The 8 Dimensions of Wellness Living

8 Dimensions of Wellness  

We all strive to lead the most fulfilling life that we can. In today’s society, we face so many obstacles that can throw our journey off course; it can be the result of poor choices or occurrences that are beyond our control. As we make our way through life, we learn, we have experiences and we evolve. With each learning experience, we grow and therefore we change. As we change, we get to discover different things about ourselves. As we encounter these shifts we should be mindful of the contents of our lives, and decipher what gives it VALUE!

All aspects of our lives need elements of VALUE! If we are just living day to day engaging in activities and people who just drain of our energy, who we cannot learn from, who we cannot trust or rely on, who just take from us, then we are not living a life with value. We are just getting by…unaware, nonchalant…We are just existing and not LIVING!

There are 8 Dimensions of living well; in my opinion there can be 9 if we include Sexual Wellness – which will be discussed in a later post! In each of these 8 areas, we need to add VALUE to ensure that we can manifest the results we yearn to reap in our daily lives!

Environmental Wellness  

Environmental Wellness involves ensuring that the environment where we live -internal and external - is healthy and stimulates our well-being in a progressive manner. It involves how we take care of ourselves; are we treating our bodies right? Are we surrounded by the right type of people? Is our home in order? Do we take measures to protect our external environment such as recycling or practicing caution with hazardous products? Is my environment adding value to my life and the lives around me through positive stimulation? We must surround ourselves with what supports our journey to a fulfilling lifestyle.

Social Wellness  

Relating to environmental wellness. WHO are you surrounded by? Do you have an effective support system of friends, family and/or colleagues? Are you deeply connected to your significant other? Is your social circle adding value to your life or taking value away? Ask yourself these questions, and then think about each individual you are connected to and how they affect your life. You must also ask yourself, how you affect their life too! It is imperative to be completely honest with yourself when you examine your social circles. Social well-being is essential to our personal development as behavior can change if you have been exposed to certain types of stimuli for prolonged periods of time. Who we interact and surround ourselves with can cause energies to collide, and when this happens we want to make sure we are around people who are filled with the right type of energy that won’t drain us, but can stimulate the right elements  within us such as our minds to influence or evoke intelligent and positive thoughts; our actions to reflect the right thought patterns as what we do begins as a thought; and our words to speak with power and authority so that we can inspire, motivate and educate.

Intellectual Wellness  

Intelligence has to be measured and observed in a subjective manner. Each individual mind is unique. Our environments, our experiences and what we allow ourselves to be exposed to shapes our intellect. One thing we must understand about intelligence is that it is something that can always be fed. Knowing the difference between intelligence, knowledge and wisdom is important when stimulating your mind. Knowledge is the information we acquire and retain; intelligence is how we interpret and understand that information and wisdom is how we discern, how we judge and then how we apply what we have interpreted. Acquiring knowledge is a vital and foundational aspect of stimulating intelligence to develop wisdom. What are we placing in our minds? What are we reading? What are we watching? What are we being told within our social groups? By our leaders? By our loved ones? Is it adding value to the development of our minds? Does it evoke positive thoughts? Does it make us curious? We also have to consider what stimulate the different parts of our minds that feed different areas of our intellect. We have our creativity and we have our analytical minds. Sometimes one may dominate more than the other, and that is okay! It is important to feed both sides and if possible, find a balance. Never think that a balance cannot be found. It is healthy to explore the weaker side to awaken new abilities within ourselves.

Emotional Wellness  

How safe do you feel in life? How do you cope with the inevitable changes? The ups and downs and the combination of emotions that we all have to face every day? Emotional wellness is essential in maintaining a healthy prana within our lives i.e our vital life force. Sometimes our emotions can be easily triggered, and we should be mindful of what triggers our emotional state. Conditions such as depression and anxiety or bouts of anger can cause so much chaos in our lives! We must be mindful and honest with ourselves of what elements lead to these negative emotions that does us so much harm. Sometimes triggers can be things such as certain people, watching the news, certain habits of others, things people say, certain types of situations and even the weather. We may not be able to control the external environment ourselves, but we can remove ourselves from certain elements; and we can also shift the mind to cope with the ones that are impossible to control. Be mindful of how you speak to yourself, develop the habit of pushing out a negative thought as soon as it appears. This does not mean that you do not face reality, you are just training the mind to acknowledge the darkness but you see the light in knowing that a silver lining may exist, or that a valuable lesson can be learned from hardship.

