’m not interested in living 110 or 120 years – which is highly unlikely no matter what I do.
What I am interested in is living as many healthy years as possible and spending as few years as I can in a degraded state of compromised health.
We’ll discuss longevity through the lens of expanding our healthspan — the number of years we can live free of disease or major ailments, not just the number of years we’re alive.
For those living with disability or chronic disease, the goal is to acknowledge those limitations and pack as much living into your life as possible. Taking control of how you feel doesn’t mean you won’t face obstacles, but it does give you the right to choose how you face them.
Learning
Maybe my favorite pillar.
Our world is so flush with information, good and bad, that learning itself has become a craft. On one hand, we can explore any topic imaginable; on the other, we must be more discerning than ever before about the information we consume.
That said, we have the right and ability to be relentlessly curious. We now have access to the latest information on almost any topic, and we can seek it out, ingest it, and incorporate it into our lives.
SWELL is a platform for doing just that.
Final Thoughts
The 5 Pillars give us a framework for exploring a wide range of topics affecting how we feel, and more importantly — how we can feel better. With this context, we can approach any topic and better understand the ways it contributes or detracts from our well-being.
I hope you’re as excited as I am to continue this exploration. And thanks again for reading — I’m truly happy you’re here.
All the best,
Nate