Reclaiming Humanity: A Call to Build a Truly Healthy Society—One Life, One Choice at a Time

By Dr. Tomi Mitchell

I remember a time—not too long ago—when life was simpler, safer, and dare I say, saner.

Children rode their bikes until the streetlights flickered on. Neighbours waved as they mowed their lawns and knew each other’s dogs by name. Tomatoes were shared across fences, and Sunday dinners weren’t rushed between double shifts or buried under endless notifications.

School had a rhythm. There was no recess clawed away by funding cuts or test prep mania. Gym class meant learning how to care for your body—real fitness, not just “participation trophies.” We climbed ropes, did push-ups, and actually sweated. And we felt proud of it.

Libraries were our sanctuaries. I still remember the quiet joy of walking into one and feeling like the entire universe was laid out between the shelves. There was reverence in those spaces.

Was life perfect? Of course not. But there was a rhythm that felt more human. More sane. We weren’t perfect, but we hadn’t yet forgotten what it meant to live with one another instead of against each other.

Today, I sometimes look around and feel like I’m standing in a house that was slowly remodeled into something unrecognizable—room by room, choice by choice, until one day we woke up and the foundation was cracked.

We live in a time where medical breakthroughs seem like science fiction—but our collective well-being has gone backward. Loneliness has become an epidemic. People are burning out not just at work but in their homes, their relationships, and even within themselves. The air feels heavier, the news is a barrage, and stress has become the new baseline.

Our children are growing up inside a system that teaches them to value likes over kindness, surveillance over safety, productivity over peace. And we wonder why they’re struggling.

This isn't the legacy I want to pass on. And I have a feeling I’m not alone.

So, what would it take to truly reclaim health—not just personal health but the health of our entire society?

Let’s begin with a framework—something we can work from: the eight dimensions of wellness. They’re not new concepts, but they are deeply relevant right now. Each dimension connects to the others. Strengthen one, and you lift the rest. Neglect one, and eventually, the others suffer.

Let’s walk through them.

1. Physical Wellness: When the Body Thrives, the Soul Follows

Remember when kids played for the pure joy of it? Not because a Fitbit told them to, but because running felt like flying?

Now imagine a society where physical wellness isn’t a privilege—it’s a built-in right.

• Physical education is daily and meaningful—not a placeholder.

• Every neighbourhood has sidewalks, clean parks, and playgrounds that aren’t cracked or crumbling.

• Grocery stores are within walking distance and sell real food, not just processed shelf fillers.

• Preventative healthcare is baked into the system—not an afterthought.

When the body is cared for, people participate more fully in every part of life. It’s not just about living longer—it’s about living better.

2. Emotional Wellness: Mental Health Is Not a Luxury

We need to stop treating mental health as a crisis to respond to and start treating it as a reality to build around. This isn’t a trend—it’s survival.

In a truly emotionally aware society:

• Every school has licensed counsellors who are actually available to students.

• Workplaces have built-in mental health days and trauma-informed policies.

• Mothers navigating postpartum aren’t left to figure it out alone.

• Veterans, caregivers, and teens all have community-based resources that aren’t hidden behind 12-month waitlists.

Because here’s the truth: if your mind isn’t well, it doesn’t matter how strong your body is. You’re dragging yourself through life, not living it.

3. Intellectual Wellness: The Right to Learn, Think, and Question

A society that cuts libraries and arts funding while investing billions in surveillance and warfare has its priorities backward.

We need minds that are nourished—not just fed data but taught to think, reason, question, and imagine.

• Teachers deserve dignity and support—not burnout and budget cuts.

• Libraries should be protected like public treasures.

• Lifelong learning should be encouraged for everyone, whether in robotics or knitting.

• Critical thinking isn’t just academic—survival in an age of misinformation.

When we champion curiosity, we raise generations that don’t fall for the first headline or the loudest voice in the room.

4. Social Wellness: Rebuilding the Village We Lost

We were never meant to do this alone. But too many people feel like they are.

When neighbours stop knowing each other, when kids can’t play outside safely, when elders are isolated—something has gone deeply wrong.

• Cities should be designed for connection: plazas, walking paths, and community gardens.

• Intergenerational living doesn’t have to be old-fashioned—it can be healing.

• We need regular, low-barrier opportunities for people to gather. Not everything has to be a ticketed event or a curated experience. Sometimes it’s just about showing up.

Social wellness isn’t a bonus—it’s how we stay human.

5. Spiritual Wellness: Purpose Beyond Paychecks

Spirituality is often mistaken for religion. But this isn’t about doctrine—it’s about depth.

A spiritually healthy society values:

• Reflection, stillness, and time to ask the big questions.

• Purpose that goes beyond title, income, or follower count.

• Respect for different belief systems without weaponizing them.

When people have a sense of purpose, they’re less likely to act out of fear, less likely to chase things that don’t nourish them, and more likely to show up with compassion.

6. Environmental Wellness: A Home Worth Protecting

I’ve seen what happens when the land is mistreated. I’ve seen asthma in children who live near industrial zones. I’ve seen communities with no trees, no shade, no hope.

This is not just about climate change—it’s about community survival.

• Clean water is a human right.

• Green spaces should be standard, not rare.

• We teach stewardship—not shame or doom—but action and care.

• Urban planning includes the earth—not just the economy.

This planet isn’t a resource. It’s our home.

7. Occupational Wellness: Work That Doesn’t Break You

Work shouldn’t destroy people. And yet, for so many, it does.

• A society that values people ensures that the minimum wage is a living wage.

• Caregivers aren’t invisible—they’re prioritized.

• Workers aren’t punished for having a body, a family, or a crisis.

• Burnout isn’t glorified—it’s identified early and prevented.

Occupational wellness means people can show up to work without abandoning their health, values, or loved ones.

8. Financial Wellness: A Life Beyond Constant Emergency

Financial stress is a thief. It steals sleep, joy, relationships, and health.

A financially healthy society:

• It starts teaching kids about money early—not just how to earn but also how to budget, save, and build.

• Breaks the link between employment and healthcare.

• Provides basic safety nets so one flat tire doesn’t derail an entire life.

It’s hard to talk about self-actualization when you can’t afford groceries. Let’s stop pretending financial stress is a personal failing. It’s a systems issue.

Reimagining What’s Possible

Some will say this vision is too ambitious. Too expensive. Too idealistic.

But we’ve already paid the price of the alternative. Just look around.

Isolation. Division. Illness. Despair. That’s what we bought with disconnection and shortsightedness.

So let’s ask ourselves: what if we invested in wellness instead of war? In children instead of corporations? In each other, instead of profit margins?

What if we chose differently?

A society where:

• A child can breathe clean air and drink safe water.

• A nurse doesn’t need a GoFundMe to recover from illness.

• A teacher doesn’t need to work weekends just to survive.

• A physician—yes, me—can practice medicine without sacrificing herself.

• This isn’t fantasy. It’s a fork in the road. And we still get to choose.

A Final Plea to Humanity

This is not just a political wish list. This is a plea from one human to another.

You don’t have to be a policymaker to make a difference. You just have to start with what you can reach.

• Have the complicated conversation.

• Vote for leaders who believe in dignity, not division.

• Plant a garden.

• Drop off groceries at a neighbour's.

• Show up for your community.

This is how we reclaim wellness—not through slogans, but through choices—daily, deliberate, sometimes uncomfortable choices.

We may not be able to undo all the damage of the past, but we can build something worthy of our children—something worthy of ourselves.

Let’s begin again—with clarity, compassion, and conviction.

Dr. Tomi Mitchell

Physician. Advocate. Mother. Believer in a better tomorrow