Trendy buzzwords and what they actually mean

Self-care, wellness, health – all trendy buzz words. As hashtags these words can be attached to images of spa days, cups of tea, cozy pajamas, superfoods, skin care routines, sleeping in, lemon tea, meditation, exercising and SO MUCH MORE. Hi, sign me up for all of it – who’s in?

Despite my love of manicures and warm coffee on a cold morning, today my goal is to explore what a health & wellness plan might actually look like.  

So, in an effort to take ownership over my own [insert your preferred buzzword here] coupled with curiosity if these terms all refer to the same thing I turned to google. What I thought would be a simple search sent me down quite the rabbit hole. But if we are being honest doesn’t that always happen? (*Mental note – work on time blocking)

A few googling hours later here is what I learned. While health and wellness are often used interchangeably they aren’t actually the same. Essentially, health is the goal, while wellness is the dynamic process of achieving said goal. The state of our health cannot always be controlled (genetics, health issues, etc.), while we can make conscious decisions when it comes to wellness. Obviously the two go hand in hand as overall wellness directly impacts our health.

With these working definitions of health and wellness, what does self-care entail? Typically we think of self-care as anything that makes us feel good. Self-care is about taking a pause to do things that make us happier, calmer, and healthier. And this will look different for everyone. Essentially, self-care practices play a role in promoting the broader idea of overall wellness. 

Now what?

Yay! We have a high level understanding of these buzzwords. Wait…now what do we do? If you are reading this post you probably like the idea of taking ownership of your health/self-care/wellness or whatever you feel like calling it.

But what does this look like in reality? Where do we start? Can someone please just tell me what to do? If you feel slightly overwhelmed you are in good company. Me too!

But I forged on. Wellness seems to be the most all encompassing term and to my pleasant surprise it can be broken down into clear categories or dimensions. The idea of making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life feels aligned with my personal goals at the moment. Maybe you have shared goals or maybe you are just curious to know more. Either way, keep reading to learn more and see what parts of “wellness” might resonate with you. 

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness

Depending on which ‘expert’ you go with, wellness can be broken down into somewhere between 5-9 categories. I’ve listed what seems to be the most common 8 below.   

PHYSICAL WELLNESS

Physical wellness is achieved through proper nutrition, regular movement, and quality sleep. The idea is to take a proactive approach to physical wellness instead of a reactive approach i.e. waiting until you have a health issue to seek help. A good goal here is to be attuned with how positive food, exercise and sleep habits affect the way your body functions. 

Ideas to improve your physical wellness 

• Regular movement. This could be daily walks, cardio, yoga, weight lifting – whatever feels good for you and your body. 
• Educate yourself on nutrition and explore if you have any nutrient deficiencies. Generally eating whole foods and avoiding or minimising processed foods and sugar is a good rule of thumb. But nutrition is very person specific so get curious. 
• Drink water!
• Breath (the mindful kind of breathing, not the I breath to live kind)
• Quality sleep includes both getting enough sleep and having a good night time routine. 
• Make regular wellness appointments with relevant doctors. Create your “health team” and keep track of how often you should be seeing each of them.

EMOTIONAL & MENTAL WELLNESS

Emotional and mental wellbeing is the ability to cope with life effectively – including how you process and handle feelings, how you think, feel, and behave.  A person who is emotionally well uses healthy coping mechanisms to process emotions, they are more resilient during challenging times, and have a positive self-image. Another important piece of emotional wellness is maintaining healthy and fulfilling relationships and enforcing strong boundaries when necessary. 

Ideas to improve your emotional & mental wellness 

• Detox from the news & social media on a regular basis. Put boundaries around when and how much you consume. Recently I’ve been trying not to open any social media apps until after I’ve completed my morning routine and this small change has made a huge impact on how I start my day. 
• Journal for 5 minutes a day
• Practice gratitude
• Therapy – even if you don’t feel like you “need” it, therapy can be a fantastic way to learn more about yourself and gain effective ways to process, handle and communicate your feelings. 
• Practice self-reflection often
• Practice healthy ways of dealing with stress
• Slow down
• Surround yourself with positive people (and say goodbye to toxic ones)
• Be mindful of negative thoughts and limiting beliefs that might be affecting your life
• Join a support group 

INTELLECTUAL WELLNESS

Intellectual wellness refers to expanding your knowledge and skills through mentally stimulating activities. The same way you want your body to be healthy, you need to exercise your brain. It is the ability to make sound decisions, problem-solve, plan effectively, think critically, master new skills, and explore new ideas and different points of view.  Someone with intellectual wellness sees themselves as both a teacher and a student of the world.  

