Life Care Chiropractic & Wellness Center
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Waldorf, MD 20602
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What Is Wellness?
Many people think of wellness as simply one’s physical health. While this is important, it is not the only aspect of wellness. True wellness is a complex integration of components. When one component is out of whack, it can affect how you feel both physically and mentally.
The Seven Dimensions Of Wellness
The model of wellness was originally developed in 1976 by Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute in the U.S. Hettler’s model included six dimensions, with a seventh dimension (environmental) added later by researchers.
What Are the Dimensions?
Here is a quick explanation for each dimension and some tips for what you can do to focus on that dimension of wellness.
1) Physical – encompassing all the behaviors to keep your body healthy…nutrition, rest, exercise, but also abstaining from harmful habits.
Some things you can do:
- Get adequate sleep
- Eat a varied diet
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Stay active
- Proactively deal with any health issues
2) Emotional – being aware of and managing your emotions, maintaining a mostly positive view of yourself and others and feeling equipped to deal with life’s challenges.
Some things you can do:
- Search out support
- Manage feelings during stressful times
- Express feelings honestly but appropriately
- Seek the positive
- Be open to self-improvement
3) Spiritual – holding a guiding set of principles that provide a sense of purpose or direction to your life
Some things you can do:
- Spend time alone to reflect, pray or meditate
- Seek an overall sense of peace
- Listen with your heart
- Allow yourself to be who you are
- Forgive yourself and others
4) Environmental – an awareness of your world, how you interact with it and your impact to it
Some things you can do:
- Care for and show respect for the environment
- Work towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle
- Educate yourself on environmental issues
- Reduce, recycle and reuse
- Connect with nature
5) Intellectual – using your mind, stimulating your brain, learning, being creative and actively seeking out new information daily
Some things you can do:
- Pursue mentally stimulating interests
- Seek out people who challenge you
- Learn new things through reading
- Commit time to self-development
- Set intellectual goals
Occupational – making use of your skills and talents in a profession that provides satisfaction, rewards, purpose and happiness in your life
Some things you can do:
- Explore a variety of career options until you find a good fit
- Map out a career vision for yourself
- Create a balance between work and home
- Be open to career changes
- Seek a career that suits your personality
Social – having relationships that allow you to feel connected, developing intimacy and creating a support network of family and friends. Right now this is especially challenging with COVID-19, however, at least virtually some of this can be done.
Some things you can do:
- Increase the amount of time you spend virtually connecting
- Communicate your thoughts courageously
- Practice respect and cultivate new relationships
- Join groups to create a sense of belonging
