Wellness is something that can affect all aspects of a person’s life and, because wellness relates directly to the quality of a person’s life it is something that should be prioritized.
What Is Wellness?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, wellness is a broad term that can affect a person’s mental and physical health. It covers a range of different facets of a person’s life.
“We invite you to think of wellness as meaning begin healthy in many dimensions of our lives.”
Some aspects that wellness can refer to include emotional, physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual well-being. All of these things are interconnected and build upon one another. It is important that all aspects of wellness are balanced properly to create a certain harmony that promotes clean, healthy living.
Tips To Improve Well-Being
As mentioned before, there are multiple moving parts when it comes to wellness. It is important to make sure that these various aspects of well-being are cared for properly. According to SAMHSA, there are eight specific dimensions to wellness that you need to be cognizant of.
Physical Wellness
Having a healthy body and creating good physical health habits can all help improve mood and overall well-being. Some tips for improving physical wellness include:
- Get proper exercise
- Create a healthy meal plan
- Get a good amount of sleep, about seven to eight hours
- Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, find drug abuse or alcoholism help online if you need it
Intellectual Wellness
Keeping the brain active and healthy throughout your life is important. There are a number of activities that you can implement in your day-to-day life to promote intellectual wellness, such as:
- Continued education
- Personal interests like taking a class or workshop
- Brain exercises and books or DVDs that interest you
- Regular conversations
Financial Wellness
While finances may be a bit trickier to track the successes of, a person’s satisfaction with their financial situation is important and is something that needs to be considered when discussing overall wellness. Some things to consider when looking at financial wellness include:
- Does your work give you resources to do things you enjoy?
- Is work fulfilling?
- Look at and understand any debt that you may have
- Create a weekly and monthly budget
Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness includes being safe and feeling safe in your living and work areas and having pleasant and stimulating environments that promote overall well-being. When it comes to environmental wellness be sure to think about:
- Green living, recycle when possible and limit the water and power you use
- Get a change of scenery
- Spend time outdoors
- Have a healthy home and work environment that isn’t conducive with stress
Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual wellness is a broad concept that is completely dependent on a person’s beliefs, however, it can also affect life meaning and purpose. To promote spiritual wellness, here are some things you can do:
- Determine values and beliefs that are important to you
- Learn about other religions and beliefs
- Get Involved in organizations and communities that promote your beliefs
Social Wellness
It is important to prioritize social interactions and relationships with friends, family, and communities. Humans are social creatures and if you do not nurture these relationships, it can lead to many mental health problems such as isolation and depression. When it comes to social wellness, consider the following:
- Keep in touch with friends or family
- Pick up the phone and call those who you can’t see consistently
- Get out and meet new people who have similar interests
- Set time aside for meeting with friends and family
Occupational Wellness
As mentioned before, it is important to find purpose and have a personal interest in your work life. To feel fulfilled in your occupations prioritize the following:
- Does your job reflect and fit with your personal values?
- Do you have a positive work/life balance?
- Do you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride at your job?
Emotional Wellness
Emotional wellness refers to the ability to express feelings, enjoy life, and deal with emotional challenges. When it comes to feelings and emotion, some things that you can do to improve emotional well-being include:
- Develop safe and open relationships with friends and family
- Join a support group if you need one
- Learn different techniques to help manage stress
Addressing a few of these things in your life and implementing some changes can prove to have drastic and positive effects on your overall physical and mental health.