Wellness is a concept that includes many different areas and activities. It includes the overall balance of physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
It’s an ongoing and holistic approach to making healthy choices in eight major life domains, including physical health, social health, emotional health, and spiritual health. While the term is a bit vague, it’s important to understand that each of these areas is essential to wellness.
Physical Health
Physical health is the condition of the body and how it grows, feels and moves. It includes everything from what you eat and drink to how active you are and your sleep habits.
Having good physical health can help you stay at a healthy weight, reduce your risk of diseases and conditions such as heart disease and cancer, and improve your mood and energy. It also helps you manage everyday stress and prevent mental illness.
It can also increase your lifespan. A recent study found that individuals who prioritized physical wellness were healthier and lived longer than those who didn’t.
Physical wellness encompasses healthy behaviors, including eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and not abusing drugs or alcohol. Developing these healthy habits will not only add years to your life, but will enhance your quality of those years and make them more enjoyable.
Mental Health
Mental health is a complex set of processes that impact a person’s thinking, mood, behaviour and relationships. It can also influence physical health.
Untreated mental illness can result in higher medical costs, lower performance at work and school, less employment opportunities and increased risk of suicide. Treatment for mental health conditions can include talking therapy, prescription medicines, lifestyle changes and support groups.
In many countries, mental health care is relatively underfunded. WHO Project ATLAS found that median mental health expenditure globally stands at just 2.8% of total government health spending.
In addition, a vast number of people do not receive mental health care because of stigma and discrimination. This is despite the fact that almost one in four adults experiences a mental health condition each year.
Emotional Health
Emotional health is important because it helps us to handle stress, maintain healthy relationships and cope with change. Having good emotional wellness can reduce the risk of mental health problems like anxiety and depression.
A person with good emotional health has strategies that allow them to effectively deal with a variety of emotions, including anger, sadness, frustration and disappointment. They are able to bounce back from life’s setbacks and can find satisfaction in their daily lives, rather than feeling weighed down by their negative feelings.
There are several factors that affect how emotionally healthy we are, but the primary factor is our own self-care and self-compassion. These qualities are reflected in an emotionally healthy person’s self-talk and their ability to accept themselves.
Social Health
Social health is the ability to form healthy relationships and interact with others in a positive manner. This is important because it influences almost every aspect of your overall health.
People who have good social health are more likely to live longer and experience fewer physical ailments. They are also able to adapt well to different social situations.
You can improve your social health by practicing self-care practices such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and sleeping on time. It’s also important to remove negative behaviours that are causing you stress or anxiety.
Practicing gratitude is another great way to boost your social health. Make sure to tell your friends and family how much you appreciate them.
It can be hard to find time to talk to people in person, but with the advent of video calling facilities such as Skype or Google Duo, this has become much easier. Even a weekly phone call can help you connect with your loved ones and strengthen your social health.