Wellness consciousness is a concept with many applications in several fields. Previous studies have found that it is a powerful predictor of health-related behaviors. But few have delved into the underlying psychological traits of this phenomenon.
Developing healthy habits takes time and commitment. However, it’s worth the effort because wellness is about more than just physical fitness.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is an ability to recognize and understand your own thoughts, feelings, values, beliefs, and behaviors. It can help you stay consistent and focus on what is important in your life. Moreover, it can also assist you in improving your mental health and achieving better relationships with others.
A longitudinal study conducted by Sutton et al found that self-awareness can improve outcomes such as self-control or regulating emotions, improving mental health, developing relationships and living a happier life. However, different conceptualizations of self-awareness predict different outcomes.
You can work on becoming self-aware through regular mindfulness practice, such as meditation or mindful walking. Moreover, you can also seek the support of a therapist to guide your journey. This process can be difficult at times, because it may expose aspects of your personality that you aren’t comfortable with.
Self-esteem
Healthy self-esteem is confidence in your own worth or abilities. It’s a critical component of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and it can help you feel motivated to explore your full potential and work hard toward your goals.
Some things can lower your self-esteem, including genetic factors, childhood experiences, and personality traits. But there are many things you can do to build a healthy sense of self-esteem. For example, take a daily 2-minute self-appreciation break and spend time with people who support you. Stop comparing yourself to others (social media can make this extremely difficult).
In addition, try to accept criticism and failures without taking them personally and practice healthy boundaries. This will improve your resiliency, compassion, and love for yourself. The relationship you have with yourself may be the most important one in life.
Self-motivation
Developing a healthy sense of self-motivation is an essential skill to possess. This will help you stay on track with your goals, even when things get difficult or challenging. In addition, it will allow you to nurture positive thoughts and neutralize negative ones.
Intrinsic motivators include factors that come from within an individual, such as a desire for personal growth or the satisfaction of doing a task well. These are often longer-lasting and more powerful than extrinsic motivators, such as rewards or recognition from others.
Unlike other studies that measure health consciousness using actual behaviors, this study attempts to directly measure the psychological traits of a person’s state of mind. This will likely lead to greater power in predicting diverse health-related issues than the use of visible behavior measures.
Better relationships
Emotional wellness involves recognizing and appreciating your emotions, as well as nurturing healthy social relationships. This includes having a positive worldview, values and belief system that fosters emotional stability. It also involves developing healthy lifestyle habits that promote vitality and self-responsibility.
Previous studies have shown that health consciousness predicts a variety of health-related attitudes and behaviors. Using different definitions and operationalizations, scholars have identified five major dimensions of health consciousness: engagement in healthy behavior, psychological attention to one’s health conditions, active seeking and usage of health information, personal responsibility, and health motivation.
These dimensions may be more relevant to audience segmentation than specific health-related behaviors such as avoidance of high-sodium foods. For instance, Gould’s (1988; 1990) items focused on a person’s psychological or inner state while Iversen and Kraft (2006) used four factors that were heavily loaded and measured behavioral responses.
Environmental wellness
Environmental wellness is living in a healthy, nurturing environment and being aware and respectful of your surroundings. The environment around us can significantly impact our emotions, social health, and spiritual well-being. Being surrounded by a healthy environment and doing your part to protect the planet will help you feel more fulfilled overall.
Taking steps to become environmentally conscious can be as simple as recycling or turning off the lights when you’re not in your room. It can also be more complicated, such as joining a community that advocates for equality or volunteering.
Many people are also choosing healthier food options, checking ingredients lists on products, and supporting brands that prioritize sustainability and the environment. Moreover, viral challenges and campaigns on social media have been instrumental in raising awareness about wellness and sustainability issues and motivating individuals to take action.
