1.1: What does Health and Wellness mean?
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How have you used the word Health or Wellness in your communication with others? The terms Health and Wellness are often used interchangeably. What do they mean to you?
Activity: Healthy versus Unhealthy
What do you mean by healthy and unhealthy?
- Take a piece of paper and fold it in half.
- On one side of the paper write “healthy” and the other side write “unhealthy”
- Either make a list or draw pictures of what you consider healthy and unhealthy.
As you review the following information about the wellness, see if you have an opportunity to expand your list or drawings for aspects of health that may be missing from your list.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (illness)” and defines wellness as “the optimal state of health of individuals and groups,[1]” which may be expressed as “a positive approach to living.” The National Wellness Institute[2], explains wellness as “an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.”
The National Wellness Institute states that there is general agreement that:
- Wellness is considered a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential.
- Wellness is multidimensional and holistic, encompassing lifestyle, mental and spiritual well-being, and the environment.
- Wellness is positive and affirming.
The primary difference between health and wellness is that health is your state of being, or a goal to achieve, and wellness is the active process of achieving it through growth and change. Through wellness we hope to reach our fullest potential of health and well-being.
The Nine Dimensions of Wellness
Both health and wellness are very broad terms. To help identify ways we can grow and change to reach our optimal health, it is helpful to view wellness in terms of the Nine Dimensions of Wellness. The Nine Dimensions of Wellness can help to identify ways you can make wellness a part of your everyday life.
The Nine Dimensions of Wellness include: Physical, Emotional, Social, Environmental, Financial, Intellectual, Occupational, Spiritual, and Cultural. These dimensions of wellness are not isolated, but rather are interconnected. Problems or challenges in one dimension can impact the other, while the opposite can also be true, that by improving your health and wellness in one area can help to improve other dimensions. For example, your emotional wellness can be positively impacted through exercise (physical wellness) but negatively impacted by financial struggles that often lead to high stress.
Reflection Opportunity: My Wellness Ratings and Actions
As you read through the following Nine Dimensions of Wellness, give yourself a score from 1 (low) to 10 (high) for your level of wellness in each dimension. Along with your score, also record a list of possible behaviors you could change or actions you could take that would increase your wellness score for each dimension.
For example:
“For Physical Wellness I would give myself a score of [insert your score 1 being low] out of 10. I could increase this score by either changing or implementing the following two behaviors: [insert a behavior you could change or an action you could take] and [insert a behavior you could change or an action you could take]”
Physical Wellness
People who are focused on improving their physical health recognize the need for regular physical activity, they choose healthy foods, go to the doctor, and get adequate sleep. People who are physically well actively make healthy decisions on a daily basis. This may include making a habit of exercising three to five times per week or recording their dietary intake to ensure they are receiving proper nutrition for optional health.
How would you rate your physical wellness and what behaviors could you change, or actions could you take, to positively improve your physical wellness?
Emotional Wellness
Coping effectively with life and expressing emotions in an appropriate manner are keys to emotional wellness. An emotionally well person successfully expresses and manages an entire range of feelings, including anger, doubt, hope, joy, desire, fear, and many others. People who are emotionally well maintain a high level of self-esteem. They have a positive body-image and the ability to regulate their feelings. They know where to seek support and help regarding their mental health, including but not limited to, seeking professional counseling services.
How would you rate your emotional wellness and what behaviors could you change, or actions could you take, to positively improve your emotional wellness?
Social Wellness
People who are focused on their social wellness are striving for positive relationships, developing a sense of connection, belonging, and sustained support system. A socially well person builds healthy relationships based on interdependence, trust, and respect. Those who are socially well have a keen awareness of the feelings of others. They develop a network of friends and co-workers who share a common purpose, and who provide support and validation.
How would you rate your social wellness and what behaviors could you change, or actions could you take, to positively improve your social wellness?
Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness includes a desire to positively impact our planet Earth and also our local community by striving to occupy pleasant, healthy, and safe environments that support well-being and positively impact the quality of our surroundings (including protecting and preserving nature). An environmentally well person appreciates the external cues and stimuli that an environment can provide . People who have achieved environmental wellness recognize the limits to controlling an environment and seek to understand the role an individual plays in the environment.
How would you rate your environmental wellness and what behaviors could you change, or actions could you take, to positively improve your environmental wellness?
Financial Wellness
Financial wellness refers to achieving satisfaction with current and future financial situations by handling finances wisely. Those who are financially well are fully aware of their current financial state. They set long- and short-term goals regarding finances that will allow them to reach their personal financial goals.
How would you rate your financial wellness and what behaviors could you change, or actions could you take, to positively improve your financial wellness?
Intellectual Wellness
Intellectual wellness includes being open-minded, recognizing creative abilities, and/or finding ways to expand knowledge and skills. Those who enjoy intellectual wellness engage in lifelong learning. They seek knowledge and activities that further develop their critical thinking and heighten global awareness. They engage in activities associated with the arts, philosophy, and reasoning.
How would you rate your intellectual wellness and what behaviors could you change, or actions could you take, to positively improve your intellectual wellness?
Occupational Wellness
Occupational wellness refers to personal fulfillment and enrichment from one’s work and/or responsibilities. An occupationally well person enjoys the pursuit of a career which is fulfilling on a variety of levels. This person finds satisfaction and enrichment in work, while always in pursuit of opportunities to reach the next level of professional success.
How would you rate your occupational wellness and what behaviors could you change, or actions could you take, to positively improve your occupational wellness?
Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual wellness refers to having a sense of purpose and meaning in life, this may come from establishing peace, harmony, and balance in our lives. People who can be described as spiritually well have identified a core set of beliefs that guide their decision making, and other faith- based endeavors. While firm in their spiritual beliefs, they understand others may have a distinctly different set of guiding principles. They recognize the relationship between spirituality and identity in all individuals.
How would you rate your spiritual wellness and what behaviors could you change, or actions could you take, to positively improve your spiritual wellness?
Cultural Wellness
Cultural wellness refers to the way you interact with others who are different from you. This includes understanding and celebrating our differences. Culturally well people are aware of their own cultural background, as well as the diversity and richness present in other cultural backgrounds. Cultural wellness implies understanding, awareness and intrinsic respect for aspects of diversity. A culturally well person acknowledges and accepts the impact of these aspects of diversity on sexual orientation, religion, gender, racial and ethnic backgrounds, age groups, and disabilities
How would you rate your cultural wellness and what behaviors could you change, or actions could you take, to positively improve your cultural wellness?