As a part of BakitWhy.com's Pilipino American Health Awareness Month, it is important to think about the various dimensions of wellness and what it could realistically look like for yourself and for our community. Wellness is more than maintaining stability and being free from pain. It's got to be a part of your lifestyle. It involves being active, hopeful, and aware of the biggest and littlest decisions that you make.
Here are six aspects of wellness that you can think about when contemplating your health strategies.
#1: Physical wellness: This is the body’s overall condition, fitness level and the ability to prevent injury and illness and to develop.
Try to find ways to move around, walk more and stretch out to regain some energy. Choose to push yourself when you can and listen to your body.
#2: Emotional wellness: the ability to understand feelings, reflect on past experiences, identify and overcome obstacles.
Get to know yourself and where you come from. Get to know your family, perhaps seek and ask those questions that linger in your mind. Take time to reflect on your day, month, year and relationships.
#3: Intellectual wellness: an active and challenged mind, usually people who enjoy seeking new experiences never stop learning.
Try out a book club, maybe coach a youth league sport, take up a new hobby, or check something off of your life's to-do list. Challenge yourself to critically read the news everyday, or respond to a BakitWhy.com article or blog entry. Work beyond your current intellectual comfort zone.
#4: Interpersonal wellness: social wellness, maintain supportive relationships, includes participating and contributing to one’s community.
This is another great way to get to know yourself. Connect with your family, your schools, your organizations and even your social network for support and love.
#5: Spiritual wellness: possess a guide of beliefs, principles, or values that give purpose to one’s life; includes focusing on the positive in life.
Think about your values and start define or redefine what you believe. Once you do, follow through and let your actions reinforce these thoughts.
#6: Environmental wellness: defined by the livability of one’s surroundings, environment is tied to the support of physical wellness, physical wellness of an environment leads to the wellness of an individual.
Take care of your community and it will take care of you! Let people and place support you at all times.
photo by Christopher Rafie
information on wellness taken from "Fit and Well" by Thomas Fahey
