Opinions: What Wellness Means To Me
Each issue we ask three thought leaders the same question. This time: what does wellness mean to you?
Melie Dunod
The last few years have made me realise the importance of focusing on my mental health, and introducing daily rituals has helped me manage stressful situations and means I continue to feel strong in mind and body.
Travelling is my favourite way to escape and restores my energy levels — new environments allow me to disconnect, give me headspace and encourage me to be curious and reflect. I have grown to appreciate short, wholesome countryside getaways where I can enjoy long hikes in the great outdoors and fully reset and relax.
I have also realised the importance of doing two longer trips a year to truly disconnect and immerse myself in a new environment. In my day-to-day life, beautiful spaces are absolutely key for me to feel comfortable and at ease. My favourite therapy is to re-arrange my own interiors at home and find the few little pieces that I am still missing. I also love Bikram yoga and religiously go once a week for a stretch and meditation class every Sunday evening — it’s the best way to end the weekend.
Melie Dunod is founder of August Collection, a luxury second-home company.
Rupert Hutchison
For me, human wellness and planetary wellbeing are intimately interconnected.
Forgetting this ecological reality is at the core of the converging crises we face as a species — the belief that, somehow, we’re separate from each other and the world around us rather than an interwoven part of it.
Through my work facilitating outdoor programmes focussing on the connection between humans and nature, I’ve seen that coming into contact with the wonder of the natural world around us can be a powerful catalyst for human wellness. The positive benefits on a personal and social level are abundant but these experiences can also help us feel part of something bigger than ourselves, fostering a crucial sense of custodianship for life on Earth.
My experience has shown me that true wellness has to begin with exploring the relationship we humans have with the rest of the living world and spending as much time as we can in wilder places, gaining perspective and being reminded of our place on this extraordinary planet we call home. Perhaps then we can start to live more regeneratively and in harmony with the systems that create the conditions for all life to thrive.
Rupert Hutchinson is a regenerative coach and co-founder of certified B Corp and sustainability consultancy Living Alive.
Noor Charchafchi 
Over the past few years, I’ve been re-evaluating my idea of personal wellbeing and made the decision to introduce some discipline into how I start each day, building in a routine that I make a conscious effort to stick to.
A 5am wake-up is so important to me: it gives me an extra two hours before my children wake up to have some dedicated time for myself and to plan for the day. After a coffee, checking to see if any urgent emails came in overnight from my overseas clients or speaking with my mother who is based in Dubai, I head to the gym.
Having never been a fitness fanatic, I’ve surprised myself at how essential exercising each morning with my trainer has become in my daily life. I find committing to movement and looking after my body gives me inspiration for the day ahead and balances my mind and thoughts.
A 5am start can seem daunting initially, but as a working mother of three and running a business where every day has a different schedule and its own challenges, implementing these mini-rituals each morning has become crucial to my sense of wellbeing, allowing me to feel calmer and more grounded.
Noor Charchafchi is founder and CEO of Celine Interior Design.
This article originally appeared in Billionaire's Healing Issue, Winter 2022/2023. To subscribe contact
