Over the past year, many of us have faced new challenges and re-evaluated our lives in many ways. The concept of wellness and taking time out for ourselves has become more and more popular among us. A balanced approach to wellness in life can radically change how we think, act, and make decisions.
Wellness is all about continuous growth and maintaining balance across all seven dimensions of wellness. People often think that "wellness" is solely related to physical health only. No, it’s not true. The word is associated with a combination of health values like nutrition, exercise, diet, weight management, etc. Wellness, however, includes a lot more than physical health. It is an integration of physical well-being, mental well-being and spiritual well-being. There are a variety of factors involved in determining the quality of life.
Wellness can be defined as the balance of all the elements of seven dimensions that make up our lives. A person's quality of life or wellness depends on each dimension, which overlaps and affects the others. It is possible that one dimension is more important than the other at a certain point of time. However, neglecting any one of them for an extended period of time can affect your overall health.
The following are the seven dimensions of wellness
- Physical wellness
- Emotional wellness
- Spiritual wellness
- Environmental wellness
- Intellectual wellness
- Social wellness
- Occupational wellness
Physical wellness
In order to be physically well, you need to adopt healthy habits. This includes a healthy diet and regular exercise along with some lifestyle choices like quitting tobacco, drug usage and alcohol. Maintaining a healthy balance between your activities and seeing your doctor regularly will help to prevent unnecessary physical stress.
You can add years to your life today by adopting such healthy habits, and you can also enjoy the quality of life in those years.
Tips to achieve physical wellness:
- Make exercise a daily habit
- Take time to rest
- Wear a seat belt, helmet, and other safety gear in travelling.
- Learn how to identify the signs of illness early
- Consume a wide variety of healthy food
- Eat in moderation
- Quit smoking and also try to avoid secondhand smoke
- Quit drinking alcohol or take it in moderation, if at all
Emotional wellness
The emotional dimension of your wellbeing is dynamic and frequently fluctuates with the other six wellness dimensions. A person who is emotionally healthy is one who is able to feel and express emotions like happiness, sadness, and anger. Life is about being able to love and being loved and living a fulfilling life. The concept of emotional wellness includes means being optimistic, self-confident, self-accepting, and able to share emotions.
Tips to achieve emotional wellness:
- Feel your emotions and thoughts
- Develop an optimistic mindset
- Seek & provide support
- Learn how to manage your time
- Learn stress management techniques
- Accept yourself for what you are
- Be forgiving to yourself
Intellectual wellness
Having a strong intellectual dimension stimulates your creativity and mental activities. We need to keep our minds inspired and exercised, in the same way as we exercise our bodies. People with high levels of intellectual wellness possess qualities of an active mind and a desire to learn. People with a strong sense of intellectual wellbeing utilize the available resources to enhance their knowledge and improve their skills. Engaging in activities that stimulate the mind and staying up-to-date with current events are also important.
Tips to achieve intellectual wellness:
- Consider taking a course or attending a workshop
- Learn a new language
- Make friends who can challenge you intellectually and spend time
- Read more
- Develop a sense of appreciation for art
Social wellness
Social wellness refers to the ability of an individual to effectively interact within global communities. This includes the ability to live up to the expectations of his or her roles in daily life. It means developing strong communication skills building relationships with others and establishing a strong network among family and friends.
It is important to respect yourself and others in order to be socially healthy. It builds a sense of belonging when you contribute to your community and the world.
Tips to achieve social wellness:
- Establish healthy relationships
- Participate in social conversations
- Show and share your talent & skills
- Talk about your ideas, thoughts, and feelings with others
Spiritual wellness
Being spiritually well involves having a set of beliefs, principles, or values that guide one's life. It requires strong faith, confidence, and a firm belief in what you believe to add meaning and purpose to your life. Human nature is defined by a desire to discover meaning and to appreciate things beyond explanation and comprehension.
In order to be spiritually healthy, one seeks harmony with the forces within as well as outside.
Tips achieve spiritual wellness:
- Discover your spiritual essence
- Invest some time in yourself
- Be curious and inquisitive
- Meditate regularly
- Pay your full attention to everything you do
- Live by your principles and always trust your instincts
- Embrace your own uniqueness and let others around you be who they are
- Challenges in life offer opportunities for growth. Grab them.
Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness means one should be aware of the unstable state of our planet and the impact of our everyday activities on the environment. The goal of this dimension is to maintain a lifestyle that is environmentally friendly, harmonious with the earth and protect it as much as possible. Participation in activities that promote environmental conservation is a part of environmental wellbeing.
Tips to achieve environmental wellness:
- Save water and other natural resources
- Reduce the use of chemicals
- Practise RRR concept - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Build your relationship with nature
Occupational Wellness
Occupational wellness often called vocational wellness is about preparing and utilizing your natural gifts, skills, & talent to find happiness and gain purpose in your life. Your attitude towards your work is important in developing occupational satisfaction and wellness.
When one reaches optimal occupational wellness, they are empowered with a positive attitude, confidence, and will be satisfied throughout their careers. Achieving occupational wellness involves blending your work commitment with a satisfying and rewarding lifestyle.
Tips to achieve occupational wellness:
- Explore a wide range of career options
- Make a plan for your future
- Make sure your career matches your personality, interests, and abilities
- Be adaptive and keep learning new skills
A good way to remember the “Seven Dimensions of Wellness” is by remembering the acronym “SPECIES”. If you want to build a strong sense of well-being, you should balance all the pieces of the puzzle with one another. So what are you planning to do this month to boost your overall health and wellness?
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