Health and Wellness: What’s the Difference?

The Heart of my Wellness for Life Movement

You’ve probably heard people say “health” and “wellness” like they’re one and the same. They’re paired together in hashtags, scattered across magazine covers, and dropped casually into conversation. “I’m into health and wellness” could mean anything from eating more greens to meditating to signing up for a triathlon.

But they’re not identical. They’re related, but distinct, and understanding the difference is at the centre of my Wellness for Life Movement. This whole approach is built on the understanding that you can’t truly thrive unless you’re tending to both.

I view health as the measurable, functional state of your body, the engine that drives you. Wellness is how you live in your body and mind every day, and how you sit with the world at large. Wellness doesn’t have to mean peace and calm; it is fluid and changes constantly - it might be achieving a valuable goal, laughing with friends, or planning a masterpiece at work. It’s about the quality of your engagement with life, whatever that looks like for you.

Health: The Engine

The World Health Organisation defined health in 1948 as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease” (1). That definition was revolutionary because it went beyond just “not being sick”.

In my wellness philosophy, health isn’t a yes or no tick box. It has a range. On one end, there’s disease and dysfunction. On the other, there’s optimal function, a place where your body’s systems work together at their best. You can sit anywhere along that spectrum, and your position can change depending on your lifestyle, environment, and stress load.

Wellness: The Way You Live

Wellness is different. It’s not a static measurement; it’s a daily practice and a lived experience.

It’s the food you choose, the way you move, the rituals you keep, your coping strategies, your relationships, your mindset, your sense of purpose, and how you interact with the wider world.

It’s deeply personal. For one person, wellness might be a quiet morning by the ocean. For another, it could be the thrill of a creative project, the buzz of a big presentation, or the laughter of a long dinner with friends.

Are You Healthy: But Not Loving the Ride?

Here’s a question I often ask my clients:

Are you physically well, but not enjoying your journey? Or are you physically unwell, but feel like every day is still an adventure?

That contrast sits at the heart of my foundational approach and is the core of my approach. Having a body that works well on paper is one thing, but living in a way that feels meaningful, connected, and alive is something else entirely.

I’ve also seen the opposite: people facing significant health challenges yet carrying a strong sense of joy, purpose, and fulfilment. It’s the difference between simply getting through each day and living in a way that honours the whole self, body, mind, and spirit.

This is why I combine life and lifestyle coaching with my health guidance. Blood markers, gut health, and hormone balance matter, but so do mindset, beliefs, and the heartache we carry. The stress of unspoken grief, the stories we tell ourselves about what’s possible, and the way we see our own worth all influence the body just as much as the food we eat or the supplements we take.

Ancient cultures understood this. Mind, body, and spirit were never treated as separate; they were threads of the same fabric. When one frayed, the whole weave was affected. Somewhere along the way, we shifted to a model that treats the parts in isolation, yet one always influences the other. They are intertwined to great depths beyond our understanding and can’t be separated.

When I am working with someone, we might begin in completely different places. Sometimes we’re focused on probiotics, nutrient therapy, and exercise planning. Other times, we’re deep in conversations about business strategy, reshaping daily routines, or gently untangling old beliefs that are keeping them stuck. Often, we’re working on both at once, because health and wellness are always in conversation.

When Health and Wellness Don’t Match:

Physically healthy, but no wellness: You can have textbook-perfect blood tests and a clean bill of health, but feel flat, anxious, disconnected, or spiritually empty.

Physically unwell, but feeling wellness: You can be living with chronic illness and still have a strong sense of joy, connection, purpose, and inner peace.

There is a bidirectional interface here - a two-way flow - Your sense of well-being can directly influence your health outcomes. People with strong social ties and a sense of purpose often recover faster and live longer, even with serious illness (2,3).

The Mind–Body–Spirit Connection

In my approach, I see mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness as just as vital as physical health.  Chronic stress, loneliness, or unresolved trauma can cause measurable physical changes, high stress hormones, disrupted gut bacteria, and increased inflammation (4–7).

Cultivating spiritual and emotional wellness through mindfulness, gratitude, community, or personal meaning can buffer the impact of physical illness and even improve measurable health markers (8–10).

Health and Wellness - A Dance

Health and wellness are a dance. They move, shift, and change tempo throughout our lives. One season might be more about building physical strength, another about emotional resilience, and sometimes the focus is simply on keeping your head above water.

We’re not all meant to be fitness gurus or part-time Buddhist monks. The goal isn’t to chase perfection or tick off an impossible checklist. We’re striving for a state where the body can carry us through our days with energy and ease, and the mind can engage with life in a way that feels genuine, fulfilling, and connected.

In my experience, that dance is fluid; some days, health takes the lead, other days, wellness sets the rhythm. And the most important thing is to keep both partners moving, even if the steps change along the way.

"Wherever you are in the dance between health and wellness, keep moving with intention because both are part of a life well lived."

Warmth and Wellness, K

Kylie Cloney – Bachelor of Health Science (Complementary Medicine)

Medical Disclaimer: This post is for general education only and is not medical advice. Please consult your healthcare professional. See our Medical Disclaimer.

References

World Health Organisation. Constitution of the World Health Organisation. WHO, 1948.

Holt-Lunstad J, et al. Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Med. 2010;7(7):e1000316.

Steptoe A, et al. Purpose in life and all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2017;79(5):499–505.

Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Miller GE. Psychological stress and disease. JAMA. 2007;298(14):1685–1687.

Chrousos GP. Stress and disorders of the stress system. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2009;5(7):374–381.

Foster JA, Neufeld KM. Gut–brain axis: How the microbiome influences anxiety and depression. Trends Neurosci. 2013;36(5):305–312.

Slavich GM, Irwin MR. From stress to inflammation and major depressive disorder: A social signal transduction theory. Psychol Bull. 2014;140(3):774–815.

Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality, and health: The research and clinical implications. ISRN Psychiatry. 2012;2012:278730.

Fredrickson BL, et al. Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008;95(5):1045–1062.

Ong AD, et al. Positive emotions and survival in older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2010;65B(5):573–582.

Seligman ME. Positive health. Applied Psychology. 2008;57:3–18.

Ryff CD, Singer BH. Know thyself and become what you are: A eudaimonic approach to psychological well-being. J Happiness Stud. 2008;9:13–39.

Diener E, Chan MY. Happy people live longer: Subjective well-being contributes to health and longevity. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. 2011;3(1):1–43.

Hamer M, Chida Y. Physical activity and risk of neurodegenerative disease: A systematic review. Psycol Med. 2009;39(1):3–11.

Tremblay MS, et al. Sedentary Behaviour Research Network: Standardised Use of the Terms. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2017;42(5):473–478.