What Does it Mean to Be Well?

With Wellness Week coming up next week, the School Counseling Center wanted to take an opportunity to breakdown what it means to be well. 

To put it simply, personal wellness is the act of taking care of your mind and body. It is important to remember that wellness is a process and it takes a deliberate effort. In order to kick off your own personal wellness journey, you first have to ask yourself, “What am I already doing well?” and “Where would I like to see a change?”

The National Wellness Institute developed a model for wellness that is referred to as the    Six Dimensions of Wellness. The dimensions are occupational, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical. Here is what you need to know about each dimension…

• Physical: Paying attention to and maintaining overall health through nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and positive healthy habits to maintain a healthy quality of life. Being physically well requires being able to take charge of your health by making conscious decisions to be healthy.

• Social: The idea of being able to develop meaningful interpersonal relationships. A main aspect of being socially well is having the ability to move through various social situations while appreciating the similarities and differences between people.

• Intellectual: Developing the mind as an instrument for decision making as well as learning and interpreting experiences. Intellectual wellness involves critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity. Being open to new experiences and ideas contributes to growth.

• Spiritual: Developing your own personal beliefs system and adhering to that system. Spiritual wellness involves seeking purpose and meaning in life while appreciating the beliefs and perspectives of others.

• Emotional: Getting in touch with feelings and emotions regarding yourself and others. Concepts such as, self-confidence, love, and trust for others are key parts of being emotionally well. Maintaining your emotional wellness will help in coping with emotional challenges in life.

• Occupational: The ability to achieve a balance between work and leisure time. Being occupationally well involves addressing workplace stress and building relationships with co-workers.

Activities during Wellness Week will focus on giving students the opportunity to explore different activities and wellness practices that they can incorporate into their own lives to begin enhancing their personal wellness!

For more information on personal wellness and the Six Dimensions of Wellness, visit these links.

8 Components of Personal Wellness 6 Dimensions of Wellness Personal Health & Wellness

Be Well!