5 Different Types Of Wellness
An in depth answer outlining the definition of wellness and why we should take this topic seriously.
A topic that has become emphasized in today's society is the subject of our personal Wellness. Like me, after seeing a multitude of postings and videos about Wellness plastered all over your social media feeds, you may finally be asking yourself the begging question: What is Wellness?
As explained by the University of California, "Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life." It's basically a healthy balance between our mental, physical, spiritual, and social health, including our lifestyle; all dependent on the conscious choices we make daily.
So how does a busy, and at most times, overwhelmed college student balance their Wellness?
It seems absolutely impossible to have a thriving social life and an up-kept physique, all while being a full time college student who works long hours to make every deadline.
But you know what they say: If there's a will, there's a way.
Here is how to maintain personal Wellness as a college student:
Mental Wellness
Many people often ignore this important dimension of Wellness. They confuse having poor Mental Wellness with having some sort of mental disorder. To clue you in, Mental Wellness has to do with having a happy and healthy mind set. That excludes putting ourselves through immense amounts of tension and negativity, because one thing that exhausts our minds the most is stress.
As college students we stress a lot. We're always worrying about something whether it's upcoming assignments, tests, essays, our GPA, work, boyfriends, girlfriends, why we weren't invited to that party; you get the point. But regardless of the issues looming over our heads, we need to push them aside in order to successfully maintain our Mental Wellness.
By implementing these tips in our day to day lives, we can greatly improve our Mental Health.
- Connect with others.
- Measure the number of happy and satisfied days to the number of sad days you have.
- Be physically active (just walking 20 minutes each day can change your mood drastically)
- Help others and contribute to your community.
- Eat well. Crazy diets aren't necessary, but ruling out junk food and regularly eating your fruits and veggies won't hurt.
- When you're having an off day, write down the things that are troubling you to get them off your mind and to release steam.
- If you're feeling stressed, take a ten minute break from whatever you're doing to go through routine breathing exercises.
- Don't procrastinate and leave all of your schoolwork to complete the night before it's due. Pace yourself.
Physical Wellness
Almost everyone struggles with their weight, and it's no secret that us college students enjoy snacking. (Guilty as charged). We put off working out and become couch potatoes, never fulfilling our new years resolution to have a hot summer body. But thankfully, Physical Wellness isn't just about how we look, so hitting the gym six times a week isn't necessary.
Physical Wellness is all about how we feel, and if we follow these helpful recommendations, we can learn how to balance a healthy, confidence exuding life.
- When you go to class, take a healthy snack with you.
- Eat organic, chemical-free, non fried foods to avoid detrimental health issues.
- Limit eating sweets and foods with a high count of sugar.
- Participate in some form of physical exercise, push-ups, squats, and even riding bike to school can do you a lot of good.
- Eat small portions of food every two hours to speed up your metabolism.
- Eat slow. This will make you get full faster so you won't be tempted by seconds.
- Drink a lot of water. Adding lemon to your water can also help burn fat.
- Sleep. Rest is an important aspect in balancing your Physical Wellness.
- Remember that Physical Wellness doesn't revolve around your physical appearance. Your confidence shouldn't be determined by how others feel about you, but, instead, by the way you feel about yourself and your health; this includes your mental health.
Spiritual Wellness
Spirituality can be a complex subject, and at this stage in our lives, some of us might be unsure of what we believe in. Spiritual Wellness involves seeking meaning and purpose in our human existence. As stated in an article found on DimensionsofWellness.com, "It includes the development of a deep appreciation for the depth and expanse of life and natural forces that exist in the universe."
Spiritual Wellness is about more than you an I; it's about finding our purpose on this Earth and how we can improve our way of life as well as the lives of the people around us. By following these tips, we can embark on a spiritually cleansing journey that allows us to reach our full potential as human beings.
- Make it a habit to regularly spend alone time praying, meditating or worshiping.
- Be inquisitive and curious. Don't be quick to make assumptions.
- Bring your choices to consciousness. Think of the repercussions.
- Practice acceptance.
- Practice forgiveness.
- Decipher what is right from what is wrong.
- Know that seeing isn't always believing. You can find deeper meaning in the unknown.
- Look out for the well-being of the others. Don't walk through life selfishly; put others first.
- Seek fellowship with those who hold the same beliefs as you.
Social Wellness
Social Wellness is our ability to relate to and connect with other people in our world. Our Social Wellness depends on our comprehension of the way we form relationships with those around us. It is very easy for college students to unintentionally exclude ourselves. Sometimes we become busy with work and school, forgetting that socializing can improve our health.
DimensionsofWellness.com presents eye opening facts on Social Wellness: "Socially isolated people are more susceptible to illness and have a death rate two to three times higher than those who are not socially isolated... A strong social network can create a good mood and enhance self-esteem." It's true what they say, two is better than one.
Presented below are ways we can live a connected life while still prioritizing school, work, and any other important engagements.
- Study in groups. It's a way to learn, socialize and make friends all at the same time.
- Set aside one day a week to go out and spend quality time with family and friends.
- Volunteer or join a club. You're contributing to your community, and you're connecting with others who are passionate about the causes you're an advocate for.
- If you're in a relationship, prioritize your time with your significant other and make an effort to go out in groups to prevent the two of you from isolating yourselves.
- Complete your schoolwork in a public environment. You'll gain fresh air and maybe a new friend.
Lifestyle Wellness
According to Wellness.com, Lifestyle Wellness "includes our work and workplace, our leisure time and our home environment." This dimension of Wellness revolves around doing what we love and being able to balance free time with the duties in our home life. The goal for obtaining a healthy lifestyle is to live a fun-filled life without becoming distracted from our personal or family Wellness while consciously caring for the Earth. Some of us have this dimension mastered, and others may not. Regardless, we can all utilize these helpful points to grow as individuals.
- We learned that leisure time is encouraged to improve Social Wellness, but too much of it cuts away time from the important things in life (practice moderation).
- Being a help to your family isn't just beneficial for them but for you as well. You improve your reliability and dependability.
- Give back to the environment. Take care of nature and be considerate of all its splendors.
- Schedule your time on a calendar or planner. It will help you keep track of your priorities.
- Make checklists. This not only aids with time management but making a list can help you take accountability for all dimensions of Wellness.
Understanding Wellness and how to maintain it can be a lot like navigating through a maze. There are multiple decisions that you have to evaluate and take into consideration throughout your walk through life. And like all good things, achieving a perfect balance of Wellness takes time. Hopefully reading this article has given you insight on how to improve your lifestyle through all 5 complex dimensions of Wellness.
