The 8 Pillars of Wellbeing
Often when we think about health we think about our physical health. Some people stretch it a bit further and can recognize the importance of mental health and others have even explored spiritual health. But did you know there are so many other facets that are important to our overall wellbeing?
Everyone will have differences in opinions as to what they would consider the most important for their wellbeing but the Yeg Wellness Collective has come to recognize 8 pillars of wellbeing that we feel are essential for your overall holistic health. So what are these 8 pillars and why does it all matter?
**these are in no particular order. We recognize that the importance of each of these pillars will be different for everyone, so reflect on all 8 and determine yourself what the order looks like in YOUR life.
1. Physical Wellbeing: this is our state of being free from illness or injury. This not only includes not being sick, but also includes our daily diet, our weight, our physical activity, drugs and alcohol, medical self-care, dental health, sleep hygiene, and personal hygiene. The definition of physical health continues to change and expand and we begin to recognize the various components that continue to effect our health. Modern day medicine continually is striving to find ways to expand our lifespan and this in turn impacts how we define physical health.
I can tell you from personal experience that my definition of physical health didn't include looking at alcohol and drugs or medical self-care, but when you really look into it- it makes sense. Alcohol and drug consumption in the long run will impact our overall health and it's important we recognize this in our personal lives. Are there ways we can reduce certain consumptions? How does reducing change your future health? And what about medical self-care? The act of addressing minor ailments or injuries and seeking emergency care when needed. We live in a country where we are so fortunate to be able to address these small ailments and not have them impact our overall health as dramatically. Did you know that diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause of death for children under 5 in third world countries? It is estimated that 520,000 children will die from it each year and it is completely preventable with safe drinking water and proper hygiene (WHO, 2017). This is why medical self-care is so essential when we define physical health, because not everyone has access to it and it greatly impacts our lifespan.
2. Emotional Wellbeing: a misconception of emotional wellness is that you are required to almost always be happy. False. Life really sucks sometimes and being sad, frustrated, angry, or hurt are all normal and healthy emotions to experience within context. Emotional wellness refers to our ability to recognize our emotions and appropriately deal with them. We learn to be in control of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and understand how to cope with life's challenges. We understand how to keep problems in perspective and bounce back when we need to. More than this, we also recognize when a problem is too big for us to handle and seek appropriate support when needed.
Emotional wellness is not a state- it's actually a skill and one that many people have not fully developed. The ability to recognize our emotions is challenging to begin with, now you are being asked to address them in a healthy manner? This is where so many of us get stuck. Emotional wellness also encompasses topics like resiliency, stress management, body image, and grief. These are some heavy topics, but the good news is you are not alone and there are so many great programs and resources out there that can help you better build your toolbox for emotional wellness.
3. Social Wellbeing: this refers to the relationships we have and how we interact with others around us. We are social beings and as much as we may not always prefer to be around people- we cannot function without interactions. It literally changes our brain chemistry and wiring! Social wellness is so important because it helps us develop health relationships, builds up our assertiveness, creates conscious actions that allow us to balance our professional and personal lives, builds better conflict management skills, allows us to feel more comfortable in social situations, and is critical in building our emotional resilience. It is such a huge part of our lives but one that we often navigate unconsciously.
4. Spiritual Wellbeing: this realm of wellness allows us to be more in-tune with our spiritual selves. We are able to find more meaning in life events and define what our purpose may be. This can be found in religion, ethics, morals, values, and so forth. This wellness is so important because it allows us to find balance. We strive to find a way to balance of views of our inner selves with the outer world- you gain the ability to see how you view yourself in the world.
5. Intellectual Wellbeing: this sphere of wellness encourages learning. It encourages us to engage in activities that are mentally-stimulating and creative. It allows us to explore new ideas, become more mindful, and overall better-rounded. Academics is not the only way to achieve intellectual wellness- community involvement, personal hobbies, and cultural involvement are just some of the ways you can achieve intellectual wellness.
6. Occupational Wellbeing: one of the few wellnesses that gets tossed on the back burner as a second thought. It is our ability to find a healthy balance between work and leisure time, address workplace stress, and build better relationships with our co-workers. We spend a lot of our time working in our day in age, so it's important to find your work meaningful and interesting, or finding ways to achieve this when you don't have control over the kind of work you are doing.
7. Financial Wellbeing: financial independence is an overall goal everyone wishes to achieve, but one that has many challenges on its journey to get there. Financial wellness encompasses our ability to manage our money, budget within our means, pay back debt, understand our personal credit, being able to distinguish needs from wants, and so much more. Money is often a driving force in our lives, but achieving financial wellness means you have been able to find a way to make it not the number one driving force and there are ways to accomplish this! It just sometimes takes asking the right questions and knowing who to talk to.
8. Environmental Wellbeing: We only have one Earth and while we may not see major extinctions within our lifetime, it is important to recognize how our actions now will impact future generations. This wellness talks about being aware of the environment and the Earth's resources. Looking at enjoying nature, learning about how to conserve energy, understanding air pollution or now on the rise- plastic pollution, and creating environments that are supportive and nurturing are just some of the ideas included in environmental wellness. The importance of this wellness is recognizing that our holistic wellness is not only about ourselves, but also our responsibility to our community.
We feel these pillars are fundamental to our wellbeing. Yeg Wellness Collective will strive to bring you resources and knowledge around these pillars from ourselves and other professionals and we hope to better tie you to your community so that you know where you can go to help you achieve these wellnesses!
Subscribe to our blog and follow us on social media so that you can continue to learn more and in time feel more connected with your whole self and the community that supports you. If you are a professional or company that supports any of these wellnesses, please do not hesitate to contact us so that we can promote your cause and allows others to know about your services!
Happy Sunday!
Yeg Wellness Collective
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