well-balanced life

Feb

2022

Are You Well? The Eight Dimensions of Wellness

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Do you feel healthy? Do you feel well enough to engage in your daily activities most of the time? Most of us gauge a healthy diet and exercising as a measure of our health, but this is only one aspect of being totally healthy. There are actually eight dimensions of wellness.

Are you fulfilling the 8 dimensions of wellness to live a balanced life?

Not being sick is also not a sign that you are healthy. Yes, you may be healthy physically but you may not be well. Actually, wellness is a holistic experience and total wellness can only be achieved if you are fulfilling the 8 dimensions of wellness in your regular activities.

Wellness is considered a necessary component to be able to achieve your full potential as a human being. It encompasses your lifestyle including your mental and spiritual well-being. Wellness is an experience where you, the individual, consciously make decisions that propel you to achieving a successful, balanced existence.

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness

To help you achieve and maximize your full human potential, you need to make daily goals that develop each of these dimensions.

PHYSICAL

Are you physically healthy? Do you look and feel healthy? Are you sick often or almost never? Physical wellness is being able to get through your daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress. Physical health is one of the dimensions of wellness that is mostly neglected and taken for granted. It is important to take care of yourself physically because it is the foundation for our overall wellness.

Do you take care of yourself physically?

Remember that we only have one body and we are only able to interact with each other and our environment because of our body so we should make it a priority to take care of ourselves. We should ensure that we are physically healthy so we can perform to our best each time we are physically needed to do so.

FINANCIAL

Do you track your expenses? Are you following a budget? Do you have a savings account? Do you have an emergency fund? Are you investing your money? These are just some of the things that we need to have in our financial life. Without these things in place, we won’t be able to manage our finances effectively.

Are you satisfied about your current financial situation or do you wish you could improve it?

There are many ways to start learning about finances so you can improve your skills in handling your money. There is no quick-rich magic formula to become instantly rich. The best way to improve your financial situation is to learn more about your money personality, improve your financial literacy, pick one financial area that you are comfortable learning and doing and then expand from there.

Are you friendly and outgoing? Are you aloof and/or prefer to be alone? Do you have one constant set of friends or do you have multiple sets of friends? Social wellness is having and maintaining positive connections with friends, family, colleagues and others. It means that you have people around you who you can feel safe with and are comfortable enough to be with in various situations.

Do you make time to go out with your friends and family?

Having many friends does not mean that you are healthy. You may be surrounded by friends and still feel alone and lonely if you don’t have good relationships with most of them. It is the quality and value of the interactions that you have with them that enables you to achieve social wellness. Constant communication is also a key factor in achieving social wellness.

SPIRITUAL

Do you feel that you are being guided to the right opportunities and decisions? Do you believe that you are being directed towards your goal or that you are fulfilling your purpose in life? How about, do you feel connected with and do you empathize with the people and events around you? Spirituality is different from religion. Two people can be from different religions but share similar spiritual practices and beliefs.

Can you calm down your worries and feel reassured that everything will work out for the best?

Finding your purpose in life and living it is the ultimate goal of each individual. Most of us believe that when we find our purpose and start living it, then we will find happiness. In fact, if we strive to find happiness in our lives, then it will become easier for us to find what truly makes us happy which is what fulfilling our life purpose should feel like. Being spiritually well involves a combination of believing in yourself as well as faith that the Universe has our back.

EMOTIONAL

Are you happy or sad? Are you angry or constantly cheerful or feeling upset? Emotional wellness refers to how you feel inside. When you feel constantly anxious, stressed and unhappy, this will eventually take a major toll in your overall health and wellness. Negative thoughts and feelings are a sign of poor health. There are many ways to alleviate poor emotional health and each person must find a way that is tailored to their specific personalities, needs and circumstances.

Are you sad or happy? How you feel greatly affects your health.

Being well emotionally means that you are able to control or regulate your emotions as necessary and that you are also able to take the necessary steps to change your emotions so you feel better about yourself and/or a negative situation. The main goal is to attain emotional happiness and fulfillment.

INTELLECTUAL

Does your job provide you with adequate intellectual challenges? Intellectual wellness means that you experience various types of intellectual stimulation through various means and different areas in your life. Constant learning not only staves off boredom; it also opens up new opportunities to develop relationships with new people, gain new knowledge, skills and new experiences.

Do you engage in activities that stimulate you intellectually?

Try enrolling in a course, develop a reading habit or listen to audiobooks, attend seminars and conferences about a topic you are interested in or find a hobby that you want to pursue. Develop a learning habit so that you constantly stimulate your intellect and mental skills and maintain your intellectual health. This also allows you to relate to much younger people than you since they are also learning new things in life.

ENVIRONMENTAL

Do you feel safe at home? How about in your community as a whole? Are you able to keep your home clutter-free? Are you disposing your trash properly? Environmental wellness is having a pleasant and stimulating environment that supports your overall well-being. You should have many safe spaces in your environment.

