7 Ways to Personalize Wellness
August is National Wellness Month, so it’s a great time to survey how you care for yourself. Wellness and self-care are often empty words these days, but if used correctly they are tools that are YOUR health-care.
Wellness Month focuses on self-care, managing stress and promoting healthy routines. I encourage you to take time to experiment with healthy habits in your lifestyle all month long and see how much better you feel.
I’ve partnered with some amazing brands and businesses to bring you a 31-day challenge to keep your wellbeing at the top of your priority list. Visit my Instagram bio for the link to take the “I Choose Wellness Pledge”
As a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, I work with clients to see their wellbeing as more than food and exercise, it’s a mindset that includes all the areas of your life: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, and occupational.
By taking small steps to improve how you feel about each of these areas, you can create big changes in your overall wellbeing. It’s about taking care of yourself now, not waiting for everything else to fall into place.
Physical Wellness
Optimal physical wellness directly impacts the way you think and feel. As an example, when you overdo it on greasy foods or miss out on crucial hours of sleep, your body will likely react in a physical manner to express imbalances. Physical symptoms can manifest as a headache, digestion issues, lack of focus, or general fatigue. When you take care of your body in a physical manner, you are rewarded with better digestion, a clearer mind, a better sense of judgment, and a more optimistic attitude.
Your physical health extends beyond your body’s basic functioning. You can improve physical wellness by regulating the amount of alcohol you consume, taking supplements when necessary, or being more mindful of the quality of nutrients in your meals.
Emotional Wellness
Emotional wellness covers everything from mental health and self-esteem to intimacy and the healthy expression of emotions. As humans, we possess a complex set of emotions that equip us for connecting with others, living with a sense of morality, and acting as functional members of society. You can strengthen your emotional and mental well-being by turning to a support network of family and friends, finding time to meditate and stay calm, or committing to better understanding your emotions and thought processes.
When you safely express your feelings to others, you are better able to address your emotions in real time, which leads to a better understanding of how to behave in future similar situations. This is key in order to healthily manage stress and develop coping skills for when things get difficult.
Intellectual Wellness
When you exercise your mind, stimulate critical thinking, and seek out people and experiences that challenge you intellectually, you are contributing to your overall intellectual wellness. This type of wellness is achieved through embracing new concepts, improving your skill sets, and seeking new challenges.
Challenge your mind and intellect by participating in creatively stimulating mental activities. There are many ways to learn something new, whether by reading, doing, discussing, watching, or creating. Continue to find activities that are interesting and new to you.
Social Wellness
Social wellness refers to your relationship with your community and others. At its core, it’s the ability to communicate effectively and build positive relationships that extend to satisfaction in all areas of your life, such as friends, family, school, and work. This area of wellness is important as it directly affects the way you show up as an individual and contribute to your community.
You can enhance your social wellness by simply expanding your network of people. Try reaching out to old friends and sparking new connections with those who share common interests and values. When you build these connections, your life will feel fuller and more enhanced.
Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual wellness encompasses the idea of seeking meaning and purpose outside of ourselves. Encouraging you to live by a guiding set of principles and belief systems that can help you approach life with a positive mind-set. By aligning yourself with your spirit and moral compass, you become more emotionally in tune to your own needs and the needs of others.
Spiritual wellness can be put into practice through daily meditation, a thirst to stay inquisitive, and a focus on listening to your gut morals in difficult situations. It is also an opportunity to allow for self-growth and introspection when it comes to the challenges that life may throw your way. When you encourage yourself to listen to your heart and your inner moral compass, you can become more present and aligned with positive people and energies within the world.
Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness is the ability to recognize how your daily habits and the spaces you occupy and interact in affect your health This concept applies to how you affect the Earth AND how the spaces you create (your home, office, etc.) affect you. What you surround yourself with greatly influences your mood and energy.
Each of us has a personal responsibility to improve the health, harmony, and homeostasis of the air, water, and land that we make use of every day. You can start practicing environmental wellness by conserving water, choosing to walk or bike rather than drive, or composting your food scraps. In terms of your personal and home life, environmental wellness can manifest in the cleanliness of your home, optimizing your at-home work setup for boosted productivity, or the conversations and relationships that you engage in.
Occupational Wellness
In an effort to live a more vibrant and holistic life, your occupation should reflect your core values and overall mission in life. Occupational wellness is achieved when you are able to find a job or purpose in life that makes use of your gifts, skills, and talents. This wellness factor in your workplace will extend to feelings of satisfaction in all other areas of your life! If you find yourself leaving each workday drained of energy or dreading the next time you step foot in the office, you may not be on the right career path for achieving your best self. Devoting your energy to a rewarding career that speaks to your unique talents and gifts and aligns with your life goals is how you can achieve occupational wellness.
The idea of a career change can seem daunting and scary, but it’s an essential step toward finding your unique path and building a healthy vision for your future.
Integrating Wellness into All Facets of Your Life
Wellness permeates into every aspect of your life, from your morning routines and how you manage your work schedule to your relationships with your friends and family and what you put on your plate. If you feel like you are struggling to find balance in these areas, you may be interested in working me as a health coach.
The Health Coaching program at Your Well First highlights the importance of each area of wellness, as well as nutrition, and mind-set to create lasting changes for a more holistic and balanced life.
By focusing on nourishing each of these dimensions of wellness, you can reach an optimal level of whole-body health and show up in your life as the best version of yourself.
Special thanks to IIN content editor, Rebecca Robin for her work in breaking these facets down to manageable pieces.