What Is Wellness and How Do You Measure It?
Health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is a condition that “represents the quality of life that can be obtained for the people who live in it.” A wide variety of such definitions have been used over time for different purposes. In some circles, the definition of health has become associated more with the avoidance of illness and its treatments than it has with the attainment of well-rounded life. The medical profession now accepts that there are multiple aspects to health that must be balanced if a person is to maintain good health.
When someone attempts to achieve good health, he or she will seek to combine total self-sufficiency in terms of nutrition and total self-care, with an emphasis on achieving a complete physical and mental well-being. Health is not just about preventing disease. It is also about maintaining good health. It makes a distinction between being healthy and being in good health. Good health is something you have and you keep it by making choices and taking precautions, and bad health is something you have and then allow others to step in and make changes to it without your knowledge.
Good health, on the other hand, requires that you know what you have and that you take measures to keep it that way. The primary elements of good health include good overall health, complete physical well-being, adequate sleep, the ability to be physically active and maintain a healthy diet. You may think that these elements are easy to maintain, but they’re not. They require attention and discipline on your part, especially if you want them to work to your advantage.
The elements of wellness encompass the capacity for love and affection, personal and interpersonal relationships, proper self care and protection from physical or psychological violence, proper education, self-image and self-esteem, social support and community participation, and the ability to enjoy and be happy. The seven dimensions of wellness are also referred to as the mental well-being, physiological well-being, social well-being, emotional health, lifestyle well-being, and professional well-being. In essence, the mental well-being encompasses your mood, feelings, thinking patterns, communication, habits, and activities, which influence and affect your physical health. The seven dimensions of wellness are the basis of the concept of holism, which suggests that there is a relationship between every aspect of your life and your overall health and well-being.
Holistic health and wellness include aspects of the seven dimensions of wellness, as described above. However, wellness includes the elements of physical health, mental health, emotional health, and lifestyle health, which are all intertwined. Therefore, when you consider your total health and what affects it, you are usually looking at the aspects of your life that have the greatest impact on your well-being. The elements of wellness include appropriate nutrition, regular exercise, a healthy body weight, balanced diet, minimal use of alcohol or tobacco, limiting substance abuse, and regular visits to your doctor.
The physical elements of well-being are influenced by proper nutrition, regular exercise, and a healthy body weight. Mental health, on the other hand, includes your emotions, mental illness, and your thinking patterns and behaviors. Emotional well-being is influenced by alcohol or drug use, as well as your relationship with friends and family. The elements of physical health and mental health are closely related, but they are not the same, so you should focus on improving one without ignoring the other.