Wholeness

There are five main aspects of personal health: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual. In order to be considered “well,” it is imperative for none of these areas to be neglected.

Physical wellness encompasses a variety of healthy behaviors including adequate exercise, proper nutrition, and abstaining from harmful habits such as drug use and alcohol abuse. It means learning about and identifying symptoms of disease, getting regular medical checkups, and protecting yourself from injuries and harm. Developing such healthy habits today will not only add years to your life but will enhance the enjoyment and quality of those years.

• Exercise daily
• Get adequate rest
• Use seat belts, helmets, and other protective equipment
• Learn to recognize early signs of illness
• Eat a variety of healthy foods
• Control your meal portions
• Stop smoking and protect yourself against second-hand smoke
• Use alcohol in moderation, if at all

Emotional wellness is a dynamic state that fluctuates frequently with your other six dimensions of wellness. Being emotionally well is typically defined as possessing the ability to feel and express human emotions such as happiness, sadness, and anger.

It means having the ability to love and be loved and achieving a sense of fulfillment in life. Emotional wellness encompasses optimism, self-esteem, self-acceptance, and the ability to share feelings.

• Tune-in to your thoughts and feelings
• Cultivate an optimistic attitude
• Seek and provide support
• Learn time management skills
• Practice stress management techniques
• Accept and forgive yourself

The intellectual dimension encourages creative, stimulating mental activities. Our minds need to be continually inspired and exercised just as our bodies do. People who possess a high level of intellectual wellness have an active mind and continue to learn. An intellectually sound person uses the resources available to expand one’s knowledge and improve skills. Keeping up-to-date on current events and participating in activities that arouse our minds are also important.

• Take a course or workshop
• Learn (or perfect) a foreign language
• Seek out people who challenge you intellectually
• Read
• Learn to appreciate art

Social wellness refers to our ability to interact successfully in our global community and to live up to the expectations and demands of our personal roles. This means learning good communication skills, developing intimacy with others, and creating a support network of friends and family members.

Social wellness includes showing respect for others and yourself. Contributing to your community and to the world builds a sense of belonging.

• Cultivate healthy relationships
• Get involved
• Contribute to your community
• Share your talents and skills
• Communicate your thoughts, feelings and ideas

Spiritual wellness involves possessing a set of guiding beliefs, principles, or values that help give direction to one’s life. It encompasses a high level of faith, hope, and commitment to your individual beliefs that provide a sense of meaning and purpose. It is willingness to seek meaning and purpose in human existence, to question everything, and to appreciate the things which cannot be readily explained or understood.

A spiritually well person seeks harmony between what lies within as well as the forces outside.

• Explore your spiritual core
• Spend time alone/meditate regularly
• Be inquisitive and curious
• Be fully present in everything you do
• Listen with your heart and live by your principles
• Allow yourself and those around you the freedom to be who they are
• See opportunities for growth in the challenges life brings you