Health and Wellness depends on more than just our physical health (medical and physical fitness, nutritional status, etc.). Health and Wellness is a complex and dynamic integration of dimensions such as: Emotional, environmental, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual. These seven dimensions, in addition to financial wellness through dynamic integration impact the standard of health, comfort, happiness in our lives.
by Eric Tetteh
1. Physical Wellness is our ability to maintain a balanced physical activity, nutrition, and mental well-being through our daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress, and close to optimal health and functioning condition. Adopting and Practicing personal healthy such as: routine check ups, a balanced diet, exercise, and so on, while avoiding destructive habits such as: tobacco, drugs, alcohol, and so on progressively transcends us to a place of optimal Physical Wellness.
2. Environmental Wellness is our ability to recognize our own responsibility for and impact on the quality of the air, the water and the land that surrounds us. Our rational advocacy and actions to reduce, recycle and reuse resources enhance our Environmental Wellness.
3. Psychological and Emotional Wellness is the ability to be to aware, acknowledge, accept, and share our thoughts and feelings in a productive manner to enhances our lives. Also, emotional wellness includes enhancing our lives by understanding ourselves and coping with the challenges life’s challenges such: disappointments, frustrations, losses, etc. The other six dimensions of wellness impact our psychological and emotional Wellness in co-transcending ways. Environment wellness boosters like proper and adjustable lightening, optimal ventilation, conducive noise levels, rational use and management of natural resources, proper waste management, etc. can influence mood, induce adequate sleep, and reduce stress and anxiety. Human biochemistry is a dynamic interactive state with the environment and our body systems such as: nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are constantly changing while maintaining a homeostatic balance against all the negative internal and external pressure on the body and mind(brain). Hence, when environmental factors like noise, pollution, improper lightening etc. get out of line or excessive, they induce stress which deteriorates psychological and emotional wellness. Something to stimulate your brain: WHAT EMOTIONAL IMPACT WOULD A NOISY, DIRTY, AND POORLY LIT HOSPITAL ROOM HAVE ON A NEWLY ADMITTED IN-PATIENT? Intellectual wellness boosters like high academic performance can cause feeling of competency, happiness, and self fulfilment; and thereby, boost psychological and emotional wellness. On the contrary, stress, anxiety, hopelessness, overwhelming course load, juggling academics with other life aspects, loneliness due to lack of time to socialize because of school work, can deteriorate psychological and emotional wellness. Physical wellness boosters like: regular exercise, good nutrition, proper sleep, etc. reduces anxiety, depression, obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer, etc. Yes, Cancer!!! The positive interactive effect of all these Physical wellness boosters our psychological and emotions wellness, means their absence degenerates psychological and emotional wellness. Occupational Wellness boosters such as: job security, job stability, job stability, good pay, good job environment, overall job satisfaction, positive relationships with co-workers and superiors, etc., can reduce anxiety and boost psychological and emotional wellness. Likewise, Occupational wellness basters like: Chronic job instability, unemployment, low pay for laborious work, too much responsibility, poor relationships with co-workers and superiors, being unable to keep up with current technology needed on the job, inadequate training, exposure to vices in the line of work can cause anxiety and depression; and eventually, degenerate psychological and emotional wellness. The ability to form supportive and productive relationship with others such as family, co-workers, classmates, etc., teaches us to learn how to build pragmatic expectations, develop the capacity and resilience to cope and stay healthy in spite of some negative things that comes with life. The presence of supportive people around, reduces anxiety about otherwise life difficulties, makes us feel joyful and gives us a sense of belonging. Hence, the presence or absence of social wellness enhances or deteriorates our psychological and emotional wellness respectively. Conversely, having optimal psychological and emotional wellness makes us feel good, and enhances our ability to form mutually supportive and healthy relationships; and thereby, enhances our Social Wellness. As our values, beliefs and actions converge in our spiritual search for deeper purpose and meaning to life, our satisfaction and happiness with life progressively increases, and we come to a place of inner peace; whereby, we are made very aware of our thoughts and feelings, and we are able to cope with life better. Hence, an optimal spiritual wellness enhances psychological and emotional awareness. Psychological and Emotional Wellness is the ability to be to aware, acknowledge, accept, and share our thoughts and