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The Six Dimensions of Wellness

When talking about health and wellness, the first thing that pops into most people’s heads are eating healthy, being physically active (exercising), staying hydrated, maybe stress management, or even sleep quality.

I did a search on Pinterest to see what popped up and found topics that included hormone balancing, gut health, tips for boosting energy, mental health improvements, and even acupressure points to try on yourself to improve your overall wellbeing.

All of these topics have their place on the health and wellness journey. And since each person’s journey is unique to them, it might leave you wondering, where do I start? What aspects of my overall health and wellbeing do I want to look at first?

And it might surprise you what topics are out there that might not have occurred to you yet. I know when I started studying Health and Wellness, it sure opened my eyes.

One of the first things I learned about was a concept by Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute. He developed a model called the Six Dimensions of Wellness.

The Six Dimensions of Wellness include:

Physical Wellness

Emotional Wellness

Spiritual Wellness

Social Wellness

Intellectual Wellness

Occupational Wellness

Each of these dimensions are interconnected in our lives and play a role in living a healthy life. Dr. Hettler’s model discusses :

• The benefits of regular physical activity, healthy eating habits, strength and vitality, as well as personal responsibility, self-care and when to seek medical attention (Physical Wellness)

• Self-esteem, self-control, and determination as a sense of direction (Emotional Wellness)

• The development of belief systems, values, and creating a world-view (Spiritual Wellness)

• How a person contributes to his or her environment and community, and how to build better living spaces and social networks (Social Wellness)

• Creative and stimulating mental activities, and sharing your gifts with others (Intellectual Wellness)

• The enrichment of life through work, and its interconnectedness to living and playing (Occupational Wellness)

Some of these areas you may not have given much thought to. I know I hadn’t. But as much as we all (or most of us) need to add more leafy green veggies to our diets (kale, anyone?), maybe your health journey doesn’t start with choking down a huge bunch of broccoli. Maybe your health journey starts with Occupational Wellness. Do you hate your job and it’s bleeding over into other aspects of your life?

Or Spiritual Wellness. You WANT to set aside a specific time each day for prayer, or Bible study, or meditation, or whatever spiritual practice you follow but just haven’t been able to make it happen.

Your health and wellness journey doesn’t have to be only about how many vegetables or lean proteins you’re eating each day, or how many steps you’re getting in every day. Your journey might start with smiling at yourself in the mirror every morning and telling yourself it’s going to be a great day – even when it feels like a totally crappy day (Emotional Wellness). Or listening to a podcast about flower arranging or jewelry making because you’ve always wanted to try it (Intellectual Wellness).

Each dimension you explore is another step on your health and wellness journey. Don’t be afraid to look at areas you hadn’t previously thought about. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Until next time….

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