What is wellness?
Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is more than being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth one step and or one door at a time.
What does wellness mean to you?
Maintaining an optimal level of wellness is absolutely crucial to live a higher quality life. Wellness matters because everything we do and every emotion we feel relates to our well-being. In turn, our well-being directly affects our actions and emotions. It’s an ongoing circle. Therefore, it is important for everyone to achieve optimal wellness in order to subdue stress, reduce the risk of illness and ensure positive interactions.-According to the Student Health and Counseling Services
Strategies for wellness:
There are believed to be eight dimensions of wellness according to SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration that include:
- Emotional—Coping effectively with life and creating satisfying relationships
- Environmental—Good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support well-being
- Financial—Satisfaction with current and future financial situations
- Intellectual—Recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills
- Occupational—Personal satisfaction and enrichment from one’s work
- Physical—Recognizing the need for physical activity, healthy foods, and sleep
- Social—Developing a sense of connection, belonging, and a well-developed support system
- Spiritual—Expanding a sense of purpose and meaning in life
While all eight dimensions of wellness need our attention for us to truly flourish, there doesn’t have to be a balance among all dimensions. Instead, the goal is to find a personal harmony with the dimensions that are most authentic for you. You can’t get there passively, it requires active awareness, acceptance, and commitment through choices you make every day no matter how small.-According to the University of Maryland Health Center
Did you know that:
Halbert L. Dunn, M.D. (1896–1975) was the leading figure in establishing a national vital statistics system in the United States and is known as the “father of the wellness movement”
-According to Wikipedia
The Evolution of Wellness:
Although Dr Dunn, is known as the father of the wellness movement. The evolution of wellness has been around for a long time.
No matter how one looks at wellness, it is important to note that there are four important elements of wellness and they are:
- Physical
- Mental
- Emotional
- Spiritual
More Education:
Education is the key to unlocking the doors of change to moving forward in wellness in-order for the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual elements to be in harmony.