10 Areas of Wellness

Wellness encompasses several areas. Here I explain 10 areas to focus on personal wellness with lifestyle behavior. These include: environment, spirituality, social, mental, physical, intellectual, financial, occupational, recreational, and community.

Each of these areas interconnects. Understanding how each area impacts our lives can help us determine strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what needs improvement will help determine what resources should be used. 

In order to make lifestyle changes, having support in place will help reinforce the likelihood of success. Setting up goals will lay out a plan to follow through on. Establishing habits and routines helps ensure progress. 

Here are some things to consider:

• Participating in activities that have purpose. If our daily routine lacks meaning, we can feel distressed or powerless. 
• Increasing activities that contribute to our wellness. Talking with a friend at the start of the day may help set a good intention or plan for the day. 
• Getting a good night’s rest. Insomnia can noticeably impact social relationships, physical and emotional reactions, productivity, and our ability to concentrate and accomplish tasks. 
• Being aware of the right amount of social interaction. It’s important to know our limits. 
• Remembering that time zone changes or daylight savings time can impact our mood and our routines; readjusting is normal. 
• Using a routine that works for us. Calendars help us remember when or how often we want to get things done, such as get an oil change, clean the refrigerator, celebrate an accomplishment, call a friend or family member, check our financial records, and schedule an annual physical. 
• Repeating a behavior until it becomes automatic, such as taking medication. Checklists help us make sure that important tasks are not being forgotten. 
• Creating a wellness lifestyle can be challenging, but finding the right information, support, resources and tracking of our progress can help us get there.

Physical wellness 

Physical wellness includes: a healthy body, good physical health habits, proper nutrition, exercise, and appropriate health care. The way we can get there is to choose things that make our body feel good and remove the things that bring us down. We can also feel better by creating a routine that balances activity with inactivity, and that is manageable within our obligations and needs. Our body is intelligent, and learning to listen to it more deeply is very important and empowering. 

Environmental wellness

Environmental wellness encompasses our surroundings from in our home, where we work or region we live. In our environment we need the ability to be safe and feel safe. Other factors in our environment include:

• Accessing clean air, food, and water; 
• Preserving the areas where we live, learn, and work; 
• Occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support our well-being; and 
• Promoting learning, contemplation, and relaxation in natural places and spaces. 

Overall, think about how you interact within your environment and decide if there are improvements that can be made.

Spiritual wellness

Improving our spiritual wellness is a concept that represents one’s personal beliefs and values and involves having meaning, purpose, and a sense of balance and peace. This can look  like: Recognizing our search for meaning and purpose in human existence; and 

Developing an appreciation for life and the natural forces that exist in the universe. Our world has a lot of diversity, there is no right or wrong belief. Having a good sense of values develops great character.

Social wellness

Social wellness involves having healthy relationships with friends, family, and the community, and having an interest in and concern for the needs of others and humankind. 

Mental wellness

Improving our mental wellness involves the ability to express feelings, adjust to emotional challenges, cope with life’s stressors, and enjoy life. It includes knowing our strengths as well as what we want to get better at, and living and working on our own but letting others help us from time to time. 

Financial wellness

There are many definitions of what constitutes being financially well, but overall, the Financial avenue of wellness involves things such as income, debt, and savings, as well as a person’s understanding of financial processes and resources. A person’s satisfaction with their current financial situation and future prospects also comes into play.

Intellectual wellness

The Intellectual Wellness avenue involves many things that keep our brains active and our intellect expanding. In a broad sense, this dimension can involve looking at different perspectives of an issue and taking them into consideration. Through a number of activities—from learning about current events to organizing game nights in your home or community center—you can broaden your perspective and understand diverse points of view. 

Occupational wellness

The Occupational Wellness Avenue involves participating in activities that provide meaning and purpose and reflect personal values, interests, and beliefs, including employment. 

Recreational wellness

Recreational wellness involves engaging in enjoyable activities that contribute to a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle, promoting mental and physical well-being. This can include hobbies, sports, or any leisure pursuits that bring joy and relaxation.

Community wellness

Community wellness focuses on the health and vitality of a group or society, emphasizing collaboration and support for the well-being of its members. It involves creating environments that foster social connections, inclusivity, and access to resources that promote a shared sense of health and happiness within the community.

In conclusion, there is a lot of information to consider. Try taking steps for each area weekly. Decide what you will do, what you 

may need, and try to establish healthier habits. By attempting new tasks on a weekly basis, you can review how things went and how you may need to adjust. When new habits become part of your routine through practice they get easier. Give yourself plenty of time, as this is not a race. Each healthier habit will improve the quality of your life. Come back monthly to re-evaluate and consider new ideas so you can continually grow and expand. 

See article on S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals to breakdown ideas into steps.