Wellness

Wellness is a conscious, deliberate process in which we make choices, each day, for a more fulfilling life. It is the feeling that when things are going well for us today, they can continue to go well for us tomorrow. It is the belief that we can have meaningful relationships and a sense of purpose.

Wellness incorporates all the eight dimensions. Each dimension of wellness can affect our overall quality of life. Wellness directly relates to how long we live, how well we live, and our quality of life.

The eight-dimension model illustrates the idea that all eight dimensions are inter-connected.

We all know how much they connect in our lives. When we feel financially stressed over school and living expenses, we experience emotional stress, sometimes leading to physical problems like illness, or food and sleeping habits. This can make us less effective at school or work, and maybe even questioning our own meaning and purpose in life. When we are not doing well in school or work, we lose some of our opportunities to interact with others, cannot get the quality foods and medical care we need to stay well, and may need to move to a place that feels less safe and secure. All of these are examples of different Wellness dimensions.

Stress, addiction, trauma, disappointment, and loss can impact our wellness and the balance in our lives.  Stress and addiction lead to imbalance in many of the 8 dimensions, though, our wellness habits can be developed or restored to help create personal balance.

Although we may experience distress, we can choose to be resilient. We all have strengths in the 8 wellness dimensions survive and thrive, and by tapping into those, you can make changes for the betterment of your wellness.

Our habits affect what we do, how we feel, how we work, how we fuel our minds and bodies, and how we spend or save money. Habits are key for wellness and become ingrained to help you cope and function with everyday challenges or can do the opposite. Some habits like excessive alcohol, harmful drugs or chemicals, consumption of energy drinks, sugar and fat laden foods can have immediate or long-term negative effects on physical, mental, and social well-being.

It is important to consciously maintain or establish wellness habits.

The Balm website will help you think about your own wellness—what you already do now (your daily routines, habits, and life roles and activities), what else you can do or can learn to do, and what type of support you need to focus on your wellness and balance.

Many people find it helpful to look at their own wellness in each of the eight dimensions. This wellness assessment can offer some insights to determine things you are doing well and things you may want to start or stop doing.

Each of the 8 dimensions focuses on an area of your life that you can make changes to. Think about the actions you want to take and the support that will help you take those actions.

Wellness is not the absence of disease, illness, and stress but the presence1 of:

● Purpose in life

● Active involvement in satisfying work and play

● Joyful relationships

● A healthy body and living environment

● Happiness Wellness is a conscious, deliberate process that requires being aware of and making choices for a more satisfying lifestyle.

Emotional | Environmental | Financial | Intellectual | Occupational | Physical | Social | Spiritual

Emotional Wellness |  Take the Emotional Wellness Inventory

The Emotional dimension involves the ability to express feelings and emotions, to enjoy life, to adjust to emotional challenges, and to cope with stress and traumatic life experiences. Emotional wellness is also having a sense of positive self-regard and attitude to life in general. Emotional wellness includes seeing challenges and change as opportunities for growth, being able to laugh at life and yourself, learning from mistakes, coping with stress and tension, and making time for fun activities and enjoying each day.

Environmental Wellness | Take the Environmental Wellness Inventory

Environmental wellness includes both our micro-environment; the places where we live, learn, and work, and our macro-environment: our communities, country, and whole planet. The micro level involves the direct environment you’re involved in – where you live, where you work, study or where you socialize. The macro level includes the broader environment – our community, country, and whole planet. For many it involves being and feeling physically safe, in stable surroundings, and being able to access clean air, food, and clean water. It also may include staying organized, recycling, spending time outside, in nature, or finding safe places for reflection and/or mindfulness practice.

Financial Wellness | Take the Financial Wellness Inventory

Financial wellness involves the ability to have financial resources to meet practical needs, and a sense of control and knowledge about personal finances. Financial wellness includes the ability to balance wants and needs, awareness of income and expenses and knowledge of resources to help manage financial matters as well as help create a plan for future life goals. It is important to have people you can trust to turn to for good help with financial matters.

Intellectual Wellness | Take the Intellectual Wellness Inventory

The Intellectual dimension is all about lifelong learning. It’s about finding ways to expand our knowledge and skills. This dimension includes being involved in activities that keep our brains active and neural connections building. Intellectual wellness includes using and building our creative abilities, sharing knowledge, and building skills through hobbies, music, and creative outlets. For many it may include listening to lectures, plays, musical performances, doing creative and stimulating mental activities/games. It also can include educating yourself on important topics, especially for things that are controversial, engaging in intellectual discussions, looking at things that you don’t know or asking questions to learn from others.

Occupational Wellness | Take the Occupational Wellness Inventory

Occupational wellness in general terms speaks about how satisfied you are with what you do. It involves participating in activities that provide meaning and purpose. This could be school, a job or volunteer /community activities that you look forward to doing each day because they are personally satisfying and/or they allow you to use your skills and talents.

Physical Wellness | Take the Physical Wellness Inventory

The Physical dimension involves how your physical body and needs relate to your wellness. This could include eating healthy foods, sleeping well, exercising regularly, and taking care of your physical body, to help your wellness. This also includes awareness of signs of illness, and not neglecting when it’s time to get help. It’s about maintaining habits to support your physical health as well as access to good preventative screenings and healthcare. Physical wellness may include doing physical activity 20 to 30 minutes at least three times per week, refraining from alcohol, tobacco marijuana, opioids, or other harmful chemicals, trying to eat a balanced and achievable diet each day and getting an adequate amount of sleep (7-9 hours/night). It also includes doing activities or stress management techniques to deal with distress as well as remaining calm and relaxed.

Social Wellness | Take the Social Wellness Inventory

Social wellness includes building and maintaining meaningful relationships. It means having positive people in your life and feeling connected to them. This area also includes having people who can help you navigate difficult times and inevitable life stress. Social wellness includes the support you give and receive from friends, fellow students, teachers and coworkers, your family, and the community, and even pets. It also includes having an interest in and concern for the needs of others and humankind. Social wellness can also mean, setting aside time for your relationships, and giving a realistic amount of your time to those you care about.

Spiritual Wellness | Take the Spiritual Wellness Inventory

The spiritual dimension involves having a sense of meaning and purpose in life, also awareness of your values and how integral they are with your everyday life. Spiritual wellness includes making conscious choices about daily activities based on personal values and when depressed or frustrated, drawing on beliefs and values to provide direction. People do many things including meditation, and/or setting time aside for quiet personal reflection, practicing gratitude or other spiritual rituals. This can also include religion practices. For others it can also be questioning those philosophy and having those conversations to better understand what spirituality is for you.