Whole Health Wellness
We know that we should attend to physical health pieces, such as what we eat, and getting sleep, and going to the doctor regularly. But if we do those things is that enough to feel or be well? And what is wellness anyways?
The World Health Organization defines health and wellness as complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/major-themes/health-and-well-being)
The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health. (https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/ )
Wellness is personal for everyone, but generally refers to overall well-being and includes having purpose in life, active involvement in satisfying work and play, joyful and connected relationships, healthy body, healthy living environment, and happiness.
One model from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) suggests that there are 8 dimensions of wellness. These dimensions are interconnected within an individuals’ total well-being and we often use a wheel to depict and measure these dimensions.
By reflecting on each area we can determine which areas we feel we are doing well in and which areas are in need of growth or change.
You can do a simple measurement on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 is well), like in the image below. (For the purposes of comparison, the recreation category aligns with the intellectual category in the image above).
Journey Well also does this work with their clients so if you are looking for some guided support on navigating your own areas of wellness, please reach out!
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