9 Dimensions of Wellness – Ultimate Guide to The Art of Living Well

The dimensions of wellness live on each other and support each other. If one is neglected or shattered, the others cannot survive for a long time.

Fizza Junaid

Just think of a life in which you are healthy, happy, and immensely indulged. There you are free from illness and have an optimal physical condition, but there is much more to it: you have a purpose and are pursuing your passion, you are energetic and enjoying your work, and of course, are in control of your finances. In that life, you feel a significant connection with other things and people more than yourself.

A life where you have great mental health and enjoy diverse adventures – from nature love to creative pursuits – either by yourself or with friends. You can easily express your emotions and cater to problems healthily. This is called complete wellness, “with all dimensions of wellness: the art of living well”.

Starting from today you can make a gradual change by taking more care of yourself through dimensions of wellness. Include one simple healthy lifestyle modification and keep it going for the next month. A single healthy change can lead to a huge improvement in your health and fitness.

Dimensions of Wellness: Quick Summary

If you are running out of time, you can quickly review the dimensions of wellness – to incorporate them into your life to remain healthy and fit.

Physical Wellness	At least 30 minutes, five days a week of physical activity Eat a healthy diet, vegetables, and fiber-rich foods Limit alcohol consumption Do not smoke
Emotional Wellness	Learn to recognize the trigger events Replace negative thoughts with positive thinking Practice for 30 days to incorporate positive thoughts
Spiritual Wellness	Indulge in activities that inspire yourself Find joy in every part of your journey Develop an attitude of gratitude
Financial Wellness	Plan where and how you’ll be spending your finances Try saving hacks according to your needs Prioritize what you really need, and plan to achieve
Career Wellness	Make a profession of your dream Apply self-healing and Self-care methods at the workplace Create and sustain a productive mindset
Social Wellness	Take some time to disconnect from technology on a daily basis Connect with others, your community Improve your communication skills
Intellectual Wellness	Try developing a reading habit, at least 20 minutes a day Learn and explore by visiting museums, and libraries, having some public lectures, etc. Practice mindfulness by focusing on the present moment
Environmental Wellness	Be environmentally friendly as much as you can, like during travel or picnic Reuse shopping bags, water bottles, etc. Turn off the water, for instance, while brushing your teeth
Creative Wellness	We all are creative, just find out what you are good at Try different ways to be creative                                 Find a way that expresses yourself and makes you happy

9 Dimensions of Wellness: The Art of Living Well

Wellness is interconnected and multifaceted. Eating healthy, doing some cardio exercises, and paying attention to not getting sick are the evident components of wellness. But wellness incorporates other areas of well-being too. Let’s have a detailed analysis of the dimensions of wellness, that collectively keep a person healthy and fit:

1. Physical Wellness

Start Focusing on your self-care now to have everlasting positive effects on your health and overall well-being.

Do you feel stressed, overworked, tired, and have no time to take care of your physical health? You are not alone in this – numerous people are struggling to be well and always put it off for another day when they might get some time for self-care. For long-term positive effects start incorporating self-care steps now – tomorrow never comes as it always remains tomorrow. It’s time to implement what improvements you can make to enhance your health and fitness. If it seems hard to alter your unhealthy habits quickly, take a small start and aim at achieving a truly healthy lifestyle.

Start Setting Smart Goals to Incorporate Physical Wellness:

• Take care of our organs – heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.
• Start prioritizing your sleep
• Beware of chair-sedentary lifestyle
• Incorporate meditation, and deep breaths into your routine
• Become more strategic about your food choices
• Sit less and become more active
• Start distancing yourself from smoking to become tobacco-free

2. Emotional Wellness

“The suffering from a natural disaster we cannot control, but the suffering from the daily disasters we can”.  (Dalai Lama)

You are late for a meeting and can’t find a cab as it is raining – you cannot control the circumstances that cause anxiety. However, it’s in your hands to cope with negative emotions, anxiety, and stress by replacing it with a positive attitude. If you are mentally and emotionally well – you can easily distinguish your full range of feelings – and will be able to manage and express them accordingly.

