When most people think about wellness, the first thought that comes to mind is diet and exercise. Well…..did you know that there are actually EIGHT degrees of Wellness??!!
If not, you are in the right place! Keep reading to learn more about the eight degrees of wellness and how to integrate them into your everyday life!
First of all, what is wellness? Is it merely the absence of illness??
In my opinion……wellness is a way of life. It is making a conscious decision to incorporate daily habits that will allow you to attain health, security, happiness and peace of mind. Who doesn’t want peace of mind……I know I do!! When you think about it, all eight degrees of wellness are interrelated and can have an effect on your quality of life if not maintained properly.
So let’s look at these one at a time and discuss how you can make daily choices to improve your overall wellbeing and live YOUR best life!
Physical Wellness:
Includes regular physical activity, balanced diet, normal BMI, sufficient sleep and avoiding harmful substances such as tobacco and excessive alcohol.
Tips:
- Go for a walk with the family, take an evening stroll after dinner!
- Work up to drinking half your body weight in water in ounces every day!
- Do a few exercises during each commercial break while watching TV!
- Include plenty of fruits and veggies into your diet. Don’t like eating them…..Blend them up…..that’s what I do. Green Smoothies are actually pretty delicious!
- Don’t focus on the scale, focus on developing healthy habits and the weight loss will follow.
- No electronics one hour before bed……do a little reading instead, this will help your mind relax and encourage a great night of sleep!
Intellectual/Mental:
Includes lifelong learning and applying that knowledge to create more opportunities for yourself. Acceptance of what you don’t know and taking the chance to learn something new.
Tips:
- Challenge yourself to learn something new everyday! Read for fun….and no social media doesn’t count……unless you are reading educational stuff like this….wink wink.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions…..revert back to your 4 year old self and ask away!!!
- Pick a word of the day and try to use that word all day to expand your vocabulary.
- Just remember……knowledge is power and there is always something new and exciting to learn.
- Last but not least…..share what you learn with others. By teaching others what you learn you help yourself retain that information.
Financial Wellness:
Includes being responsible with finances through proper budgeting, saving and investing of funds.
Tips:
- Pay yourself first…..in other words before paying others designate some money to put into a savings account. Even if it’s only $20, it’s a start!
- Needs versus wants, learn the difference. Ask yours self…..does my family and I need this to survive?? If not it is a want……put it back and walk away QUICKLY!!
- Create a budget and stick to it! It will be hard but reaching a point of financial freedom will be sooooo worth it!
- Invest for retirement, I mean who wants to work until they’re 70? To each its own but I plan on relaxing and being overdressed with pearls on in my living room for absolutely no reason at all…..like seriously!
Emotional Wellness:
Properly expressing your feelings and dealing with stress in a healthy manner. Understanding that life has its ups and downs but not letting the bad times deter you from moving forward.
Tips:
- Don’t hold in your emotions, expressing yourself to others is healthy. Just don’t tell everyone all your business.
- Cope with stress in a healthy way. Hard day at work?? Go for a walk or jog, it really works. I know it can be tempting to drink a whole bottle of wine…but don’t….trust me been there done that. Just drink half the bottle……just kidding!
- Let go of negative relationships. If you surround yourself with positivity, your life will be much more enjoyable.
Social Wellness:
Being comfortable with interacting with family, friends and others in group environments. The ability to maintain healthy relationships with others and the willingness to meet new people. New people can bring new experiences and new experiences are learning opportunities. You never know what you may have in common!
Tips:
- When communicating with others don’t cast judgment or blame and definitely don’t criticize others as this can lead to conflict.
- Be a good listener! I have struggled with this myself. A lot of times we are so focused on what we want to say that we are not listening to others speak.
- Be your authentic self! If you are pretending to be someone you are not, eventually the REAL you will come out. You can only pretend for so long. If someone doesn’t accept you for you then they can kick rocks!!
Spiritual Wellness:
Believing in a higher power and trusting that everyone has a purpose on this earth.
Tips:
- Think about who you are and what things that you value the most. This will help guide you to your purpose.
- Realize that life is a journey. All of the experiences we have throughout our journey help shape us into the person we are meant to be.
- Make time to pray and or meditate. Dedicating time to connect to oneself is crucial in helping to free your mind from the worries of the day.
- Develop a positive mindset! When you start to look at things in a positive light it helps to alleviate worry and anxiousness. Besides….no one wants to be around a negative Nancy!!
Environmental Wellness:
Protecting the world around us by conserving energy and water, recycling, avoid littering and polluting the air.
Tips:
- Be aware that your daily habits affect the world around you.
- Doing simple things like turning off the water when brushing your teeth, recycling and purchasing energy efficient appliances.
- Do not liter!! Nothing more to add to that one.
- Use natural products! This will lead to a healthier home, family and environment. Daily exposure to chemicals can lead to toxicity and cause illness.
Occupational:
Enjoying your work and having a passion for what you do regardless of income or status.
Tips:
- Create a work-life balance. Life should not be all work and no play. Have some fun everyone once in a while to recharge.
- Build healthy relationships with co-workers and deal with any issues head on in a positive way.
- Find a career that you enjoy instead of a job that you despise.
- Take your passion and turn it into a career you love!
As you can see WELLNESS encompasses way more than just diet and exercise alone. All eight dimensions interconnect which is why it is important to take care of our whole self…….mind, body and spirit.
Find Health in Every day,
Dr. Lindsay