Wellness and Ways of self-assessment
What is Wellness?
Wellness - according to Arizona State University - is an active lifelong process of becoming aware of becoming aware of choices and making decision towards a more balanced and fulfilling life. Wellness involves choices about our lives and our priorities, that determine our lifestyles 1
Elements of Wellness are:
Social, Professional, Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Financial, Emotional, Environmental
This categorization is sometimes also 5 or 7, but they all engulf similar elements, and the same have the goal.
Also the aforementioned elements are not separate from each other, and indeed when one is affected it affects some of the other elements of our own life, and therefore our level of wellness.
On the other hand, taking care of some elements can help us over come bad times (personal or collective) in a healthy way, and come out of these periods stronger, and wiser.
Examples of each element:
Intellectual
• Courses
• Learning something I have always wanted to know
• Reading a topic of interest
• Participating in fruitful and engaging conversations
Emotional
• Talk to myself in a positive way
• Empathy
• Mood Journaling/Tracking
• Library of good memos
• Psychological Counselling
• Working our ways to overcome sadness and grief
Professional
• Doing my work on time
• Setting clear boundaries to my work and its space in my life
• I have long and short term goals from what I am doing.
Environmental
• Taking the time to just wander in nature
• Trying to listen carefully to natural sounds around us, and connect deeper with nature’s elements.
Financial
• I have plans to things I want to get, and I am saving up for them.
• I treat myself when I do something good
• I can help people around me, wisely
Spiritual
• Prayer
• Meditation
• Spiritual Group
• Practising Forgiveness
• Finding Meanings
Physical
• Nutrition and healthy dieting
• Getting proper sleep
• Sports
• Drinking water
• Medicine
• Vitamins
• Breathing properly
Social
• Connecting with family (Biological and/or Chosen)
• Connecting with Friends
• Support Group
• Social work
Ok, so how to assess your own wellness, and know where to start?
Attached is a self assessment exercise, with instructions on how to use it. Also you can use the blank version of the Wellness wheel (Above) to add in your plan.
With time you will be capable of doing these assessments on your own, because you will gain alot of self knowledge on the way.