Wellness is the conscious process of achieving physical, mental and spiritual well-being. It is a dynamic process of change and growth that helps people become the best version of themselves possible.
Wellness is a multidimensional concept that encompasses lifestyle, mental and spiritual wellbeing, and the environment. It includes six dimensions: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Environmental, Social and Spiritual.
Physical
Physical wellness is the ability to keep a healthy lifestyle. It includes regular physical activity, eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep.
Developing these behaviors today can add years to your life and reduce your risk of health problems in the future.
In addition, your overall brain health improves along with your fitness level. This can help prevent conditions like Alzheimer’s.
It also allows you to perform better academically and focus your attention. It can help reduce stress, which is another key factor to a successful college experience.
Mental
The mental wellness of a person involves a healthy balance between emotions and behavior; a zest for living; a good sense of humor; the ability to deal with stress and bounce back from setbacks; and a strong connection to friends and family.
A healthy lifestyle that includes good nutrition, adequate sleep, and a moderate amount of physical activity can help with your mental health. Feeling well also gives you the motivation to stick with your routines and prevent or improve depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders.
The vertical axis of mental wellness measures from languishing (a lack of positive psychological functioning), to resilience (coping effectively with life’s challenges), to flourishing (happiness, life satisfaction, strong relationships). *Although many people do not suffer from diagnosed mental illness, they may still be “languishing” or “flourishing.” This is because they experience pervasive stress, worry, loneliness, and other problems that undermine their overall health and functional capacity.
Spiritual
Spiritual wellness is about seeking a meaningful connection with something bigger than yourself. It can result in feelings of peace, awe and contentment.
This can be done through meditation, yoga or simply spending time in nature. It doesn’t have to be every day, but even just a few minutes of quiet reflection can help boost your spiritual health.
Spiritual health is defined as having a set of guiding beliefs, principles and values that give you direction in life. It also includes a high level of faith, hope and commitment to your beliefs, which can provide you with a sense of purpose and meaning.
Social
Social wellness is a lifelong process of cultivating relationships that support you emotionally and physically. Similar to planting a flower garden, it takes intention, energy, time and effort.
Authenticity and trust are hallmarks of social well-being, as are treating others with respect and valuing diversity. Continually establishing friendships and maintaining a supportive social network can help you develop assertiveness skills, create boundaries that encourage communication, trust and conflict management, and build a strong emotional resilience.
In addition, having a supportive social network can decrease feelings of loneliness, which is often linked to many physical health conditions such as high blood pressure and depression. In fact, a meta-analysis of several studies found that people with high levels of social relationships have a lower mortality rate than those who do not have social connections.
Emotional
Emotional wellness means recognizing how you’re feeling in any given moment, honestly and without judgment, so that you can take appropriate action to address and change those feelings.
It also means embracing all the good in your life and seeing your glass as half-full rather than half-empty.
This holistic approach to wellness can help you bounce back from life’s challenges. It can improve your relationships, your work and school performance and your overall mental health.