Wellness for Life: How to Thrive in Mind, Body & Spirit
INSIDE: In order to achieve optimal wellness for life, it’s important to understand the different dimensions of wellness and how they work together to impact your life. Let’s learn about the different types of wellness and some tips to improve each one!
What would it be like to achieve optimal wellness for life? And what does that even mean?
There are many facets to wellness and none of them are more important than another. Let’s take a dive into discovering what wellness means and the multiple dimensions of wellness, as well as examples of how to increase wellness in YOUR life.
What is Wellness?
The terms “health” and “wellness” are often used interchangeably, however, there are some big differences. For example, wellness is more active and process-oriented, while health is more of a state of being. Wellness is an dynamic process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.
How to Achieve Wellness in Life
I have worked with many people, both personally and professionally, and it’s quite clear that most people want the same things in life, although we all have different ways that we achieve them.
We all want to live up to our full potential.
And when we learn how to do that, we end up living our own life, free from the “shoulds” of society and limiting beliefs. Then, we take action from that place, and every aspect of our lives improves.
To me, that is the definition of wellness.
It means allowing ourselves to feel the way we do, not the way we think we should feel. To achieve wellness in life, it involves diving in, engaging in self-exploration, and getting to know ourselves better to discover what makes us tick, as they say.
When we do that, the dimensions of wellness start to align, and we experience more balance, health, and happiness.
What Are the Dimensions of Wellness?
Although we all may have differing beliefs about the definition of wellness and the number of wellness dimensions, to me, there are 7 aspects of wellness that work together to create our well-being…
Emotional Wellness
Emotional wellness (or well-being) includes a range of emotional skills like positive thinking, resiliency, and using our strengths. By developing these skills, we can better manage emotions, cope with stress, and live satisfying, meaningful lives.
This aspect of wellness for life involves living to our fullest potential and living in the present (getting out of the past). In this sense, as long as we are doing the best we possibly can, we are successful.
Environment Wellness
Environmental wellness means we live in a balance and symbiotic relationship with feelings of connection and a synergy with our surroundings. That means where we live is calm, safe, non-toxic, and supportive of our health and well-being. It’s important to remember that our environment contributes to our wellness, but we also have some control over our environment.
To improve and optimize this dimension of wellness for life, we might get a water filter to lessen the toxic pollutants we consume. We might opt to spend more time in nature, even if we live in the city. Breathing the oxygen from plant life, leaning up against a tree, and walking in the sand or grass, can regenerate us and improve our mental health.
Physical Wellness
Physical wellness usually includes a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep. Nutrition is one of the most talked about areas of wellness. It’s important to learn about which foods to eat for greater wellness and which foods contribute to ill-health.
No two people are the same, so what produces wellness for life for you might not work for another. Using your senses will provide a good foundation from which to choose what will work for you. By optimizing your well-being, you’ll not only look better but feel better and happier.
A detoxified liver can assist in feeling better and happier. When the liver is toxic, a person can feel wiry, have nervous energy, or be angry.
Exercise is another big topic that is not only good for physical wellness, but also emotional wellness as well. Try to get at least a bit each day, even if it’s a short walk outside or in an enclosed area during the colder months.
Intellectual Wellness
Intellectual wellness is about learning and growing. When we feel curious or creative, we then experience more in life, which fuels our wellness.
We might go to a museum to learn about something in history or go to a shop to learn how to make pottery or to play a guitar, which makes us feel we’ve achieved a challenge, adding to our sense of vitality and enthusiasm. Going to a place where people are not of the same ethnicity and engaging in conversations can give us a different perspective of your world, opening us up to the greater picture of life.
Occupational Wellness
Occupational wellness can be found by contributing something meaningful to the world. This can be created in the workplace, school, or through volunteering.
Our occupation is a huge part of achieving wellness for life since it occupies most of our waking lives. When we feel purposeful about what we are doing and are appreciated for doing well, we experience more meaning in our lives.
Helping a coworker, involving yourself in a project, or learning a new skill related to your career can feel very fulfilling. By creating a better working environment, burnout occurs less often, and you’ll feel a greater desire to do your work.
Social Wellness
Social wellness is all about relationships with people. We can improve our social wellness by building skills like gratitude, kindness, and communication. These skills can help improve our social interaction and decrease feelings of loneliness. Developing better and more empowering relationships are crucial for wellness.
Financial Wellness
Although money doesn’t exactly buy happiness, not having enough can certainly contribute to reduced health and happiness. As money is a source of value, learning about money, creating a budget, and learning successful money strategies all contribute to achieving wellness for life.
For example, research shows that spending money on experiences and other people makes us happier than buying things for ourselves. By understanding the role of value in our lives (not only our value but the value of other things), we can make decisions that improve our lives.
To Achieve Wellness for Life, Keep it Simple
Reaching for wellness is important because it impacts so many areas of life. Honestly, most people want to live their life to their fullest potential. Although, that isn’t easy, life often comes with its challenges and things that are out of our control.
Fortunately for you, optimizing your overall well-being and achieving wellness for life is something you can do through your choices.
As we make more conscious and better choices toward optimal wellness for life, we are working toward a healthier and more fulfilling life. It is more than being free from an illness; it is a dynamic process of change and growth.
By making small changes in life one step at a time, you’ll make a huge difference in your well-being over time. Begin with a simple tip for wellness: drink an extra glass of water or eat an apple a day. This will ensure that the changes you make will be everlasting and improve your outlook.
Take the Wellness Journey
As wellness is the conscious development of the whole self, embarking on this journey of improvement is a process of searching for the appropriate “tools” to make you a healthier and happier human being. Plus, it’s important to discover your own effective methods to use these “tools” for continued growth and development.
A key to wellness is seeing that all the dimensions of wellness will help equip us with sustainable life skills. Wellness isn’t something that is found; it is the journey of discovery that never ends.
Are you ready to begin a better path to wellness?
