Feeling good isn't just a physical matter. Your mind, your spirit and other factors are key to achieving true wellbeing. The challenge is to find the perfect balance.
For most people, wellness is associated with physical and mental wellbeing, but the truth is that there are up to seven dimensions of wellness. It's easy to think that to feel good, it's enough to have a healthy and fit body, and not to have any bad thoughts going through your head – or at least not many. In fact, many of the therapies and programs aimed at wellness focus on one of these two aspects. And that's a good start! But there's more to wellness than that.
What is wellness?
Wellness is a complete integration of physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing that leads to quality of life. It is often considered to have seven dimensions, and each one contributes to our own sense of wellbeing, affecting and overlaying the others. Sometimes one may be more prominent than others, but neglecting one dimension over a period of time has adverse effects on overall health.
Physical dimension
Physical wellness provides the most visible results, and therefore is the one that is most enhanced. It consists of a series of behaviours aimed at maintaining the health of the body, from adequate nutrition to regular exercise. It also consists of avoiding everything that is harmful, such as the use of drugs or alcohol, but also putting emphasis on avoiding any activity that could put our bodies at risk. The ultimate purpose is to live longer, but above all, to live better.
Emotional dimension
Emotional wellness is also commonly known as mental wellness. It is our own ability to understand and accept ourselves and successfully face the challenges and obstacles that life and work bring. It means possessing the ability to feel and express human emotions such as happiness, sadness and anger, and to love and be loved. Emotional wellness encompasses optimism, self-esteem and self-acceptance.
Occupational dimension
Occupational (or vocational, as it is also known) wellness refers to our ability to feel satisfied with our chosen jobs and career, to have purpose and enrichment in our lives. Achieving optimal occupational wellness allows you to maintain a positive attitude and fully enjoy your job. It also means successfully integrating your occupation with the rest of your lifestyle without affecting your work/life balance.
Intellectual dimension
Intellectual wellness is directed to the most creative part of our mind. Our brain is always open to new ideas and experiences, and we must have the ability to inspire and exercise it just as we do with our body. People with high intellectual wellness have a desire to learn and apply new concepts, improve their existing skill sets, and seek new challenges.
Spiritual dimension
Spiritual wellness is to have a set of guiding beliefs, principles and values that help give meaning, purpose and direction to our lives. It is our ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives and to be fulfilled by what we do by aligning our values with our actions. Spiritual wellness is closely related to emotional wellness, as they are directly affected.
Environmental dimension
Environmental wellness is being aware of nature, our environment and the effects of your daily habits on it. It is about protecting the environment and protecting ourselves from environmental hazards. This requires maintaining a way of life that maximizes harmony with the earth.
Social dimension
Social wellness is the ability to build relationships and connections with other people, at work, at home, in our neighborhood, etc. Social wellness is about building and maintaining positive relationships that add value to our lives and the lives of others. This involves developing good communication skills, developing intimacy with others, and building a support network of friends and family.
Do you fulfill the seven dimensions of wellness or is there some kind of imbalance? At OSTRICHPILLOW, as a brand that designs products for wellness, our aim is to improve the physical and emotional dimension so that you can spend more time on the rest.
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