If you have anxiety or are extremely stressed – you can get help through cognitive-behavioral skills. These skills are built on the components of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) – an evidence-based gold standard treatment for depression and anxiety.

CBSB – Cognitive Behavioral Skills Building

It is evident that the numerous emotions we express are reactions to our thoughts. The pattern is referred to as a negative triangle. You can escape this negative thinking triangle (thoughts – emotions – and behavior), by monitoring your “thought pattern” – and by putting a “positive spin” on it:

• First Step – What Was I Thinking?
• Second Step – Learn to Recognize Activating Events or Triggers
• Third Step – Change/Alter the Script
• Final Step – Keep Practicing

3. Spiritual Wellness

We fling ourselves into a range of activities – to-dos – and usually neglect those aspects of life that actually mean a lot. The crucial thing is well-rounded self-care is necessary for spiritual wellness.

What is Spirituality?

A constant search to find the true meaning of your existence.

The concept revolves around adopting a continuous journey of seeking out connections and answers. It also includes searching for the purpose of your life and keeping yourself aligned with it.

You Can Simply Start with – Cultivating/Promoting the Attitude of Gratitude:

1. Every time recognize one positive event
2. Interact with that event and add it to your journal or talk about it
3. Add one gratitude to your journal every day
4. Make a list of your strengths and note down how you used them
5. Take even a minor stress into consideration and list ways to alter it with positivity
6. Recognize small acts of kindness and daily practice them
7. Practice mindfulness – rather than the future or past just focus on the present
8. Meditation is quite effective for spiritual wellness
9. Take medications if these practices are not sufficient alone

4. Financial Wellness

If you are stressed and worried about your financial condition – don’t worry you are not alone. According to an American Psychological Association survey, 72 % of Americans experience financial stress – taking care of family, emergencies, bills, college tuition, etc. Financial stress has prompted numerous organizations and businesses to introduce wellness training for their employees and members. 

You Can Start Setting Smart Goals to Achieve Financial Wellness:

• Start with planning your finances
• Make a proper plan for how and where you’ll be spending your finances
• Analyze the method of money-in and money-out
• Prioritize – where you really want to spend your money every month
• Understand the importance of investment – even if you can afford a few dollars
• Protect yourself from huge losses – aside from some amount for financial emergencies
• Try incorporating smart saving hacks as per your income and expenses
• Get help from certified financial planners
• Find a healthy outlet that does not cost money – like 20 minutes of physical activity
• Keep focusing on positive aspects/things in your life

5. Career Wellness

Imagine a life where you have a perfect job – where you are doing great, learning new things, facing exciting challenges, and colleagues respect you a lot. Is this concept far from the reality? Then it’s time to reevaluate your career wellness – engaging in work that provides enrichment and personal satisfaction. The work that’s consistent with your goals, lifestyle, and values and keeps you professionally well. Other than sleep, work is what takes most of our time – that’s why it’s necessary to ask yourself a question “Does your work keep you motivated”?

Job Strategies for “Directing Your Sails”

• Practice Mindfulness on the job – responding rather than reacting to a situation
• Prioritize self-healing and self-care at the workplace
• Cultivate a positive mindset – as positive reactions generate productive outcomes
• Focus more on monotasking rather than multitasking
• Works where the environment is designed on the basis of purpose, pleasure, and pride
• Seek a job that suits you the most
• Try making a best friend at the workplace
• Most importantly – never forget to consider your working hours
• And set your goals – as goals help in keep going passionately

6. Social Wellness

Social wellness means how effectively you interact with people around you and how strong your friends and family support system is. It contributes to a sense of belonging and fosters connection – crucial for optimal wellness. Social wellness does not mean having a big family or lots of friends. Instead, it’s all about how meaningful and healthy your connection is with others. social well-being is connected to your behavior – which you can continually improve.

