Wellness is the active process of becoming aware again and again and making the choices that turn us toward a healthy and fulfilling life. It would be the state of complete social, physical and mental well-being or even a conscious, self-directed & evolving process of achieving ones full potential. Wellness is a dynamic process of personal and physical growth and change and being free from illnesses.
Achieving and mainlining an optimal level of wellness is absolutely crucial to live a higher quality of life. This matters because everything we do and every emotion we feel from past and present is related to our well-being. Our well-being affects our emotions and ultimately our actions. It is a continuous circle. When we achieve this optimal wellness we can subdue stress, ensure positive interactions and reduce the risk of illnesses.
There are Eight Dimensions of Wellness that we should discuss: occupational, spiritual, emotional, social, financial, intellectual, physical, and environmental. They are all interrelated with one another and each one is vital in the pursuit of optimal health. This might seem overwhelming but we can achieve an optimal Wellness by focusing and healing each one of these dimensions at a time. With each one and the description, there is a daily affirmation or mantra to create a healthier relationship with each one and also an Essential Oil to go with each one.
This relates to understanding your feelings, your past barriers and emotions and being able to cope with stress effectively. It is important to pay attention to stress reduction, self-care, relaxation, and the development of inner resources so you can learn and grow from your experiences. Feelings and emotions from the past can also have an effect on this. The book “Feelings Buried Alive Never Die” is one of my all-time favorites for healing past emotional stuff. This is a good time to write down any and all of your limited beliefs and thoughts and then BURN THEM!
This encourages all of us to respect the delicate balance between the environment and ourselves. We are all connected to this great big earth and we all have a responsibility for our environment and the surroundings around us. Respect for other living things in our environment is just as necessary as respect for the physical environment itself. Take off your shoes and go barefoot on the grass and connect.
This wellness involves having an open mind when you encounter new ideas, things, people and continuing to expand your knowledge. It encourages active participation in scholastic, cultural and community activities. Time to learn another language. This is the continuing of developing yourself intellectually and staying connected as we do it.
This involves the process of learning how to successfully manage financial expenses. Money plays a critical role in our lives and not having enough of it impacts health as well as academic performance. Financial stress is repeatedly found to be a common source of stress, anxious feelings and fear for so many people.
This dimension is about enjoying your occupational endeavors, appreciating your contributions and celebrating your successes. This dimension of wellness encourages personal satisfaction and enrichment in one’s life through work. Always find passion in what you do including in your occupation.
This aspect relates to maintaining a healthy body and seeking care when needed. Physical health is attained through eating healthy, exercising daily, getting enough sleep and paying attention to the signs of illnesses and finding whole ways of managing illnesses and diseases. This multi-faceted dimension is relative to each person’s abilities and disabilities. It promotes healthy lifestyle habits and discourages negative and excessive behavior.
This aspect of wellness assists and helps you preform social roles effectively and comfortably, and creates a support network. This dimension of wellness allows you to not only develop encouraging relationships with peers, but also intimate relationships with romantic partners. Promotes creating and maintaining healthy relationships. It enhances interdependence with others and nature, and encourages the pursuit of harmony and feelings of connectedness.
This dimension allows you to develop a set of values that help you seek meaning and purpose. What are your values and what is important to you?
Spirituality can be represented in many ways, for example, through relaxation meditation and tapping into spirit and higher power. Promotes seeking meaning and purpose in human existence. It involves developing a strong sense of personal values and ethics. This dimension emphasizes the development of an appreciation for the depth and expanse of life and natural forces that exist in the universe. Being spiritually well means knowing which resources to use to cope with issues that come up in everyday life. Do you need to pray, meditate, do yoga or find a way to tap into spirituality?
