Health refers to the absence of illness. Wellness refers to not just physical health but emotional, spiritual, social issues also.Wellness is much more than the absence of illness; it is health-promoting behaviors to achieve your full potential. In other words, wellness is the pursuit of your best possible health and well-being. It is a conscious choice, self directed and self motivating.

“By cleansing your body on a regular basis and eliminating as many toxins as possible from your environment, your body can begin to heal itself, prevent disease, and become stronger and more resilient than you ever dreamed possible”

What Is Health and Wellness?

World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (illness).”

WHO defines wellness as “the optimal state of health of individuals and groups,” and wellness is expressed as “a positive approach to living.”

Importance of Health and Wellness
Below points will help you to understand the importance of health and wellness in an individual’s life:

1. Weight Management: Regular exercises and healthy eating will help you to avoid excess weight gain. Being physically active is necessary to reach your weight loss targets, boost immunity system and increase your energy level.

You should do at least 150 minutes exercise every week to stay active and fit. Along with exercise, take a balanced or calorie managed diet. Right balance of carbs, fats and proteins boosts your energy level and keeps it going through your day.

2. Improve Mood: A healthy lifestyle will lead a relaxed mind and make you energetic throughout the day. Exercise and healthy eating also help you to improve your mood and boost your self-confidence. It will also help you to overcome your stress.

3. Prevent Diseases: Following a healthy lifestyle will help you to prevent certain diseases such as heart diseases, blood pressure, depression, body pain etc. Always start your day with a healthy breakfast. Regular exercise and balanced diet will not only increase your metabolic rate but also ultimately improved health condition.

4. Boost Energy: An unhealthy eating will cause a lethargic feeling. On the other hand, a balanced healthy diet will give fuel to your body to run all functions. A healthy diet includes whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy product, fruits and vegetables. A good combination of exercise and balanced diet gives you a good sleep and help you start a fresh and energetic day.

5. Improves longevity: The other benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle in daily routine will give you longer life, healthier and younger skin, nourished hairs, and overall wellbeing.

The Relationship Between Health and Wellness

Health and wellness are often used interchangeably, though the concepts do have some variances that deserve recognition. But what is the difference between health and wellness and how can you actively work to achieve both? Find out the pressing questions regarding wellness vs health here! 

When people think of health and wellness, they often combine and use them interchangeably.

Tips to Improve Health and Wellness

Whereas you can make a target weight loss and health goal, sustainability relies on actively improving within the different components of wellness. These tips can help nurture an ongoing basis:

1. Eat Whole Foods

While diet tends to be primarily viewed to impact physical condition, food has a well understood link between food and mental health, including boosting memory and improving mood.

A natural way to ensure adequate nutrients is by consuming whole foods rather than boxed and processed products. Comprise the diet of whole grains, fruits and veggies, lean and plant-based proteins, and healthy fat sources.

2. Exercise Regularly 

Exercise stimulates a healthy mind and body and the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity weekly.

But you can also break away from the monotony of a structured workout regimen, as the highest importance is dismissing a sedentary lifestyle. Increase activity in your day by walking the dog, hiking with friends, and taking the steps over an elevator.

Walking and biking whenever possible not only emboldens both physical and mental health, but supports environmental wellness by reducing fuel emission. (And not to mention, saving on gas money!)

3. Embrace Mental Exercises, Too

Most people do not consider mental exercises when they are trying to get fit physically, but these types of activities can actually help you achieve your goals more sufficiently and boost brain power!

Tackling daily brain exercises helps support intellectual wellness, while practicing yoga or other combinations of mental and physical activities can help promote a better attitude towards weight loss.

4. Achieve Quality Sleep

Sleep is important for your mind and body, as it strengthens memory and concentration, lowers stress intensities, increases daily energy, diminishes cravings, and regulates hunger levels. 

Sleep your way to such benefits by taking short power naps as needed and getting a full night’s rest on a regular basis. The National Sleep Foundation encourages healthy adults to sleep seven to nine hours of quality on a nightly basis.

5. Take a Day of Rest

In addition to achieving adequate sleep on a nightly basis, allow yourself days of rest and recovery. 

Make sure to take one day out of the week to do something spontaneous or plan out a weekend trip you can look forward to, as doing so makes make the whole “dieting” process more enjoyable. (And life should be enjoyed!)

Even if you cannot get away every weekend, make sure you do small things that you love on your day off. This could be something as simple as going for a leisurely stroll, taking a walk in the park, or spending an evening relaxing to a movie. 

6. Bask in Social Support

Social circles and support networks are invaluable for overall wellbeing and a sense of purpose.

A 75-year old study discovered good relationships keep us happier and healthier, though the data truly is not so surprising. We as human need to feel connected to others is one of our basic needs that need to be met. 

Form and turn to your strongest supporters, including family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. You can likewise get them involved in your wellness journey by inviting them over for a home cooked meal or exercise class. 

7. Enjoy the Journey

While you can make a target weight loss and health goal, sustainability relies on actively going through the different components on wellness.

And rather than feeling overwhelmed with large feats alone, take on small tasks, re-strategize as needed, surround yourself with positive people, embrace the journey, and enjoy the process of achieving personal fulfillment and wellness!

