As individuals we have to be intentional about making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. Maintaining an optimal level of wellness is crucial to living a higher quality of life. It is important that we achieve optimal wellness to reduce stress, minimize instances of illness (where we can), and promote positive life outcomes.
According to the Kansas State University’s “Wildcat Wellness Coalition”, there are 8 dimensions of wellness. The 8 dimensions include: intellectual, physical, social, spiritual, environmental, financial, occupational, and psychological. I won’t touch on all 8 dimensions in this blog. That said, I will speak to the physical, spiritual, intellectual, and social dimensions of wellness. But before I delve into that I want to offer up some interesting wellness quotes for your reference and to provoke thought.
“If you think wellness is expensive, then try illness.” – Anonymous
“If we could be attentive to our souls as we are to our stomachs, we’d be far healthier and happier.” – Dr. Partha Nandi
“Exercise is an accomplishment of what your body can do. Not a punishment for what you ate.” Quote I saw on Instragam
“A healthy outside starts from the inside.” – Robert Urich
“A sad soul can kill you quicker than a germ.” – John Steinbeck
I hope the 5 quotes above you find useful in your journey to a higher level of wellness. Previously, I said I would touch on some of the wellness dimensions referenced above. I’ll do that in the next couple of paragraphs. I will address the physical dimension first. Our humanity anatomy is designed for us to move around on a regular basis. Regular exercise increase our chances of keeping our muscular and skeletal systems at optimal levels. Physical activity can also keep our mental state stable. If you have a job where you sit for long periods of time I suggest going for walks periodically, stretching, and maybe looking out of a window on a routine basis to keep yourself refreshed. Also, what we eat affects the ability for our bodies to function and heal. Proper nutrition helps with things such as keeping our organs working correctly, our cardiovascular system in good working condition, and bodies properly hydrated. This reminds of the age old saying “You either pay the farmer now or the pharmacist later.” I will also note that our bodies need adequate rest to function and heal as well. Don’t under-estimate how valuable adequate sleep can be for you!
Next I’ll cover useful considerations for the spiritual dimension of wellness. I feel strongly that as humans we are susceptible to admiring things that we perceive as greater than ourselves. I think this is why people idolize comic book characters, pro athletes, movie stars, music artists, powerful machinery, etc. We were designed to acknowledge and pay attention to things that have capabilities beyond our physical limitations. Because of that dynamic, prayer and meditation is vital for maintaining a connection to divine power which drives our moral compass. My intent here is to not offend anyone or come off like some sort of “Holy Roller.” I will be transparent and note that I prescribe to Christian values that has been my source of strength and guiding coalition for my personal growth. I feel strongly there is a spiritual component to us as humans so that is something I think is beneficial to acknowledge and focus on.
I will now seek to speak to both the intellectual and social dimension of wellness over the next couple of sentences. Managing stress, possessing self-esteem, self-acceptance, and appropriately sharing feelings with others is necessary as we are emotional beings. You have to be intentional about regulating your emotions. This is crucial for maintaining relationships and succeeding in life. Obviously it would not be appropriate to be an open book to any and everybody. I recommend having a select few people that can truly be your “vault of trust” to have that level of connection with. Be mindful happiness, sadness, anger, and resentment are things that naturally occur. It is not wise to seek to live your life in a such a way that you avoid situations that lead to experiencing said emotions, which you may find less desirable. In fact, getting comfortable with what makes you uncomfortable is often where you learn and grow the most. Human connections are vital to our overall health. This is why having the “vault of trust” with someone is key. Appropriate and healthy relationships can be conducive to learning and growth and is very much needed.
I hope that some of the perspectives I outlined above was helpful and useful for thinking about your wellness from multiple vantage points. I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I do seek to help somebody as I travel along the way. I’m hopeful I have been able to lift up some keys for navigating this thing we call life. As I always say: “In all that you do, seek to BeUpwright.”
– LW
