WELLNESS

Overview

People have different practices as to how they deal

with real-life problems. However, it very essential
to highlight that we also need to take good care of
ourselves so that we have an ample amount of energy
to get along with these predicaments that we are facing. And so,
we need to practice healthy habits daily to achieve better physical and
mental health outcomes. In this topic, let us discover how health is related to Wellness, discuss the
contributing behaviors that affect Wellness, and expound our knowledge of how readiness to change
influences Wellness.

Understanding Wellness

Generations of people have viewed health simply as the absence of disease, and that view
largely prevails today. For most people, health refers to the overall condition of a person’s body or mind
and the presence or absence of illness or injury. On the other hand, Wellness is a relatively new concept
that expands this idea of health to include our ability to achieve optimal health. Beyond the simple
presence or absence of disease, Wellness refers to optimal health and vitality—living life to its fullest.
Although we use the terms health and Wellness interchangeably, it is essential first to understand that
they differ.

To better understand these two concepts, health is a state of being, whereas Wellness is living a
healthy lifestyle. Health refers to physical, mental, and social well-being, which factors can influence,
such as 14 your genes, age, and family history, while is primarily determined by your decisions about
how you live. This is optimal health and vitality, encompassing all the dimensions of well-being.
According to social scientists, there are seven dimensions of Wellness that we need to develop.

THE DIMENSIONS OF WELLNESS

1. Physical Wellness Our physical Wellness includes not just our body’s overall
condition and the absence of disease but also our fitness level and ability to
care for ourselves. The higher our fitness level, the higher our physical
wellness level will be. Similarly, as we become more able to care for our
physical needs, we ensure greater physical Wellness. To achieve optimum
physical Wellness, we must make choices that help us avoid illnesses and
injuries. The decisions we make now and the habits we develop will largely
determine the length and quality of our life.
2. Emotional Wellness. Our emotional Wellness reflects our ability to understand
and deal with feelings. Emotional Wellness involves attending to our thoughts
and feelings, monitoring our reactions, and identifying obstacles to emotional
stability. Self-acceptance is our satisfaction with ourselves, which might exclude
society’s expectations, whereas self-esteem relates to 15 the way you think
others perceive you. Self-confidence can be a part of both acceptance and
esteem. Achieving this type of Wellness means finding solutions to emotional
problems, with professional help if necessary.

3. Intellectual Wellness. Those who enjoy intellectual Wellness constantly

challenge their minds. An active mind is essential to Wellness because it
detects problems, finds solutions, and directs behavior. People who enjoy
intellectual Wellness never stop learning; they continue trying to learn new
things throughout their lifetime. They seek out and relish new experiences and
challenges.

4. Interpersonal Wellness. Our interpersonal (or social) Wellness is defined by our

ability to develop and maintain satisfying and supportive relationships. Such
relationships are essential to physical and emotional health. Social Wellness
requires participating in and contributing to your community and society.

5. Spiritual Wellness. To enjoy spiritual Wellness is to possess a set of guiding

beliefs, principles, or values that give meaning and purpose to your life,
especially in difficult times. The spiritually healthy person focuses on the
positive aspects of life and finds spirituality an antidote for negative feelings
such as 16 cynicism, anger, and pessimism. Organized religions help many
people develop spiritual health. Religion, however, is not the only source or
form of spiritual Wellness. Many people find meaning and purpose in their lives
— through nature, art, meditation, or good works—or with their loved ones.

6. Environmental Wellness. The livability of your surroundings defines our

environmental Wellness. Personal health depends on the planet's health—from
the safety of the food supply to the degree of violence in society. Our physical
environment either supports our Wellness or diminishes it. To improve our
environmental Wellness, you can learn about and protect yourself against
hazards in our surroundings and work to make our world a cleaner and safer
place.
 7. Financial Wellness. Financial Wellness refers to your ability to live within your
means and manage your money in a way that gives you peace of mind. It
includes balancing your income and expenses, staying out of debt, saving for the
future, and understanding your emotions about money.

Behavioral Risks Affecting Wellness

The modern advancements that we have right now make our lives more convenient and
dependent. Hence, our work becomes increasingly more accessible and overly better. But at some point,
too much dependence on technology makes us less active and exposed to several risk behaviors that
affect our Wellness.

As previously stated, Wellness is a lifestyle, a personalized approach, living our lives in a way
that allows us to become the best kind. It is a fluctuating process that needs effort and time to attain the
desired level of health. Notably, exercise and physical activity engagement have a vital role in that
process but often being undermined due to personal reasons such as:

 insufficient time to exercise;

 inconvenience of exercise;

 lack of self-motivation;

 non-enjoyment of exercise;

 boredom with exercise;

 lack of confidence in their ability to be physically active (low self-efficacy);

 fear of being injured or having been injured recently;

 lack of self-management skills, such as the ability to set personal goals;

 monitor progress, or reward progress toward such goals;

 lack of encouragement, support, or companionship from family and friends;

 non-availability of parks, sidewalks, bicycle trails, or safe and pleasant walking; and

 paths close to home or the workplace

It is essential to note that other barriers influence a person's behavior to engage in exercise and
physical activities. This includes cost; facilities; illness or injury; transportation; partner issues; skill;
safety considerations; child care; uneasiness with change; and unsuitable programs.

Furthermore, the environment in which we live also greatly influences our level of physical
activity. Many factors in our environment affect us. Obvious factors include the accessibility of walking
paths, cycling trails, and recreation facilities. Factors such as traffic, availability of public transportation,
crime, and pollution may also affect it. Other environmental factors include our social environments,
such as support from family and friends and community spirit. It is possible to make environmental
changes through campaigns to support active transportation, legislation for safer communities, and the
creation of new recreation facilities.

In summary, personal, social, and environmental barriers hinder the person from practicing
healthy living. However, we must know how to overcome these barriers and mentally prepare ourselves
to change to cope with the demands of life situations easily. In the next lesson, we will learn how
readiness to change towards wellness impacts our overall health.

Activity II. Reflection

1. How do I feel this moment? What did you realize?

- As I was reading the module, I realized a few significant things that will help in my
personal development. I have found out that there are different types or dimensions, as the
module calls it, of wellness and that each of them are equally as important as the others. A
person observed to be practicing these dimensions can surely be called healthy.
Contrastingly, there are risks that may be detrimental to one’s overall wellness.
Improper/incorrect practice of these dimensions or lack thereof will slowly destroy both
your body and mind. Overall, this module proved to be very informative and eye-opening to
people who are, or the least bit, interested in saving their lives from a slow burn towards
their demise.

2. What is going well (Positive)? Share one thing that went well to you this week.

- This week, I discovered a study routine that I am comfortable with and have yielded
great results in my grades and in my overall health. In the previous semester, I struggled
greatly with concocting a proper routine that my body can keep up with. Because of that,
myself and my grades suffered immensely, and this, in turn, took a heavy toll on my mental
health. Fortunately, this week, that all changed. I am now happier than I was before, and I
can see a brighter path for myself in the near future.