I'm Jayne Harper, Wellness Strategist and developer of the WellnesSphere ^SM Life Balance
Assessment. What is a Wellness Strategist? Let me explain by using the example of a Financial Strategist. Financial Strategists support you in earning dividends for your hard-earned money. They facilitate your ability to make the most of your financial resources. A Wellness Strategist supports you in investing in your well-being to earn dividends on your quality of life. You learn to create balance among your different roles, to identify your values and priorities, to manage your stress, and to achieve optimal well-being for yourself.

I am trained as a health educator, researcher and wellness coach. Many years ago it became apparent to me that people want what's best for them but the traditional model of providing information (office visits with doctors or nurses, health fairs, literature in racks) does not work effectively. Its too passive. What works are positive environments that encourage and support healthy choices and behavior. Individuals who create positive environments for themselves are able to make lasting improvements in their lifestyles such as regular physical activity, healthy eating choices, smoking cessation or low-risk drinking choices.

You can create a positive environment by knowing what you need to be successful and gaining the support of other people in your life to help make it happen. On an organizational level worksite wellness initiatives are about creating health-promoting work environments by fostering healthy choices throughout the day related to activity and food, managing stress, supporting workers in making positive lifestyle changes (smoking cessation, preventing or managing back pain, maintaining ergonomically correct work stations, etc.) -- valuing workers as company assets.

I have been actively involved in Health Promotion and Wellness since 1989 and hold a M.S. in Community Health Promotion. I have the honor of teaching the Prime For Life Risk Reduction Program in Maine. The experiences people have shared through the years led to the creation of The WellnesSphere^SM life balance assessment. This useful and informative booklet received the 2006 National Health Information Merit Award.

An investment in wellness pays dividends.

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