feelings in a productive manner to enhances our lives. Also, emotional wellness includes enhancing our lives by understanding ourselves and coping with the challenges life’s challenges such: disappointments, frustrations, losses, etc. The other six dimensions of wellness impact our psychological and emotional Wellness in co-transcending ways. Environment wellness boosters like proper and adjustable lightening, optimal ventilation, conducive noise levels, rational use and management of natural resources, proper waste management, etc. can influence mood, induce adequate sleep, and reduce stress and anxiety. Human biochemistry is a dynamic interactive state with the environment and our body systems such as: nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are constantly changing while maintaining a homeostatic balance against all the negative internal and external pressure on the body and mind(brain). Hence, when environmental factors like noise, pollution, improper lightening etc. get out of line or excessive, they induce stress which deteriorates psychological and emotional wellness. Something to stimulate your brain: WHAT EMOTIONAL IMPACT WOULD A NOISY, DIRTY, AND POORLY LIT HOSPITAL ROOM HAVE ON A NEWLY ADMITTED IN-PATIENT? Intellectual wellness boosters like high academic performance can cause feeling of competency, happiness, and self fulfilment; and thereby, boost psychological and emotional wellness. On the contrary, stress, anxiety, hopelessness, overwhelming course load, juggling academics with other life aspects, loneliness due to lack of time to socialize because of school work, can deteriorate psychological and emotional wellness. Physical wellness boosters like: regular exercise, good nutrition, proper sleep, etc. reduces anxiety, depression, obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer, etc. Yes, Cancer!!! The positive interactive effect of all these Physical wellness boosters our psychological and emotions wellness, means their absence degenerates psychological and emotional wellness. Occupational Wellness boosters such as: job security, job stability, job stability, good pay, good job environment, overall job satisfaction, positive relationships with co-workers and superiors, etc., can reduce anxiety and boost psychological and emotional wellness. Likewise, Occupational wellness basters like: Chronic job instability, unemployment, low pay for laborious work, too much responsibility, poor relationships with co-workers and superiors, being unable to keep up with current technology needed on the job, inadequate training, exposure to vices in the line of work can cause anxiety and depression; and eventually, degenerate psychological and emotional wellness. The ability to form supportive and productive relationship with others such as family, co-workers, classmates, etc., teaches us to learn how to build pragmatic expectations, develop the capacity and resilience to cope and stay healthy in spite of some negative things that comes with life. The presence of supportive people around, reduces anxiety about otherwise life difficulties, makes us feel joyful and gives us a sense of belonging. Hence, the presence or absence of social wellness enhances or deteriorates our psychological and emotional wellness respectively. Conversely, having optimal psychological and emotional wellness makes us feel good, and enhances our ability to form mutually supportive and healthy relationships; and thereby, enhances our Social Wellness. As our values, beliefs and actions converge in our spiritual search for deeper purpose and meaning to life, our satisfaction and happiness with life progressively increases, and we come to a place of inner peace; whereby, we are made very aware of our thoughts and feelings, and we are able to cope with life better. Hence, an optimal spiritual wellness enhances psychological and emotional awareness.
4. Social Wellness is the ability to connect and maintain a mutually enhancing relationship with other people in our world. Connecting and maintaining positive and mutually supportive relationships with family, friends, romantic patterns, sexual lovers, co-workers, classmates enhances our Social Wellness.
5. Occupational Wellness is our ability to get personal fulfillment and fair rewards from our jobs with healthy balance in other aspects of our lives. Our desire to contribute to make a positive impact at work and on society enhances Occupational Wellness. Financial wellness, which is our awareness and actions to ensure we are able to fully meet current and ongoing financial obligations, feel secure in our financial future, and is be able to make choices that allow us to enjoy life, may fall under occupational wellness, but they are exclusive entities.
6. Spiritual Wellness is our personal ability to create purpose, meaning, peace and harmony in our lives through our values and beliefs. The personal development of harmony between our values, beliefs, and actions in creating a benevolent purpose that binds all creation, enhances our Spiritual Wellness.
7. Intellectual Wellness is our ability to valuing and nurturing lifelong learning. Our open desire to learn new concepts, improve skills and seek challenges in pursuit of lifelong learning and assimilating the knowledge learnt to better our lives enhances Intellectual Wellness.