If You Feel Socially Disconnected – There Are Numerous Ways to Foster Your Social Well-Being:

• In the first step try to truly understand the concept of “loneliness” for you – which does not mean living or sitting alone as some people with big families feel lonely and some who are living alone feel satisfied being like that.
• Sometimes disconnect yourself from technology to feel connected with your surroundings
• Start improving your communication skills
• Try connecting yourself with your community
• Stop complaining and being always disappointed – be positive
• Evaluate the level of your emotional intelligence – how you feel for others
• Improve your time management skills
•  Starting smiling to others more often – build a culture of respect
• Learn to argue in a constructive and positive way

7. Intellectual Wellness

Previously scientists believed that humans were born with all brain cells – but now we know that throughout our lives new neurons are being born. In a few areas of our brain, neurogenesis replaces dead, old cells – on a regular basis. Studies have proven both mental and physical exercises and learning new things – help in the growth of new neurons. Depression and stress can hinder this support towards neurons. Therefore, intellectual wellness is not a concept only – in fact it improves and shapes the physical structure of your brain.

Few Strategies to Improve Your Intellectual Wellness:

• Read – nonfiction, and new stories to stay informed and learn about new subjects
• Learn – visit museums, and libraries, or learn a foreign language, new craft/skill, musical instrument, etc.
• Explore – try a new adventure, traveling can help your intellectual growth and shape problem-solving skills
• Play– strategic games, like Scrabble and chess, try any new sports to exercise your mind
• Practice mindfulness – focus on the present moment, like taking deep breaths, acknowledging your thoughts, etc.

8. Environmental Wellness

Everyone can contribute to making our physical world healthier – because environmental wellness is a key to our future well-being. It helps create a positive space so we all can live peacefully. You can start from your home, work, or school – through volunteering in the community or with the help of your family. You can start improving your surroundings by creating a culture of gratitude and respect. Surround yourself with positive people to achieve your goals – as a positive attitude helps in gaining optimal well-being.

Here are Some Ideas to Start Your Environmental Wellness Journey:

• Turn off the water when you don’t need it – whether you are taking a shower or brushing your teeth.  
• Try replacing your water bottles with reusable water bottles – for instance, stainless steel or glass bottles
• The formula of recycling – most communities with healthy environments apply this formula
• Use homemade or natural cleaning products to clean green – for instance, natural salt, white vinegar, etc. to keep the environment neat
• Travel environmentally friendly – for small distances ride your bike, or walk, travel through public transport if possible.
• Use reusable shopping bags – to cut down plastic bag waste
• Eat local whenever it’s possible – because local food nutrients are not lost due to long travel distances

9. Creative Wellness

Creativity has long been thought a crucial part of the dimensions of wellness. More than 100 studies about the benefits of arts – writing, dance, music, visual arts, etc. found creative expressions have a powerful impact on the well-being of numerous patient populations. Engaging in some creative activity helps in reducing stress levels, and even in some cases improves immune system functioning.

We Are All Creative – Recognize a Suitable Way for You:

• You can use a blank canvas journal to express your day with doddles
• You can express yourself through writing or poetry
• You can join pottery or art classes to enjoy artistic activities
• You can try dancing as it is considered the best stress reliever
• You can use music as a therapy as music magically can ease muscle tension
• You can try cooking and creating fun recipes as it might be your stress reliever
• Try acting/drama as it can be a great way to explore your creative side
• You can try photography as it can be a great way to explore the surrounding

Just explore your creative side through whatever you like doing – and incorporate that into your life to feel good and healthy.

10 Tips to Start Your Wellness Journey: To Be Healthy

In case you are worried about how and where to start your journey of well-being – let’s have a look at this article. It can help you with small things that you can incorporate into your lives for better and healthy living.

Frequently Asked Questions