Wellness is being aware of and actively working toward better health. You might ask yourself, "How do I go about making the rest of my life the best of my life?" The answer to this question revolves around six dimensions of wellness. If you can achieve and maintain a balance in these areas, you should see a difference in both the quantity and quality of your life. Each area affects every other, and together they represent your total wellness status. Aim for wellness in each dimension. The choices and changes you make today will influence those you make tomorrow.

Dimensions of Wellness

Physical

This is the most obvious dimension of wellness. By taking care of yourself physically—whether it be through eating a well-balanced diet, exercising at least 30 minutes on most days of the week, watching your intake of alcohol, and/or treating your medical conditions appropriately—you greatly reduce your risk for premature illness. If you take good care of your body, it will repay you with years of good service.

Social

Keeping a close, meaningful relationship with those in your life can greatly impact the quality of your years. Do you have a strong bond with your family? Friends? Community? While most people do not think in these terms, your social life truly does make for a healthier you.

Emotional

This dimension deals more with your emotional well-being. What are your main causes of stress? What are you doing to actively combat these causes? The idea here is that the more you care for yourself emotionally, the more prepared you will be to handle those major or minor crises that occur on a daily basis.

Spiritual

This dimension is the most difficult to define. What one person finds spiritual, another may not. Spiritual wellness involves developing a strong sense of personal values and ethics. Maintaining a strong spiritual connection is important to leading a “whole” and well life. Spiritual wellness includes things such as kindness, love, and the general belief that everything is going to workout no matter what the circumstance. Yes, it is hard to explain, but there is no denying the fact that spirituality can play a helpful role in your life.

Intellectual

Exercising your mind is just as important as exercising your body. If you press toward feeding your brain with increased knowledge and take advantage of new learning experiences, whether it be at work or at home, you will find your life to be more fulfilling and rewarding. Continuous learning is one of life’s greatest gifts.

Occupational

Your attitudes about your work can greatly affect your job performance and interactions with co-workers. Do you find your work satisfying? Do you have a balance between your work and leisure time? Do you enjoy new responsibilities and look forward to achieving better results? Striving toward occupational wellness will help to give you personal satisfaction and allow you to find enrichment in your life through work.