Wellness consciousness is an awareness that you are healthy and have the capacity to achieve your optimal health. This is an attitude that is important for everyone to have and maintain.
A holistic approach to wellness focuses on the eight major areas of human functioning, including physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, financial, occupational and spiritual.
Physical wellness
Physical wellness involves eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep and being active to prevent illness and injuries or to manage chronic health conditions. It also includes getting medical attention when needed and learning about health symptoms or signs that may indicate a problem.
This dimension of wellness helps people feel physically well and can enhance one’s sense of wellbeing and overall mental health. It also promotes self-esteem, stress management, and a sense of direction.
Occupational wellness encourages the enjoyment of ones work and personal satisfaction through occupational pursuits. This dimension of wellness enables workers to be rewarded for their work and to develop their careers.
Previous research on wellness consciousness has identified five major dimensions of health consciousness: integration of health behavior, attention to one’s health, health information seeking and usage, personal health responsibility, and health motivation. These dimensions are a better predictor of diverse health behaviors than actual health behaviors measured by food consumption, exercise, and substance use.
Social wellness
Social wellness focuses on developing and maintaining strong relationships. These connections help people navigate the challenges of life and offer support and encouragement during difficult times.
Research shows that socially connected individuals have lower rates of anxiety and depression, better mood, and higher self-esteem. Positive social habits also impact physical health in many ways, including weight management, diabetes, dementia, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
As a result, employers today are increasingly implementing multidimensional wellness programs that focus on the whole person. They want their employees to have a positive outlook on life and be more engaged in work, community, and family.
The social dimension of wellness is vital to overall mental health, which has a direct impact on employee performance. Encouraging employees to give back and volunteer their time improves their overall wellbeing, helps them build self-esteem, and reduces stress and anxiety.
Environmental wellness
Environmental wellness is an ethos of recognizing the importance of our relationship with the planet and taking steps to protect it. This can be accomplished through a variety of ways and involves a wide range of daily habits.
The core of environmental wellness is respect. You must treat all nature and animals with respect and realize how your behavior impacts the world around you.
When you are more aware of the environment, it becomes easier to change your habits. This includes recycling, reducing waste and making sure that you use only what you need.
Another important aspect of environmental wellness is spending time outside in nature. Studies have shown that being out in nature for at least 120 minutes a week can reduce stress and improve mood and mental health.
Having an environmental wellness program at work can inspire employees to consider the impact their behaviors have on the future of the earth and how they can better care for it. This can lead to more productive workers and a happier workplace.
Spiritual wellness
People who have a strong spiritual consciousness are often more self-aware and aware of the impact they have on others. This awareness may help them become more compassionate, kind and peaceful.
It also helps them make ethical decisions based on what they consider to be right or wrong. This practice is known as mindfulness and can be applied to a variety of situations in life.
For instance, if you’re in a situation where you feel overwhelmed or hopeless, bringing yourself to focus on something positive will help you feel more centered.
It’s important to cultivate your spiritual wellness through a variety of practices and activities. This can include meditation and yoga, as well as things like walking in nature, gardening, reading, journaling and creating art.
