Understanding the Dimensions of Wellness

If you're looking for a way to develop your own personal wellness, it may be difficult to find a model that fits. You want to feel better physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You want to improve your fitness, your relationships, your career, and your ability to handle stress, anxiety, worry or depression. In short, you want to be the best you that you can be.

There are many dimensions of wellness, and the best way to describe them is using the 7 Aspects of Wellness model. The 7 Aspects of Wellness are these different dimensions-Emotional, Physical, Intellectual, Spiritual, Occupational, Environmental, and Social-that work together to create a whole and complete life. When they are in a state of balance, the 7 Aspects of Wellness build a foundation from which you can accomplish your greatest dreams.

What are the 7 Aspects of Wellness?
Emotional Wellness: Emotional Wellness is the aspect of wellness that deals with our inner worlds. When we're working on our Emotional Wellness, we address self-knowledge, personal feelings, and our ability to handle stress. If we want to truly understand ourselves, our feelings, our behaviors and our motivations, we must focus on Emotional Wellness.

Physical Wellness: Physical Wellness is the aspect that focuses on our physical health habits and obtaining optimum physical well-being. Our Physical Wellness is dependent on our diet, exercise, sleep and hygiene habits and can have a profound affect on how we feel.

Intellectual Wellness: Intellectual Wellness involves learning about and having new experiences with the world around us. It includes creative activities, expanding one's horizons, and discovering new ways of thinking about the world. Intellectual Wellness also means picking up new skills or hobbies along with learning new facts.

Spiritual Wellness: Spiritual Wellness is concerned with our search for meaning and purpose in life and our connection to whatever form of higher power we each decide to believe in. Spiritual Wellness involves discovering what we each believe and how to practice those spiritual principles in everyday life.

Occupational Wellness: Occupational Wellness focuses on finding our calling in life, coping with work stress, progressing toward our career goals, and aligning our work life with our ultimate dreams. It also involves understanding the balance between work and play for ultimate personal as well as professional satisfaction.

Social Wellness: Social Wellness is about creating healthy, intimate connections with others. For some of us, building healthier Social Wellness means overcoming interpersonal issues or social anxiety. It also means creating and maintaining appropriate boundaries in relationships, finding the balance between social life and alone time, and learning to communicate openly and honestly with those around us.

Environmental Wellness: Environmental Wellness focuses on how our environment is connected to the way we feel. Practicing Environmental Wellness means looking at how our immediate environments-our homes, offices, and car interiors-reflect our feelings about ourselves and support our Emotional Wellness. It also involves strengthening our connection to the earth and our natural environments for better spiritual, emotional and physical well-being.

Bringing these 7 Aspects of Wellness into a state of balance helps you feel better in the moment and leads you toward your ultimate wellness goals. The best part is that balancing these 7 Aspects is an individual experience for everybody. The key is to consider ways of supporting all 7 of these major life areas in some way shape or form that moves you forward toward positive change. Lack of awareness is the main reason most of us remain stuck. Learning about the 7 Aspects of Wellness and using that knowledge to cultivate awareness of our actions is the cornerstone leading a life that's both fulfilling and satisfying.