Wellness, as an overall concept, is a great way to enhance your well-being. It is about being proactive, getting informed about your health, finding healthy solutions for problems and finally feeling good about being you. Wellness is a proactive approach to improving your health and actively making decisions towards a fulfilling and healthy life. This holistic approach is truly individualized and self directed with the intention of reaching one’s ultimate potential.
Wellness encompasses a variety of wellness approaches that include physical, mental and emotional aspects. The best way to understand wellness is to look at it in physical terms. Wellness begins with a well balanced diet that provides the necessary vitamins and nutrients to maintain a balanced mind and body. The second step is to get regular exercise which improves your health and strength. Physical well-being is directly related to emotional wellness and vice versa.
The third dimension of wellness is related to spiritual well-being. Spiritual wellness is about integrating your sense of self with a belief system that is centered around a particular religious or spiritual belief system. This belief system can encompass all or some of the following dimensions of wellness: human rights, social justice, compassion, non violence, and a belief in the importance of conscious creation and the ability of nature to affect our lives. Each of these aspects of spiritual well-being has unique characteristics and ways of promoting spiritual growth and mental peace.
There are several additional dimensions of wellness and each is directly related to the four primary dimensions. These dimensions of wellness include but are not limited to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. As mentioned before, there are four primary dimensions of wellness including: psychological, occupational, nutritional, and spiritual health. In addition, there are several additional dimensions of wellness such as: work-related, learning and behavior, and occupational function.
The fourth dimension of wellness is related to self-responsibility and its impact on health and physical activities. It defines self-responsibility as the capacity to make choices that are grounded in ones own values, principles, and behavioral skills. This dimension of wellness considers that individuals can choose to lead healthy lives and become more effective and successful if they make personal choices that support their values and principles. Self-responsibility also encompasses one’s sense of responsibility for their health and their environment. It includes communication and power to affect change.
Each of the dimensions of wellness can be influenced through the implementation of various behaviors and habits. These behaviors and habits include but are not limited to positive self-care practices, physical activity (exercises), balanced diet, good dietary supplements, and self-responsibility. The health and physical health benefits of incorporating holistic health and fitness into one’s daily life can be realized by practicing the various dimensions of wellness. Holistic health and fitness encompasses all aspects of wellness and promotes overall health and well-being.