What is Wellbeing
Although wellbeing is different for each individual, in general it incorporates a holistic approach focusing on multiple dimensions that affect quality of life, ultimately leading to a balanced, healthy and happy you. Wellbeing wheels are often used to demonstrate the relationship between each dimension with the idea being that to be a "well" individual, each individual must actively strive to improve themselves within each dimension.
Wellbeing Dimensions:
Emotional: the ability to recognize, understand, experience and express a full range of emotions and to channel our emotions into healthy behaviors that satisfy our personal and social goals.
Environmental: an awareness and appreciation of the critical role the environment plays in our individual wellbeing and that all human activity impacts the environment and can jeopardize the environment's ability to provide essential services needed to sustain life.
Financial: informed decision-making and learning how to use credit wisely, save, invest, and plan for the future.
Intellectual: an active mind is essential to overall wellness. Being open to new ideas, thinking critically, being creative and curious, and being motivated to master new skills are the keys to intellectual wellness.
Occupational: achieving personal satisfaction and enrichment in one's life through work.
Physical: achieving optimal wellness through building physical strength, flexibility, endurance, and optimal nutrition while also taking safety precautions, including medical self-care and appropriate use of a medical system. Making healthy lifestyle choices today will affect health and quality of life tomorrow.
Social: the interaction and contributions to the environment and the community. Satisfying relationships, having support networks, participating and contributing to the community, developing the capacity for intimacy and learning good communication skills all contribute to a positive state of social wellness.
Spiritual: finding meaning and purpose to life is the basis of spiritual wellness. Using a "world view" to choose actions that are consistent with personal beliefs and values.
