A Wellness Lifestyle and Assessment

A Wellness Lifestyle is a holistic approach to how one lives their life. A comprehensive approach such as this takes into consideration a number of dimensions. Understanding these dimensions provides a look into our lives. This is essentially, what we are doing on a day to day and moment to moment basis. Anything we do, can be traced back to a dimension of Wellness. This provides us opportunity to look at our actions, opening an internal reflection of our current life choices. This can be a guide on how to lead a more fulfilled life. There are many models of Wellness, this article focuses on these dimensions: Emotional, Spiritual, Physical, Social, Financial, Occupational, Intellectual, Environmental.

Emotional wellness refers to the ability to understand, manage, and express one's emotions effectively, as well as cope with life's challenges and build healthy relationships. It involves self-awareness, resilience, and the capacity to handle stress in a positive way

Spiritual wellness is the development of a sense of purpose and meaning in life, often involving personal values, beliefs, and ethics. It includes connecting with oneself and others, reflecting on life's experiences, and finding inner peace and fulfillment.

Physical wellness refers to the health and fitness of a person's body, emphasizing the importance of regular physical activity, proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and making informed lifestyle choices. It involves maintaining a healthy quality of life that allows individuals to perform daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress.

Social wellness refers to the quality of your relationships and interactions with others, emphasizing the importance of healthy, supportive connections that foster honest communication and mutual care. It involves building positive relationships, effective communication, conflict resolution, and community engagement.

Financial wellness is the ability to meet current and ongoing financial obligations while feeling secure about your financial future. It involves managing money effectively, budgeting, saving, and making informed financial decisions to reduce stress and enhance overall well-being

Occupational wellness is the ability to achieve a balance between work and leisure that promotes health, personal satisfaction, and financial reward. It involves finding fulfillment in your work and effectively managing your career goals and workplace relationships.

Intellectual wellness refers to engaging in stimulating mental activities that expand knowledge and skills, fostering creativity and critical thinking. It involves being open to new ideas, pursuing lifelong learning, and effectively managing stress to enhance cognitive function and overall well-being.

Environmental wellness refers to the quality of your surroundings and how they impact your overall well-being. It involves being aware of and taking care of your environment, including both natural and built spaces, to promote health and sustainability.

This is a nice bit of reading, and now that we have read this, what’s next? We need tools to help us to assess where we stand and what we should work on. There are a number of assessments which can be used to help ascertain ones standing in the wellness dimensions. The tool below is adapted from a number of tools, bringing together the best elements of those as well as adding new elements, based upon research from various sources listed below. You can follow the instructions for an easy to negotiate assessment and get started on improving your life!

Wellness Self Assessment

Sources: University of North Dakota, Northwestern University, University of New Hampshire, Furman University, Clarkson University, Vanguard, Rosaland Franklin University,  Princeton University.