Many different dimensions are involved in optimizing our health and wellness.
So much goes into our overall health, and yes, diet is definitely a huge part of that. But there is so much more to consider. This topic has been contemplated for a long time. The association between diet and disease has been investigated and reported for thousands of years. The Greek physician and “father of modern medicine,” Hippocrates (460–370 BC), was perhaps one of the first scientists to recognize the connection between diet and health:
If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health. –Hippocrates.
And as one of my teachers stated: The whole constitution of man must be taken into consideration, not merely the treating of the body as a chemical or mechanical machine. – Dr Stone
That statement was a turning point for me, it made so much sense. Of course food is top of the list, we cannot survive for long without it. But looking at our overall health and wellbeing we need more to thrive. Our mental and emotional health is important and well.
Healing nature with grounding rocks
The definition of health is: A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.
Key factors to staying healthy are these six dimensions of wellness; emotional, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual. Therefore addressing all six dimensions in our lives builds a holistic sense of wholeness and fulfillment. We have to remember that we are living beings and our journey through this life is continuously changing and evolving. Wellness views health from a holistic perspective- mind, body, and spirit. And as such all of these dimensions work individually, but also need support from each other. Let’s dive a little deeper into these dimensions.
The many different dimensions of wellness are quite intertwined.
Our emotional wellness depends a lot on our outlook on life. Are we being positive and mindful? Are we beating ourselves up when negative emotions come up? How is our relationship with food and our health? How can we improve on our relationship with food?
What is called occupational wellness is considered what we do in life. Are we enjoying our job? Are we volunteering and enjoying the company we interact with? Is there a personal satisfaction related to these activities?
Physical wellness encourages the balance of exercise, rest, nutrition, and mental-health. Are we respecting the responsibility for taking care of our bodies, both physical and emotional?
Improving social wellness can also improve our emotional wellness. Are we enjoying a healthy social network? This can help give a positive outlook on life.
Intellectual wellness expands your horizon and will give us a sense of fulfillment in life. Never stop learning and participating in activities. This in turn supports your emotional and occupational wellness.
Spiritual wellness means having personal faith in something that deepens feeling of belonging and peace with oneself and the world. Our spiritual wellness can be defined in terms of religious faith, personal values, ethical/moral beliefs. Or simply a general acceptance of an underlying mind-body-spirit connection. It helps to create a greater sense of meaning and purpose in life which enhances all other dimensions of wellness.
Meditation walk on spiral staircase
In conclusion, there is much each one of us can do to improve our health and wellbeing. So many of these ideas mean that you have to tune in to yourself and trust your inner self. Acknowledge what your body is asking for, it is usually right if we are honest.
Forget what is best for others, be selfish here. What is best for you is not best for the person next to you. I am on my journey of the best well-being path I can be on for me. And I understand that we all have a different path, but we can share our experiences and share our stories and with that help someone along on their journey. I hope in some small way I could support you and let you know you are on the right path if you are trying something new, even if it something very small, to improve your well-being.
If you want to learn more about me and my journey check out Whole Self Unity and maybe join me there to learn more about yourself. You can also find different tools on our Youtube channel.
Wishing you a happy and successful journey.