Does your environment allow you to feel safe enough to do the things you want and need to do?

Having the right environment is a big factor in achieving your goals in life. This can be as basic as having a dedicated work space to improve your focus and productivity. This also includes cleaning your living space as well as clearing the energy in these spaces. It also means how safe you feel in your community when you are walking alone late at night. Your environment also includes the people you interact with, your family, friends, as well as your colleagues at work and the office culture.

OCCUPATIONAL

Do you feel excited to go to work? Are you doing what you love? Your job contributes a lot to your financial state. If you are not well in this area, then it will definitely affect your performance in the other dimensions of wellness. We know that money can’t buy love or happiness but it does allow us to engage in experiences that can make us happy and acquire the things we like.

Do you love your job or are you constantly thinking of quitting?

We spend a huge amount of time at our jobs and if we are constantly stressed by it, then it will have a negative impact on our overall health. Also, having anxieties about your financial situation can cause a lot of stress. Make sure you spend some time to think about your job and your finances and what your real situation is. It helps to list down the pros and cons and then make a plan on how you can improve the situation and alleviate your issues.

Your State of Wellness

So are you well? If you are not paying attention to any of these dimensions of wellness, then you have not truly achieved overall wellness. Working on each aspect of wellness means that you plan for activities that help you fulfill each dimension. Make sure you review often so you are also able to monitor your progress towards your goal of achieving overall wellness.

If you are not sure which dimension you should work on first, then find time to look inward and talk to yourself. Spend more time with nature and learn to be comfortable with yourself. Get to know yourself better so you can have a clearer picture of what your qualities and values are and why they are important to you. This is the starting point for you to redesign your life to achieve overall wellness in all eight dimensions.

There are many ways to do this. You can start practicing meditation and engaging in gentle exercise that require focus such as tai chi and yoga. The simple act of keeping your thoughts in a diary and writing down your feelings on paper also helps. Expressing your emotions thru drawing and painting or even thru needle work or flower arrangement area also great ways to help you get to know yourself better.

The important thing is to carve out some “me time” for yourself during your day to strengthen your awareness of self. You can gain a deeper connection to your values and beliefs and get a clearer understanding of why you choose to live the way you live and how you can change it for the better.

Updated. First published on 2020.01.20.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Yayan Sopian on Unsplash.

Feb

2022

A Balanced Life

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Life is all about balance. When you have a balanced life you feel happy, calm and content yet motivated and driven at the same time. Highly successful people live a well-balanced life.

How To Live A Balanced Life

A balanced life means there is harmony in all the elements of your life. If you are feeling burnout, it’s a signal that you are focusing too much on one aspect of your life and neglecting the others. True success and happiness all boils down to doing your responsibilities yet making time for doing things that you enjoy.

Pillars To A Balanced Life

There are 8 pillars to a balanced life. These are actually the 8 dimensions of wellness. Create harmony among these pillars and you will be able to achieve not just your dreams and happiness but also your growth as an individual.

Here are some questions that you can ponder on to see if you have achieved balance in your life.

1. Physical

Do you have enough sleep?
Do you exercise?
What kind of food do you usually eat?

2. Financial

Do you have enough money to meet your needs?
Are your debts manageable?
Are you saving enough for your future?

3. Social

Do you have enough time to spend with your loved ones?
Do you have a vast network of friends?
Can you count on your friends if you need help?

4.Spiritual

Do you pray or meditate?
Are you grateful for all the blessings that you have received?
Are you doing your life’s purpose?

5. Emotional

How do you manage stress?
Are you constantly worried about something?
Are there people that wronged you in the past that you have not forgiven yet?

6. Intellectual

When was the last time you read a book?
Do you travel?
What new skill have you learned recently?

7. Environmental

Is there clutter around you?
Are you happy with your surroundings?
Do you care for your environment?

8. Occupational

Do you love your job?
Is your work fulfilling enough?
Do you always lose your temper at work?

Try to reflect on the above questions about your life and answer whether you have a balanced life or not. If it is not balanced, make a conscious decision to change all that. It would help if you could create goals in every aspect of your life. Only through a balanced life will you find a sense of fulfillment and meaning.

Feature Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Updated Version. First Published in Pinoy Smart Living on 09.07.2018

Apr

2021

Good Things That Can Turn Bad

Reading Time: 3 minutes

There are everyday things that we enjoy doing. They are fun, relaxing and give us a sense of calmness and fulfillment. We need them in order to maintain a balanced life. They are good for our overall well-being. It is not good for the health if it is all work and no play. However, if done in excess, these things can have an opposite effect. They can be detrimental to our wellness. Here are five good things that can turn bad if done excessively:

1. Drinking Tea

There are many different kinds of teas. Each one has different usage and benefits. For one, some tea has antioxidant properties. Teas also have cleansing properties so they are good for gut health and can also reduce blood sugar levels and can also reduce the risk of cancer. In addition, drinking tea is also good for the heart. Teas reduce the risk of stroke and blood pressure . They also lower blood cholesterol in the body. Thus, moderate drinking is greatly beneficial for health.