How Do the Eight Dimensions of Wellness Affect Your Life?
Wellness is a term Union Members all know and use often, but what exactly is it and what does it mean for a person to be well? According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), wellness means overall well-being. It incorporates the mental, emotional, physical, occupational, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of a person’s life. Each aspect of wellness can affect overall quality of life, so it’s important to consider all aspects of health. This is especially important for people with mental health and substance use conditions because wellness directly relates to the quality and longevity of your life (1).

The eight dimensions of wellness are emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual. All are very important to someone’s overall well- being. In the coming paragraphs I will explain in more detail, each dimension and also give you a few ways to make improvements in each dimension.

Emotional wellness is the ability to cope effectively with life and create satisfying relationships. Life has a way of throwing us curve balls and can be very difficult at times. One way to improve emotional wellness is to put a positive spin on life situations. Try to cultivate a positive feeling even during negative times throughout your life. This is much easier said than done, but with practice can be achieved. You do need to be mentally aware of your emotions and when a negative feeling arises from attempt to change it into a positive one. Rejection and loss are two major issues that can have a big impact on our emotional well-being. It’s important to recognize the feelings you have during times of rejection and times of loss, but not important to dwell in them or remain in that negative emotional state Remind yourself how much worth you have by listing the positive attributes you possess in the area of life that you were rejected, whether it’s your work life, dating life, social life etc.

Environmental wellness means good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support well being It’s important to feel good about where you live, work, play, and wherever else you may spend time felt good for the planet is also a major part of environmental wellness. Here are a few ways to improve your environmental well-being. The first is an obvious one. Clean and organize your living space. Then clean and organize your workspace. After these two, tasks are done you should feel a greater sense of comfort and much less anxiety. This is a big boost for your environmental well-being. Now it’s time to take a look at the big picture, and that’s the planet Union Members live in. Start recycling, use less water and pick up trash when you come across it on the ground. Union Members to have to live in this environment, so it’s important Union Members each does our part to keep it clean.

Financial Wellness is the satisfaction of your current and future financial situations. It’s not about how much you make that makes you financially well, but rather are you satisfied with how much you make? Someone who makes $30,000 a year could be more financially well then someone who makes $100,000 per annum. It’s a proven fact that those who are financially well are more productive at work. Planning is the key to attaining financial wellness. It’s important to plan a budget, set goals, plan a saving’s strategy, and plan for retirement. These are just a few of the plans that need to be made to have financial wellness in your life. Once the planning is complete it’s time to stick to your plans and put them into action. A saving’s plan will create financial margins in your life for those unexpected car/house repairs or whatever else might come up that will cost you money. Taking these steps will help guide you to a financially well future.

Intellectual Wellness is recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills. A person who is intellectually well never stopped learning. They’re thirsty for knowledge and recognize that there is so much more to be learned.. Some ways to improve your intellectual wellness are to improve time management, remove objectivity, and improve your critical thinking. It’s important to make time for reading a book, or learning a new hobby. Remove objectivity by keeping an open mind about new ideas, insights, thoughts, expressions, and values. Always question and keep your brain active, and you will begin to improve your intellectual wellness.

Occupational Wellness is personal satisfaction and enrichment from one’s work. You need to have a feeling of contribution and achievement in the work that you do. Developing occupational wellness allows you to communicate your values through whatever work you choose to do. This could be paid work or un-paid work. Here are some ideas on how you can improve your occupational wellness. Start by reflecting on what occupations will leave you feeling gratified. Look into what tasks you enjoy doing. Also set career goals for yourself and constantly be working toward achieving those goals. Taking these steps will lead you to have more occupational wellness in your life.

Physical Wellness is recognizing the need for physical activity. Exercise offers many benefits to a person’s overall well-being. It improves your chances of living longer and healthier, relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety, improves your mood, and prevents weight gain.

Social Wellness is developing a sense of connection, belonging, and a well-developed support system. This is why spending quality time with close friends is so important. One of the best things you could do to become more socially well is to become a contributing member of your community. Good communication skills will allow you to resolve problems that you may have with other people that you socialize with on a day to day basis. These are a few ideas to lead you to become more socially well.

Spiritual wellness is expanding our sense of purpose and meaning in life. Spiritual wellness is unique for everyone. It’s the deepest part of you that gives meaning in your life. Some ways to improve spiritual wellness are to meditate, pray, and listen to affirmations. A spiritually well person is ok with spending time alone and reflecting. It’s important to take time to search into the things that provide meaning in your life. It could be your beliefs, values, and morals that give meaning in your life. Make sure that these things guide the decisions you make as you live out your life. Practice these tips and you will become more spiritually well.

These eight dimensions to wellness all play an important role in our lives. Focus on the areas that you are weak in and start from there; it can seem a bit overwhelming if you try to change everything at once. As you work in the areas that you’re struggling in most, you will find that stress in your life will start to decrease, and positive feelings will start to increase. You’ll begin to produce more feel good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. Life will surely be more enjoyable.
To learn more about the eight dimensions of wellness visit http://www.samhsa.gov/wellness-initiative Reference: Source Adapted from Swarbrick, M. (2006). A Wellness Approach, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 29(4), 311-314.