How to Promote Wellness in Your Life
There are six dimensions of wellness: emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, physical, and intellectual. It can be helpful to assess each dimension and identify which are areas of strength and which are areas for improvement. These six dimensions are interdependent, meaning that improving one area can positively impact others. Below are some questions to ask yourself when assessing whether each area feels like a strength or an opportunity for growth.
Emotional: Do you take time to feel and process your emotions, or do you find yourself stuffing or ignoring them?
Social: Do you feel a sense of connection to others and your community? Do you have people you can reach out to who are supportive and understanding?
Spiritual: Do you feel connected to a higher power or to something bigger or deeper than yourself?
Occupational: Do you feel satisfied and valued in your place of employment?
Physical: Do you feel physically well and/or spend time being active? Do you often feel tired or sluggish?
Intellectual: Do you feel mentally stimulated and continue learning new things? Do you engage in activities that challenge or interest you?
If you identify an area where you feel unsatisfied or are struggling, it can be helpful to explore what may need to change or improve.
Emotional: Take time each day to check in with yourself and label the emotions you are feeling. This can help you become more familiar with yourself and your emotional experiences. Try allowing yourself five minutes to sit with the emotion and let it exist without pushing it away or holding onto it. Afterward, engage in a pre-planned coping activity.
Social: If you don’t currently have strong social connections, joining a hiking group, sports league, volunteer organization, or book club can help build them. If you do have connections but feel the quality is lacking, learning communication skills can help you express needs and set boundaries.
Spiritual: If this area feels challenging, it may help to first identify whether you connect more with organized religion or with defining your own spirituality. This could include attending different services, reading books, or speaking with someone knowledgeable about a particular belief system.
Occupational: If you feel unsatisfied with your employment, start by identifying what specifically feels unfulfilling. Many factors can influence job satisfaction, such as work-life balance, sense of purpose, opportunities for growth, or relationship dynamics with coworkers or supervisors. Once identified, focus on skill-building or addressing those areas where possible.
Physical: If you feel dissatisfied with your energy levels or physical abilities, it can help to identify small, attainable ways to improve nutrition and movement. Gradual changes often support long-term behavior change. Consider identifying one food you want to decrease and one you want to increase. Activities such as joining a gym, using at-home workouts, hiking, walking, or stretching can all support physical wellness.
Intellectual: Libraries are excellent resources for intellectual wellness. They offer books, audiobooks, classes, and learning groups. If you’re interested in developing a new skill or hobby, consider reaching out to someone you know who already participates in that activity.
It’s easy to see how these dimensions are interconnected. For example, joining a hiking group may support social, physical, and intellectual wellness as you build relationships, move your body, and learn about trails, gear, and safety. Recognizing this interdependence can help reduce overwhelm, since growth in one area often supports growth in others.