Alexandra Langley looks at the bigger picture for holistic health

1. How did you first hear about the WELL Accredited Professional (AP) credential? What got you excited enough about it to apply, study and take the test?

My road to the WELL AP began when, in a conversation about the environment and well-being, a friend asked if I’d heard of IWBI. I hadn’t, but what my friend had said about them piqued my interest. I jumped on the website. I became intrigued and then, honestly, excited as I read on. Until that point, I had not come across any solution to bettering the individual health of human-”beings” in the human-”doing” space, such as office buildings, was the principal concern.

Although I’d previously understood at a basic level that people, individually and as a collective, are affected by the building itself, I’d never seen such a thorough cross-connection of elements as is seen in the WELL Building Standard. This people-centric approach was super exciting to me.

Eventually, through sheer happenstance, I connected with a WELL AP study buddy who was as committed as I was, and who loved a deep dive down into a rabbit hole as much as I did – this attitude can be a real asset, both in real-world scenarios and in preparing for the exam! Finally, I earned my WELL AP.

2. What’s one way becoming a WELL AP has impacted your life and/or career?

The most profound way becoming a WELL AP has impacted my life to date is how acutely aware I’ve become of my environment, in both my day-to-day life and professionally. It’s made me think differently about how I interact with spaces, even at home. For instance, I’m now able to read and understand the local water report in my area. (This was very exciting to me!)

3. What are some things you’ve been able to do (or you plan to do) as a WELL AP you couldn’t before? Why are those things important to you?

Becoming a WELL AP helped me deepen my understanding of the built environment as a physical space that acts upon us. It also improved my vocabulary in this industry, helping me better communicate with and understand my colleagues. I have been working on developing wellness spaces for quite some time, and the WELL AP has already proven valuable to my practice, increasing the level of service and support I can provide to clients.

4. Did anything about the WELL AP surprise you? What was it? How would you prepare WELL AP candidates for that?

What surprised me about the WELL AP was the sheer amount of material there was to learn, including the depth of the details. I wasn’t expecting that. To me, this reflected the seriousness and dedication of the movement.

Once you decide to get your WELL AP credential, get organized from the start to set yourself up for success. Be sure to read the Standard’s Overview and Concepts. These address the client’s perspective, and they serve as a great jumping-off point for your learning journey.

From there, head over to the study material. As much as I didn’t like to print out the materials – I put off doing it for a while – I acquiesced and printed out all of the guidebooks and study guides and organized them into binders. The glossary and appendix I kept in a separate, narrow binder for ease of use.

Be patient: Know that for some of us, it will take more time than others – and sometimes, as in my case, much more time.

When reading the Concepts online, notice which Concept(s) you find easier to understand or relatable – maybe one you deal with directly in your professional life. Hone in on which concepts are interesting to you – perhaps you have zero knowledge of a particular Concept, but you find yourself curious about it. Also, identify which ones you think may be a challenge. Knowing how you learn and how you feel about the Concepts going in can help you develop a game plan for studying it all.

Another pointer I’d like to share is a simple one: any material IWBI provides for you to study, it’s worth taking the time to read it.

5. Do you have any advice you’d give potential WELL AP candidates?

I have a few!

• Go in with an open mind. Be open to absorbing the information. Look to connect with a study buddy or group. Make a checklist of the material you have to study, including guidebooks and supplemental material, so you make sure to review all of it.
• Flashcards are great for studying on the go, and for testing yourself. My study buddy and I held pop quizzes to infuse some fun and levity while studying.
• Do any of the practice exams available repeatedly until you get close to 100%. This builds confidence and helps you to retain the information.
• Once you have an idea of the amount of studying you have ahead of you, set the date for the exam. Give yourself a doable time frame. Know the deadline for changing your exam date, in case you feel you won’t be ready in time. But ready you will be!

6. What does well-being mean to you? How do you incorporate it into your life and routine?

Well-being is the world I travel in most of the time. It is a personal passion, as well as my business. To me, whole-being (holistic) wellness relates to the mind, body, spirit, emotions, energy, spaces and places.

Well-being is where we are in relation to being a well-looked-after, well-nourished, well-cared-for human being. It is a sense, a feeling, a knowing, a being, a doing, a continual practice of one’s wellness.

I feel well-being is personal and subjective.

For example, one person may have arrived at a level of self-optimization where they feel their wellness only needs to be maintained. Another person may have a design and goal of well-being that feels is a far-off destination requiring much action, doing and being, but they are taking those steps toward their well-being. If you are on the pathway-of wellness, you are practicing the art of well-being. While others, unfortunately, may not be aware that there is an improvement to be made at all.

Well-being is a level of health, harmony, and happiness that each person can determine for themselves. It is personal, and it is extraordinarily impactful.

Well-being is internal and external at the same time. I think well-being pivots around self-awareness and kindness to oneself.

I have a long list of well-being practices, so I don’t do each one every single day. The ones I do make a priority are: stretches before I get out of bed; warm lemon or plain water first thing; stretching throughout the day – in any capacity; centering practices; prayer; even when I am super busy I make sure to eat colors of the rainbow and foods without an ingredient list (blueberries, spinach, broccoli, apples, etc.); keeping up water intake; herbal and detox tisanes; I would say Peloton is becoming a must-do even if it is 15 minutes; hugging & squeezing my dog – a lot! And applying hand cream!

Ready to take a greater role in the global movement for people-first places? Start your WELL AP journey today.