Wellness is an active process that encompasses multiple aspects, from lifestyle choices, spiritual health and mental well-being, to mental illness. While health may refer to being disease-free, wellness represents the journey toward fulfilling one’s full potential and reaching one’s true potential.
Physical wellness typically refers to eating healthily, engaging in regular physical activity and refraining from harmful habits like smoking. But wellness also encompasses greater levels of awareness.
Physical health
Physical wellness is one of the key pillars of overall wellbeing. This includes factors like exercise, nutrition, and sleep. An achievable goal would be incorporating 30 minutes of aerobic activity five times weekly.
Optimized physical wellness encompasses eating healthily, staying active, avoiding unhealthy habits and getting regular physical exams to detect early signs of disease.
Emotional health refers to our capacity for experiencing and expressing human emotions in an appropriate manner, while maintaining an optimistic perspective and experiencing fulfillment in daily life.
Interpersonal and social wellness refers to our ability to form meaningful relationships and a support system, be open to new ideas and seek knowledge. Spiritual wellbeing encompasses having faith in something larger than yourself as well as feeling fulfillment from spiritual practices like accepting others with diverse cultural backgrounds while respecting cultural differences – developing all these areas is integral for living a healthy life.
Mental health
Physical wellness has traditionally been at the core of wellness discussions; however, mental wellness has also become an important consideration. According to WHO’s definition of mental wellbeing as “not simply the absence of mental illness or disorders; rather it refers to a person’s capacity for living life fully and functioning productively”.
This definition encompasses positive emotions like happiness and contentment, as well as an active, self-directed approach to mental well-being. Furthermore, this definition emphasizes maintaining a healthy body through mindfulness and meditation practices; many therapeutic systems and self-help books offer methods and philosophies which promote mental wellness through positivity psychology as a growing field.
Culture, beliefs and personal values all influence mental health wellness definition. For example, flourishing is often associated with eudaimonia – feeling purposeful or meaningful about one’s purpose in life – while thriving is related to accomplishing goals, having strong social bonds, contributing back to society while being challenged by life experiences.
Social health
Social wellness is an umbrella term that covers numerous facets of our lives, encompassing our relationships with others, sense of belonging, and ability to connect. It also encompasses living a healthy lifestyle through sleep, nutrition and exercise – but differs from mental health in that its focus lies within emotions and thoughts rather than physical well-being. Social determinants of health also play a part in this overall concept of well-being affecting our wellbeing.
Social wellness encompasses a sense of community fostered through mutual support that attenuates stress and promotes personal growth. Furthermore, it means being able to communicate effectively with those around you, having friends that provide support when needed, having fun engaging in social interactions, making time for social activities that bring people together; all which help prevent depression and anxiety (1)
Spiritual health
Spiritual health refers to an individual’s sense of being connected to a higher power, whether through religious activities or simply living harmoniously with their surroundings. People who are spiritually healthy typically display hope, positive attitudes, forgiveness and self-acceptance while staying true to their values.
Spiritual wellness refers to an understanding of one’s life purpose and the desire to make an important contribution to society, and can be achieved by practicing meditation, prayer, yoga or spending time outdoors.
Spending time caring for your physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing is vital for overall wellbeing. At Rolling Green Village retirement community we offer activities to promote this state of being. Get in touch with us now to discover more!