Aspects Of Wellness

 In this post, I will be discussing the different categories of wellness that contribute to our overall health well-being. Depending on the source, there can be more or less aspects of wellness but I will be discussing just 6 today. These include physical, emotional, social, environmental, spiritual, and intellectual. I want to discuss this topic because I think it is important that we realize there are many factors that can have an effect on our health and well-being. These factors also can have an effect on each other. By recognizing these factors, we can address any issues or concerns that we may have in regard to such factors. 

Physical

The physical category is one that I think many people would think of right away when thinking about what affects our wellness. This category includes physical activity and also the foods we consume as these both affect our physicality. Regular exercise and eating a proper diet can optimize this aspect of our wellness. This category also means that we are aware of our physical state and when we may require more attention to it, "The physical dimension of wellness entails personal responsibility and care for minor illnesses and also knowing when professional medical attention is needed," (NWI, 2020). Overall, this category is something that we have to put individual effort in to, in order to optimize our wellness.

Emotional

The emotional category is one that some may overlook, but it is important to acknowledge our emotional needs and status. Taking care of our emotional wellness means that we are recognizing our feelings and thoughts. This also means being aware of others peoples feelings and thoughts as well so that communication and interactions can be more clear. Optimizing our emotional wellness means that we are aware of how we are feeling and if it is negative, we attempt to change it for the better. Emotional wellness does not just affect ourselves but also others that we interact with. It makes an impact on how we view ourselves and those around us, "Emotional wellness encompasses optimism, self-esteem, self-acceptance and the ability to share feelings," (GRCC, 2021). In reference to my previous posts, meditation or journaling can be great in addressing our emotional wellness.

Social

The relationships we have with others and also the involvement within our community are part of the social category. Essentially, our interactions and feelings we have towards others effects this category, "Maintaining healthy relationships, enjoying being with others, developing friendships and intimate relations, caring about others, and letting others care about you," (Stoewen, 2017). Due to Covid-19, the way we interact with others is a lot different from what it used to be. But if anything, now it is more important than ever to take care of our social wellness in the ways that we can. 

Environmental

This category refers to the physical settings that we live in and interact with; this includes our home, school, and work places. While we don't always have control over the environments we live in, we can still make attempts and improving them for the better for our wellness, "taking small steps to make your environments safer and limiting your exposure to potentially harmful substances can help keep you healthier," (NIH, 2018). It is important that we take these steps in order to prevent detrimental and negative outcomes. Some tips to improve environmental wellness would be to use non-toxic cleaning products and to vacuum/sweep floors to provide a clean environment. I recommend visiting the website of the source provided in this section to find more resources on how to improve environmental wellness.

Spiritual

Spiritual wellness is not defined by being devoted to a religious belief, it can be, but it can also be so many other things, "Spirituality allows us to find the inner calm and peace needed to get through whatever life brings, no matter what one's beliefs are or where they may be on your spiritual journey," (UNH, 2021). Spirituality can be whatever we dedicate ourselves to that brings us peace, such as connecting with nature or our bodies or practicing a religion. This aspect of our wellness allows us to recognize life and what we want to achieve for ourselves. Practicing spiritual wellness can be as simple as taking time to yourself to relax and calm your mind, which can be done in forms of exercise such as meditation or yoga. 

Intellectual 

This aspect of wellness can be defined as "engaging the individual in creative and stimulating mental activities to expand their knowledge and skills to help them grow their potential," (WSU, 2021). This means that we are exercising our mind just as we would exercise our body to improve our condition. We can work on our intellectual wellness by learning new things or through forms of art such as music or drawing/painting. Personally, learning a new language is what I prefer to do to improve on my intellectual wellness. It is both fun and challenging and allows me to expand on my knowledge and ways of thinking. There are so many ways to address this aspect of our wellness that it can be very personalized and individualistic for every person. 

I hope that this post could provide to be useful when you think about your overall wellness. It is important to recognize that these factors all contribute to our wellness and can even have an effect on each other. By addressing these factors, our life can be improved even if it is just by doing something small. Our health is made up of so many factors and we should try to improve them in any ways that we can.