10 DIMENSIONS OF WELLNESS.

When you hear someone say "Oh I need to be Healthier." What do you think? Well, I used to think I just need to exercise and eat better. But that is just a SMALL part of it.

Being healthy - or overall wellness is not just physical and nutritional. There are 10 DIMENSIONS of wellness.

Let's break them down...

1. PHYSICAL: Obviously you all know what that entails. Structured exercise, and active lifestyle practice.

2. NUTRITIONAL: Making good nutrient dense food choices!! Also establishing and maintaining a healthy weight (whatever that may be for you!)

3. MEDICAL AND DENTAL: Making sure you are going to your regular doctor and dentists appointments? Are you adhering to prevention, treatment recommendations from your doctor, dentist or other healthcare provider and following established guidelines?

4. SOCIAL: Enjoying family, friends and having good social support and cohesion. If not- take a step back and adjust your friend group. It is also okay to not talk to some family members if they make your mental health- unstable.

5. ENVIRONMENTAL: Creating a personal space to enhance well-being, being a steward of natural resources in the world. Are you picking up trash and putting it in the correct bins? Are you creating a space that is good and healthy?

6. SPIRITUAL: Identifying your core values, identity, and purpose, and living in alignment with them.

7. BEHAVIORAL AND INTELLECTUAL: Make sure you are doing things that have a positive impact on life, exploring new ideas, learning new skills. Using safety gear and avoiding harmful behaviors.

8. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL: Coping, managing stress, problem solving, and creating good decision making habits.

9. OCCUPATIONAL: Engaging in meaningful and rewarding activities (job and hobbies), and addressing personal interests, skills, and performance satisfaction.

10. FINANCIAL: Planning and saving, managing cash and credit accounts and financial risk.

...WOOF. See!! I told you that there is a lot that goes into Wellness. It is NOT JUST ABOUT YOUR OUTER APPEARANCE AND WHAT YOU FEED YOUR BODY. It is so much more than that!

I definitely know that I have room to improve on some of these dimensions. They all influence each other in some way. Just because you are good in physical and nutritional does NOT mean you are good at social, spiritual and behavioral/intellectual. You could be slacking!! We need to have balance in all dimensions. Its hard and it takes practice but let's do it together!