But too much of everything is bad. Drinking too much tea can lead to anxiety, headaches and disrupted sleep patterns. More so, too much tea can lead to the formation of kidney stones because of the oxalate found in teas. Drinking more than 4 cups of tea per day is already considered toxic.

2. Drinking Wine

Research suggests that drinking wine is good for the heart because just like tea, wine contains antioxidants. Wine protects the body from heart diseases and inflammation. It is best to take red wine because it has higher levels of antioxidants compared to white wine. The US Dietary guidelines recommends drinking wine in moderation. Moderation means one glass per day for women and two glasses for men.

A piece of warning though, drinking excessively can lead to dependence and even alcoholism.

3. Eating Chocolates

Studies reveal that chocolates are good for your health. The flavanols found in cocoa beans, the main ingredient of chocolates are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent damage to cells caused by free radicals. Damaged cells lead to cancer. They also protect the heart by reducing low-density cholesterol, thus preventing plaque built-up in the artery walls.

However, do remember that chocolates are still sweets. It is loaded with extra calories, sugar and unhealthy fats. So in order to get the maximum benefit of chocolate, it is better to eat chocolate bars with at least 70% cacao or higher. In short, always opt for dark chocolates with less sugar and saturated fats.

4. Sleeping

A good sleep is very important for our overall health and wellness. Having 7-8 hours of good quality sleep helps boost the immune system. Moreover, a full night’s sleep results in a sharper brain and healthier heart. According to the Sleep Foundation, a lack of sleep is associated with several medical conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, poor mental death and even early death.

However, too much sleep can do more harm than good. Sleeping for more than 9 hours each night is already considered oversleeping. Medical conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases and calcium buildup in the arteries are often attributed to people who sleep longer than needed.

5. Watching TV

Watching your favorite movies, shows and Korean dramas is good for you. It is a form of entertainment. It helps you relax and take a break from all the hustle and bustle in life. Some shows even provide educational content and some can serve as inspiration in life.

However, watching too much can already affect your health physically and mentally. No physical activity can lead to muscle degradation, fatigue, obesity and can lead to laziness. It is bad for the eyes. It also affects the brain. And besides, it takes your time away from doing important things.

Feature Photo by Elina Sazonova from Pexels

Aug

2020

Take Back Your Life and Have Fun Again

Reading Time: 2 minutes

A well-balanced life is important to keep us healthy and motivated to reach our goals. However, most of us have become too focused on work-related matters that life becomes just a daily grind. Why not make it a goal to take back your life and have fun again?

As adults, we have come to view stress and struggle as a normal part of life. Most of us have forgotten how it is to have fun like children do. It is important to have fun even at work. There’s a very big chance that we will just quit at whatever we’re doing if we’re not having fun. Many people have resigned from high-paying jobs just because it wasn’t fun for them anymore.

Launch Challenge

Challenge yourself daily. Ask yourself: how can I make my day more fun?

There are many ways to make your life more fun again. If you’re stuck at home, try out these 10 things to do to have fun. Fancy yourself as a sporty or athletic type? Then try out these non-contact sports you can enjoy even during quarantine. Want to find out what your special powers are? (No, we don’t mean the type that the X-Men have.) Try unleashing the genius within you.

In taking up this challenge, a very important aspect to keep in mind is to maintain a childlike attitude at all times. Not childish, but childlike. Here are some tips on how to maintain a childlike outlook or attitude as you try to take back your life and have fun again.

Slow Down

Having more fun shouldn’t feel like you’re trying to beat a deadline. Allow yourself adequate time to enjoy living life and appreciating what it has to offer. All that rushing sucks the energy and fun out of the day.

Children know how to take their sweet time. Learn to prolong your time for enjoying things instead of prolonging your agony by worrying.

Be Unpredictable

Step out of your ordinary routine and out of your comfort zone and see what happens. Life can take interesting turns if you let it unfold on its own. Learn to loosen up on the reigns once a while and see where it takes you. We sometimes have a very tight grip on everything that we end up stressed about the smallest reasons.

Be like a kid and try to go with the flow sometimes. This way, you don’t close yourself off from receiving and experiencing many of the wonderful things that life has to offer.

Break the Rules

If you want to have fun, you need to learn to break some rules. Kids often hurt themselves trying to do things they think they can do. As adults we are better equipped to judge our own limits and capacities. However, this also makes us scared to try new things, especially if they don’t follow the norm.

Be like a kid sometimes and try to break the rules. If it doesn’t hurt, go for it and enjoy the moment.

You may want to play with kids once in a while to learn how they have fun. Don’t be surprised if you learn even more valuable tips or profound lessons from interacting with them. Maybe you can ask them how you can take back your life and have fun again. I’m sure you’ll get interesting answers.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Alex Alvarez on Unsplash.