Ideas to improve your intellectual wellness

• Read, read, and read (books, magazines, newspapers)
• Listen to ted talks and podcasts
• Sign up for a course or a weekend workshop
• Get cultured – Go to museums, theatre, art galleries, and concerts
• Play chess or do a challenging puzzle
• Find a mentally stimulating hobby that excites you – learning a new language or playing an instrument.
• Never stop learning. Explore anything that you are curious about. 
• Try activities that might be outside your comfort zone

SPIRITUAL WELLNESS

The spiritual dimension integrates finding a sense of purpose and meaning in life and building a set of beliefs, principles, values and practices that guide you toward wholeness. When we practice spiritual wellness we are able to connect our mind, body, and soul. Following a more spiritual path will lead to actions that are aligned with your beliefs. Religion can be an aspect of spiritual wellness, but it does not have to be. 

Ideas to improve your spiritual wellness

• Connect with nature
• Practice mindfulness
• Meditate. The headspace app is a great way to start if this is a new practice.
• Live authentically and own your truth
• Ponder what the meaning of life is for you instead of accepting societal norms.
• Attempt to live in the present as much as possible
• Question and become clear on your personal values
• Develop integrity by acting in line with your values

SOCIAL WELLNESS

Social wellness is defined as developing connections and relationships that positively impact your life. It’s also about having a sense of belonging in the community and creating a strong support system. Practicing social wellness helps us to interact with people in healthy ways, and find balance between receiving support and enforcing boundaries. 

Ideas to improve your spiritual wellness

• Try actively listening in relationships to deepen the connection
• Make time to connect with important people in your life regularly
• Do something kind for a neighbour or someone in your community just because
• Contribute to community initiatives and volunteer
• Be open-minded to new people and new experiences

ENVIRONMENTAL WELLNESS

The environmental dimension is occupying spaces both in your personal environment and the world around you that have a positive impact on your life. The space in which you live and work should feel comfortable and safe. The idea is that your surroundings should support all aspects of your life. This includes being aware of our own environmental impact and taking steps to live in harmony with nature and the larger world around us. 

Ideas to improve your environmental wellness

• Reduce, reuse, recycle to protect our environment
• Avoid harmful chemicals when possible
• Find smalls ways to reduce your own carbon footprint
• Spend 10 minutes a day decluttering your home or office
• Have a garden
• Be aware of how different environments affect our mood and overall well being
• Redesign your environments to to support your life and how you feel 
• Order on the outside correlates to calm on the inside!

PROFESSIONAL WELLNESS

Professional wellness is achieved by effectively balancing your work with other equally important aspects of your life and doing work that is fulfilling and meaningful. Your job should align with your values, goals, passions, and lifestyle. Pursuing a career that you love is more likely to make you feel energized and inspired rather than tired and drained. 

Ideas to improve your professional wellness

• Set clear goals and boundaries for work and personal life
• Explore a variety of career options
• Be open to new ideas and opportunities
• Don’t be afraid to pivot
• Develop skills that help you be successful at work (feedback, time management, organization, assertiveness, active listening, etc.)
• See how your passions and interests can play a role in your work
• Continually develop your skills to ensure growth throughout your career (avoid getting stuck!)
• Ensure you are in a role that plays to your strengths

FINANCIAL WELLNESS

Financial wellness includes both our relationship with money and having the necessary skills to effectively manage our finances. It’s important to live within your means and educate yourself in order to make informed financial and investment decisions. Thoughtful planning and setting clear short and long term goals can help us achieve financial freedom. 

Ideas to improve your professional wellness

• Educate yourself – Learn how to manage a budget, credit cards, retirement accounts, investments and more. 
• Set short and long term goals (and review them regularly)
• Learn how to gain control over your finances (plenty of books and podcasts out there)
• Sit down with a financial advisor
• Do a spending detox (1 day, 1 week, 1 month) and see how it feels and what you learn about your habits. 
• Take out cash and don’t use your credit cards for a certain period of time. Don’t allow yourself to spend more than the cash in hand. 
• Have a rainy day fund for emergencies

CONCLUSION

Phew. We made it. That was a lot more than I was expecting when I started my innocent little google search. I think it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and think “gah I need to do so many things on top of my already full plate.” But let’s take a breath. No really, pause and take a breath, or two. Like in all aspects of life, it’s not about perfection (and this is coming from a recovering perfectionist). It’s about understanding, awareness, progress, and learning to enjoy the process instead of focusing solely on the end goal. 

My key takeaway is that these 8 dimensions of wellness are all connected. When one aspect of wellness is suffering, the others suffer. And when we are thriving in one dimension that helps us thrive in the others. I’m also reminded that life is not about surviving the day, life is about enjoying the journey along the way. And i’m convinced now more than ever that making small steps to improve our overall wellness will lead to a more fulfilled and whole life. 

So while I full heartedly believe that we should enjoy that massage or moment of silence with a hot cup of coffee, I think it’s important to understand this is not a one and done sort of thing. Achieving true wellness is a lifestyle that requires a long term commitment to yourself. A commitment that we all deserve. 

So where will you start? I’d love to hear it below. Leave a comment. For me i’m going to start with awareness and a nap. Because I’m pregnant and 4 days past my due date. But after said nap I am going to pick ONE thing to start with that feels most out of alignment in this season of my life.