When you outsource your health care, you delegate your destiny. When you take charge of your healing, you take back your health and life. ~ - Darina Stoyanova
Wellness
Wellness is defined by Merriam Webster as 'a state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal'. Eating nutritiously and exercising are necessary for a healthy lifestyle, but they make up just a part of total wellness.
There are six segments in the 'Wheel of Wellness'. Six areas of a persons life that need to be considered when assessing any difficulties they may encounter. Sometimes it may be that one or two areas are very dominant and the remaining ones are neglected. This can lead to feelings of incompleteness or a sense of emptyness sometimes.
The six areas or pieces of pie in the wheel of wellnes are: Occupational Health, Emotional Health, Physical Health, Intellectual Health, Social Health and Spiritual Health.
We often only consider physical health when deciding whether or not someone is “well.” Eating nutritiously and exercising are necessary for a healthy lifestyle, but they make up just a part of total wellness. Wellness has several components, and it is often depicted as a wheel with several spokes. The wellness wheel depicted at the right has seven spokes: physical, mental, spiritual, career, social, family, and financial. If areas (spokes) of the one’s wellness are under developed or neglected, the “wheel” (i.e. wellness) will be off balance. Wellness is when there is a degree of balance among the areas. What one considers “optimal wellness” is based on their needs, experiences, and circumstances. As we go through life’s challenges and joys, the different aspects of wellness will fall in and out of balance and may need more attention than other areas.
All of the six areas of the wheel of wellness are explained in greater detail below so as to help you understand its process:
Physical Wellness: a perception and expectation of physical health.
- Exercising regularly
- Eating properly
- Getting regular physical check-ups
- Avoiding the use of tobacco or illicit drugs
Spiritual Wellness: a positive perception of meaning and purpose in life.
- Being open to different cultures and religions
- Giving your time to volunteer or participate in community service activities
- Spending time defining personal values and ethics and making decisions that complement them
- Spending time alone in personal reflection
- Participating in spiritual activities
- Participating in activities that protect the environment
- Caring about the welfare of others and acting out of that care
Social Wellness: a perception of having support available from family, friends, or co-workers in times of need and a perception of being a valued support provider.
- Being comfortable with and liking yourself as a person
- Interacting easily with people of different ages, backgrounds, races, lifestyles
- Contributing time and energy to the community
- Communicating your feelings
- Developing friendships
- Recognizing a need for "fun" time in your life
-Budgeting and balancing your time to include both responsibilities and relaxation
Emotional Wellness: possession of a secure self-identity and a positive sense of self-regard; also the ability to cope with and/or improve unpleasant mood states.
- Keeping a positive attitude
- Being sensitive to your feelings and the feelings of others
- Learning to cope with stress
- Being realistic about your expectations and time
- Taking responsibility for your own behavior
- Dealing with your personal and financial issues realistically
- Viewing challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles
- Functioning independently but knowing when you need to ask for help
Intellectual Wellness: the perception of being internally energized by an optimal amount of intellectually stimulating activity.
- Learning because you want to - not because you are told to. Doing the work assigned.
- Learning through varied experiences - reading, writing, sharing and exploration
- Observing what is around you
- Listening
- Finding applications for material learned in the classroom
- Staying current with world affairs/news
- Questioning
- Exposing yourself to new experiences (e.g. arts, theatre)
Occupational Wellness: the positive perception of the environment that one works and lives in.
- Finding satisfaction and worth in your work
- Ensuring your work environment and relationships are comfortable
- Being aware of the natural environment you live in
- Recognizing opportunities that lead you to new skills and acting on those opportunities
- Working to ensure the stability and longevity of our natural resources
