Wellness and its myriad facets tell stories that reflect our physical health and mental wellbeing, observes Dr. Yahya Al Farsi, Associate Professor, Family Medicine and Public Health Department, College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University
In the following article, he presents different facets of wellness, alongside basic tips and guidelines to achieve all round wellbeing, with inputs from online resources, including references from University of California, Davis’ online health and counselling service (https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/wellness/what-is-wellness).
Wellness is generally used to mean a state beyond the absence of illness; rather, it aims to optimise well-being. World Health Organisation’s 1948 constitution defined health as a ‘state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’
Our focus should be on maintaining an optimal level of wellness to live a higher quality of life. Everything we do, every emotion we feel, relates to our sense of well-being. It is a cycle; for, in return, our well-being directly affects our actions and emotions. This is why it is incumbent on everyone to achieve optimal wellness in order to subdue stress, reduce the risk of illness and ensure positive interactions.
Wellness as a health indicator includes physical wellness and a host of other facets of wellness, such as emotional wellness, environmental wellness, occupational wellness, intellectual wellness as well as spiritual wellness.
Physical Wellness
Physical wellness is a large and comprehensive subject that covers several elements of physical wellness. Most importantly, it is physical wellness that prompts you to take right care of your body and thereby enjoy optimal health and functioning. When you do reach that optimal state of health, you will be better placed to take personal responsibility for your own health. However, it is important to note here that you need to make a conscious effort to understand the relationship between your body’s physical health and mental health in order to enjoy balanced physical wellness. Generally speaking, physical wellness encourages one to adopt principles of good health, which will, invariably, lead to a healthy lifestyle.
- Initiate a workout plan that stretches to at least 30 minutes every day
- Engage in simple activities like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking away from office, etc
- Be alert to your body and learn to recognise signs of any ill health
- Make healthy eating obligatory and control your meal portions
- Get around 7-9 hours of sleep each night
Emotional Wellness
It is your emotional wellness facet that dictates the importance of self care and aids in stress reduction as well as strengthening you internally. It defines your ability to learn and grow from experiences in your life. To initiate your path on the emotional wellness road, you need to be equipped with an optimistic bent of mind. Optimism allows you to balance all your emotions, even the negative ones, with a confident attitude; it allows you to learn from your mistakes. And once you have mastered emotional wellness, you will realise that life can be a notch better than you thought it to be.
- Stay positive
- Remember to smile
- Do not hesitate to seek help/support when you need it
- Adopt habits of gratitude in all your relationships
- Learn to accept your mistakes as learning experiences
Social Wellness
Social wellness is something that comes into play every time you interact with people in your circle of life. It refers, specifically, to the relationships you have and how you interact with others. Your social wellness is optimal when you can build healthy, nurturing and supportive relationships. This will lead to a supportive social network that will give you the space and the orientation to develop assertive skills and become comfortable with yourself and the role you play in social situations. A positive social network will also work towards boosting your self-esteem; it will also enhance your emotional resilience. Besides, your personal relationships will blossom and you will have mastered empathy.
- Retrospect and reflect on yourself and your social needs
- Work for your relationships; stay in touch with friends and family
- Accept yourself completely to accept others in your life
- Practice active listening when you are with friends/family
- Become a member of some club
Intellectual Wellness
When you engage in creative and mentally stimulating activities, you are, in fact, boosting your intellectual wellness facet. They provide you a platform to expand your knowledge and skills, as well as to share them with others in your community. Although intellectual wellness sounds like a treasure that only a few can enjoy, you can develop it through academics, by pursuing hobbies and by indulging in community activities. It is intellectual wellness that encourages you to learn and excel; to explore new ideas and become more aware of yourself and the world around you. It calls for an open-mindedness that lets you absorb new ideas, skills and knowledge.
- First and foremost, be open-minded
- Pursue an old hobby or start a new one
- Make travel an important part of your life
- Be open to explore newer avenues of creativity
Spiritual Wellness
After all is said and done, it is your spiritual wellness that allows you to connect with your spiritual self. When you experience true spiritual wellness, you will see life defining its meaning and your purpose in this world. While spiritual wellness can be easily expressed through religious beliefs and morals, it is basically about how you see yourself. It is your outlook of yourself and the world. Spiritual wellness not only allows you to seek meaning and purpose of your existence, it also allows you to appreciate your life and all the experiences that have enriched it.
- Devote ‘me’ time to explore your inner self
- Go on a digital detox to weigh the events that have brought about a chance in your life
- Learn meditation and make time, every day, to practice it
- Go out and find oneness with nature