Spiritual Wellness  

Spirituality is purely subjective. Some people lean on religion and some choose to seek enlightenment in their own individual way by exploring a wide range of principles to find purpose in their lives. Purpose answers the questions of why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing in life? How can I add value to my life and the lives around me? Why is my existence important? What is the meaning of my life? These questions are only answered with time. We do exist for a reason. No one can actually tell you what your purpose is; your have to come into that realization on your own. There is no right or wrong answers. Just remember to feed your mind with knowledge that adds value to your thought process. Research credible sources and open your spirit, be honest with yourself about what resonate with your mind and soul. Focus on how it makes you feel – if it is confusing, it may not be for you. If it feels right and makes you relaxed, happy, or confident - then it may be a good fit for your life!

Physical Wellness  

Physical activity helps us to achieve a balance with our mental and emotional health. We should be mindful of how we physically care for ourselves. What are we eating? How often do we engage in a good, fun physical activity? Do we just eat junk food and watch TV on our down time? Are we getting enough sleep at night or too much sleep? If you find yourself in a lazy rut day after day, force yourself out of it! There is no magical way to do this, you have to make up in your mind that you want this change and JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! Start small with a 15 to 30-minute walk or jog. Jump on YouTube where you can access many different types of fitness programs for free and start with a simple 15-30 minute beginners yoga class, or meditation class. If you want to take it outside of the home, find a yoga or Pilates studio near your home or start taking classes at the gym. You can ease into it by engaging in physical activity at least 2-3 times per week. Create a schedule and stick to it! If you miss a day, do not beat yourself up about it! Just keep going and get yourself back on track! Take some time and research healthy eating behaviors; cut back on sugar and foods with a high-fat content. Ensure that you are incorporating enough fruits, vegetables, and fiber in your diet. Drink at least half your weight in ounces of water daily. If you are lacking energy, take a good vitamin supplement especially those with a high content of B-Vitamins and Iron. If you have digestive issues, take a good probiotic to balance out your colon. It also helps to drink green tea, lemon water and do a good colon cleanse once per month to manage weight and add to your overall health – A clean colon is key to sustaining a good balance with your health! Physical activity helps to relieve stress and build strength and energy, so GET ACTIVE!!!

Occupational Wellness  

Our work environment can have a huge influence on how we function in our daily lives. Sometimes we tend to carry the burdens of work home and it can weigh on ourselves and families. Sometimes we have no choice but to work in an environment that may not be ideal because we have bills to pay and mouths to feed. What we can do is find a balance between work and home; we can learn to leave the stress of work behind once we leave so that we do not have to feel that burden everywhere we go. It is important to put the work cell phones away or try not to answer emails once we leave the office. I know this can be difficult in some situations however, once you are off the clock that time is YOURS!!! You can do whatever you want with it and regain that power and control over your life! Even if it cannot be done every single day, try to do it a few times per week. Take the work phone and computer completely out of sight so you would not be tempted to respond. It is great to be a dedicated worker, but it is also important to set boundaries! Reclaim your time, allow yourself to wind down after a workday. Focus on things that calm the mind and body so that you can be refreshed and not burned out as you enter into the next day.

Financial Wellness  

We all strive for financial stability in our lives. While some seek to be wealthy, many only seek to be financially secure without having to worry how bills will be paid and how we will put food on the table for our families. We must take responsibility of how we spend the money we earn. Are we spending it on things of value? Are we taking care of our important responsibilities such as rent, utility bills and groceries first? Are we saving? Do we buy things we just want and do not really need? Every time you shop, it is good to ask yourself a few questions: “Do I really need this product?”; “Will this product last me a long time or will this be a momentary pleasure?”; “Can I really afford this product?”; “Can I wait to buy this at a later date?”; “Should I eat out so often when I have food at home?’. We have to control our desires so that we do not waste our money. Desire can disrupt our peace because our thoughts can become consumed by what we want and then we act upon them in an unhealthy manner. Learn to discipline yourself and say no! Learn to budget and save up money so that you can have a set time where you can have some fun and treat yourself once in a while and not on a regular basis. With the instability of the economy worldwide, right now is the time to save and invest; not to spend on items and services that are not of value or significant importance.

This post is not here to solve all of your wellness issues, but to evoke though into how much value are we adding to our lives. Think about what you can do to enhance the areas of wellness where you may struggle and think about the areas that are good and how they can become even better! There will always be room for improvement because as we have experiences, WE LEARN and therefore WE EVOLVE!

 So, go out into the world and LIVE WELL!!!

Peace & Love 

Franchesca M. Saunders