Psychologists point to holistic wellness as an aspiration every person should try to achieve. In this stressful world, one must strike a balance between physical health and mental health to function properly as a human being.
More importantly, one should take into consideration other aspects of holistic wellness as enumerated in the six dimensions of wellness. Know more about the different dimensions of wellness as seen below.
Physical Wellness
One of the basics of achieving wellness, according to a mental wellness counseling expert is to take good care of your body. Physical wellness is on top of the list because, to function well as a person, you must eat right and do some physical activities.
Physical wellness also means listening to what your body needs. It means having enough sleep regularly. For most adults, adequate sleep translates to about 7-8 hours each night.
To comply with your daily physical activity requirement, you can try to start by alternating brisk walking and jogging around your neighborhood for about five minutes every day. “[Exercising and eating well] provide nearly instant benefits, helping the body and the mind to manage most any difficulties, including anxiety and depression,” says John Duffy, PsyD. After a week, consult your physician if you can escalate your physical activity to more strenuous exercises.
According to John M. Grohol, Psy.D “Keeping physically fit means keeping mentally fit as well. That means finding healthy ways to deal with what psychologists would typically call “negative emotions” — such as anger, aggression, aggravation, fear, etc. — and reinforcing the positive emotions and behaviors in our life.”
Social Wellness
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Human beings are inherently social creatures. Each person needs to connect to other people, to be understood by peers, and to belong to a particular social circle. To achieve emotional wellbeing, you must not discount the importance of maintaining deep connections to your social circle, specifically your friends and family members. You must be able to develop your support system, which will act as your emotional anchor in times of need and can be a part of treating mental health issues.
Occupational Wellness
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Occupational wellness is experiencing enjoyment in doing your work. The work that you do has a positive correlation to your overall wellbeing.
Conversely, a lot of people get uninspired in life because of their work. These are the people who drag themselves to work every day, going through the motions as if they are corporate zombies. As a result, these people may tend to have a cynical worldview because they are unhappy with the current state of their work lives. They may have the financial means to buy what they want but are unhappy with what they are doing daily.
If you are one of these people having issues and struggling with your work, there is still hope. You too can achieve occupational wellness through first assessing your current set of abilities and interests. From there, you can find a balance and select the best job that suits you more.
There’s a saying that if you like doing something, you will never have to work another day in your life. You will feel fulfilled and excited to go to work every day. “Given identity is tied to work, being recognized and appreciated makes employees feel valued and boosts sense of self and self-esteem, which is protective in terms of depression and anxiety,” according to Psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz.
Intellectual Wellness
To be a well-rounded individual, you should also take the time to hone your intellect. Achieving mental wellness means engaging in activities that add to your knowledge. In doing these activities, you are also sharpening your critical thinking skills, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. You will also be able to contribute to the greater good of the community by sharing your newly acquired knowledge and skills to other people.
Environmental Wellness
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We are all creatures of the Earth. As such, we are taking good care of the environment also plays a significant role in one’s overall wellness. For example, taking nature hikes on a hiking trail in the mountainside does wonder for emotionally drained people.
On the other hand, living in cramped and polluted urban dwellings have adverse effects on one’s health. You suddenly become prone to asthma attacks and autoimmune diseases that come out of nowhere. Thus, we must take care of the environment for it to be able to take care of us as well — the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, and the food that we eat. We can only rely on science so much. We sincerely rely on Mother Earth to survive.
Emotional Wellness
To achieve emotional wellness, you must recognize that your feelings are your friends. You may have to struggle to understand what you are feeling at specific points, but it is all part of the process. Emotional wellbeing means having to come to terms with your emotions and not riding an emotional rollercoaster every time. You can also take care of yourself through pampering, traveling, or having a massage.
In summary, balancing the six dimensions of wellness is no easy feat. However, it is necessary to live a balanced life. We only live once and to make it the best, we should give our best effort to make it so.