"Health is a state of mind - WELLNESS is a state of BEING"
Definition of “wellness”:
According to the World Health Organisation: “Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes so that instead of just surviving, you’re thriving.“
Wellness is thus an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. It is more than being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth. A good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity: welfare.
In other words, wellness is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is not a passive or static state but rather a dynamic and conscious development of the whole self. Wellness is associated with intentions, choices, and actions leading toward an optimal state of well-being so that instead of surviving, you’re thriving on ALL levels – mentally, physically, and spiritually.
"Every moment lived well is the secret to overall wellness "
According to several studies, the most common health problem in the world is depression. This problem is often manifested in the form of insomnia, stress, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, obesity, and heart disease, etc.
Irrespective of a person’s age, size, shape, or perceived attractiveness, it is wellness that is the cornerstone of quality of life. It determines how we ultimately look, feel, interact with others, and thrive in life and work.
Wellness is the conscious development of the whole self. Embarking on a wellness journey is a process of searching for the appropriate “tools” to make you a healthier and happier human being, plus discovering your own effective methods to use these “tools” for continued growth and development. As there is a great variety on all aspects of life, there are also countless ways to cultivate yourself on an ever-changing path of wellness.
It is important to see that all of the various concepts of wellness should include at least the following precepts:
Holism – your health and well-being are the outcomes of the constant interaction between the several natural dimensions of life and wellness. Each dimension is interrelated with the others. The aim is to be conscious of yourself as a whole and complete person, living life as fully as possible.
Balance – while acknowledging the constantly changing nature of your life, you look to balance it by giving significant attention to each of the dimensions. Lack of sufficient attention to any one dimension will result in less-than-optimal development as a person, and may possibly lead to chronic unhappiness.
Self-Responsibility – a “well” person owns up to his or her responsibility for health and happiness and does not allow others to take control over decisions he/she needs to make for him/herself. Self-responsibility presupposes self-awareness, including the process by which one becomes increasingly more aware of both the causes and consequences of his/her behavior.
Positive and Proactive – wellness requires primarily positive perspectives and values by which to live. It also requires a strong sense of purpose and conscious, deliberate action. These are our starting assumptions, and they have stood well through time. However, they provide merely a simple framework. What you put inside that framework is totally up to you.
Within the wellness field, we tend to think of wellness as somewhere between physical health and mental well-being. Usually, when people are referring to “health”, they mean physical health, and when people say “well-being”, they are referring to mental health. Wellness is a somewhat broader term that generally includes both physical health and mental well-being as well as other dimensions like spirituality.
Balanced dimensions of Wellness (Wellness Wheel):
Wellness is commonly viewed as having seven or eight dimensions: mental (= intellectual & emotional), physical, spiritual, environmental, social, financial, and vocational/occupational.
These dimensions are interdependent and influence each other. When one dimension of our well-being is out of balance, the other dimensions are affected. To strive for wellness is to take a proactive approach by learning how to be well in each dimension and taking action to build wellness-affirming habits, routines, and living strategies.
Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness means that we live in balance, connection, and synergy with our surroundings. This means that 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 our environmental wellness, we might opt to move away from the city to be in nature more often, or we might strive to move to a neighborhood with less crime.
Physical Wellness/Well-being
Physical wellness usually includes diet, exercise, and sleep. Nutrition is perhaps one of the most talked about areas of wellness. Indeed, it’s important to learn about which foods to eat for greater wellness and which foods contribute to ill-health.
Exercise is another big topic. Exercise is not only good for physical wellness, it contributes to better emotional wellness as well. So try to get at least a bit of exercise every day.
Emotional Wellness/Well-being
It 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.
Intellectual Wellness/Well-being
Intellectual wellness is all about learning and growing. When we make an effort to be curious, creative, and inquisitive, we get to experience more things that can fuel wellness. For example, we could go to a gallery and be inspired by beautiful art. We can have conversations with people who are different than us and learn new things that might help us re-think our challenges and worldview. Or we might do something creative like photography, making music, or cooking that makes us feel more alive and well.
Occupational Wellness/Well-being
Occupational wellness can be found by contributing something meaningful to the world – we can get this type of wellness from school or volunteering as well. When we feel purposeful about our work and are appreciated for a job well done, we feel more meaning. Even if we can’t throw caution to the wind and quit our jobs, we can grow our occupational wellness in small ways, for example by helping out a coworker, joining a project we’re interested in, or building new skills to move into a career that is more fulfilling.
Social Wellness/Well-being
Social wellness is all about relationships with friends, family, coworkers, and communities. We can improve our social wellness by building skills like gratitude, kindness, and communication. These skills can help improve our social interactions and decrease feelings of loneliness. These things are all crucial for wellness.
Financial Wellness
Although money doesn’t exactly buy happiness, not having enough money can contribute to reduced health and happiness. That’s why it’s important to learn about money, create a budget, and use money strategically to enhance wellness. For example, research shows that spending money on experiences and other people makes us happier than buying things for ourselves. By understanding the role money has in wellness, we can make decisions that improve our lives.
Spiritual Wellness / Well-being
Our spiritual wellness comes from connection to something we may perceive greater than ourselves. Wellness comes from a connection to “everything”, with spiritual wellness coming from a connection to the cosmos, planet, nature, other living being, and ourselves. We can increase spiritual wellness with strategies like mindfulness and living positive values. By making these efforts, our lives become more purposeful and impactful.
"The purpose of our lives is happiness ... Happiness is the highest form of health" - Dalai Lama -