What is the Meaning of Wellness?

Wellness refers to the overall feeling of wholeness. Many people mistake wellness as absence of disease. However, wellness goes much beyond physical health.

To understand the meaning of wellness, you first need to be aware of its following six dimensions:

1. Spiritual wellness:

Overall wellness can't be completed without attaining spiritual wellness. It enhances the connection between your body, mind and spirit and gives a sense of meaning and purpose to life. Spiritual wellness will teach you how to experience joy, love and fulfillment.

Tips to attain spiritual wellness:

• Pay attention to and respect your emotions, thoughts and feelings.
• Do not ignore your inner voice.
• Try to understand and value your beliefs.
• Respect and trust your intuition.

2. Physical wellness:

Physical wellness promotes cardiovascular strength and flexibility. It also encourages regular physical activity. Physical wellness makes you look good and feel good about yourself.

Following are some tips to achieve physical fitness:

• Follow a regular exercise and diet regime religiously
• Look for different ways to integrate physical activity in your daily routine. For e.g., prefer using the stairs instead of elevators
• Stay away from drugs, tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption
• Visit your physician for periodic checkups
• Learn to identify early signs of illness
• Get adequate amount of sleep

3. Social wellness:

It is the ability to interact with other people in a pleasant manner. It emphasizes the need to improve communication and social skills.

Following are some social wellness tips:

• Respect the feelings of others
• Do not be rude to others
• Make others feel important
• Don't indulge in back-bitching

4. Emotional wellness:

It refers to the ability to deal effectively with stress and express yourself freely, without any hesitation.

• Meet your friends often
• Make new friends
• Pursue a hobby
• Deal with both, success and failure calmly
• Seek pleasure in what you do
• Seek constructive criticism

5. Occupational wellness:

It refers to being satisfied with your job. Occupational wellness is very essential for a successful professional life. Following tips can help you gain occupational wellness:

• Choose to pursue a job that you love
• Do your job with full dedication
• Try to give your best to every task
• Don't hold grievances against your colleagues

6. Environmental wellness:

It refers to identifying your personal responsibility to safeguard the Mother Nature. You can attain environmental wellness in following way:

• Plant more trees
• Help a stranger
• Save water and electricity

A perfect balance of all these components will result in complete wellness, which in turn will lead to a fulfilling life.