The 7 Dimensions of Wellness, Explained
When you think about wellness, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps you think about exercise, proper nutrition, or meditation. The truth is, wellness encompasses much more than just the physical and emotional aspects of health. There are seven dimensions of wellness that touch on all the different areas required for a happy, healthy, balanced life.
Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute, created six dimensions of wellness back in 1976. He originally created this six-dimension model to teach the public about the interconnectedness of each dimension and how all of these factors add up to create a holistic sense of wellness and fulfillment. The list has since expanded to include a seventh dimension relating to environmental wellness.
What are the 7 Dimensions of Wellness?
Physical
Emotional
Intellectual
Spiritual
Environmental
Social
Occupational
Physical Wellness
Physical wellness relates to taking care of the health of your body, such as exercise, proper nutrition, getting restful sleep, and visiting your doctor regularly for check-ups.
Tips for physical wellness:
Move every day in a way that you enjoy. Engaging in physical activity that you like will keep you coming back again and again.
Practice yoga for your strength and flexibility. We like Briohny Smyth’s 21-Day Yoga Sweat on Alo Moves, as well as her Beginner Power Vinyasa classes.
Resolve to step away from your phone an hour before bed. Try a more “analog” activity, such as reading, journaling, or meditating.
Work on your cardio and strength with Jacy Cunningham’s Elevate: Strength Training bodyweight workouts. His fun and uplifting energy will keep you motivated on the mat!
Emotional Wellness
Your emotional wellness relates to how you understand, process, and manage your emotions, as well as how you keep your stress levels balanced.
Tips for emotional wellness:
Try daily or weekly journaling as a way to express your thoughts and feelings.
Check in with a trusted friend, partner, or family member when you’re feeling overwhelmed or need a sounding board for a situation.
Consider speaking with a mental health professional for long-term support.
Make sure you’re taking enough time each day to care for yourself. It can be difficult when you have a demanding job, a family to take care of, or other projects that pile up high. But even five minutes of meditation or engaging in your favorite activity can breathe some fresh air into your day.
Intellectual Wellness
Intellectual wellness relates to lifelong learning, creativity, and challenging your brain. Your mind is a muscle, and just like your body, it thrives when it’s being stimulated and strengthened.
Tips for intellectual wellness:
Expose yourself to different perspectives. You might do this through travel (if it’s feasible and safe to do so), talking to new people, or reading a variety of books, newspapers, and magazines.
Learn a new skill every day. Maybe you’ve been curious about how to do a handstand, properly chop an onion, sew a button back on, propagate a plant, or spell a certain word. Strive to learn something new each day, whether it’s large or small.
Exercise your creative abilities with your favorite form of art, such as writing, pottery, knitting, painting, or drawing.
Get lost in a puzzle. Aside from physical jigsaw puzzles, puzzles and logic games come in many different forms — video games, bouldering, crosswords, sudoku, math, and riddles.
Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual wellness involves connecting to your life’s purpose and focusing on your inner world. It is also tied to important universal themes such as love, kindness, and compassion for others.
Tips for spiritual wellness:
Set aside time each day for your spiritual wellness, whether that’s through meditation, prayer, chanting, journaling, solitary walks, or deep thought and reflection.
Strive to practice non-judgement in your life. When unkind or judgmental thoughts arise, pause, notice them, and let them pass. We like Sah D’Simone’s Tap Into Compassion meditation to promote positive energy.
Consider devoting yourself to a greater cause or organization that relates to your values and beliefs. This might be through verbal promotion, donations, community engagement, or volunteering.
Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness relates to your connection with nature and the world around you. It is also inherently tied to environmental stewardship and mindful consumption — making sure you leave this world (aka your home) better than you found it.
Tips for environmental wellness:
Take a daily walk in nature or step outside at least once a day for fresh air.
Start a garden, indoors or outdoors. Whether you’re growing herbs, vegetables, fruit, or your favorite plants, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and make soil your close friend.
Reflect on your consumption habits. Do you find that you buy new clothes you never wear? Do you frequently have food that goes bad? Is your trash can overflowing with items that could be recycled or composted? Every small action counts when it comes to mindful consumption. Take inventory of your daily habits and see what you can do to lessen the burden on the planet.
If it’s possible or safe in your city, consider walking, biking, or taking the bus instead of driving a car.
Social wellness
Social wellness relates to the health of your connections and relationships with friends, family, partners, loved ones, co-workers, and other social circles. Research shows that having strong social relationships can result in more happiness, better health, and even a longer life.
Tips for social wellness:
Set up regular virtual hangouts, FaceTimes, or group chats for your long-distance friends. It’s nice to have built-in meetings to catch up and connect with the people you don’t want to lose touch with.
Put away your phones at every meal. Disconnecting at dinner and during face-to-face conversations can help you build better relationships.
Go for a daily walk with your “family unit.” Family unit can mean your roommates, partner, children, besties, or your four-legged furry friends. As a bonus, a walk in nature satisfies almost every other dimension of wellness!
Get involved in a community group. Join an online class, a Facebook group, Instagram community, employee event, or community organization to connect with others in a deeper way. If you’re an Alo Moves member, you can join our vibrant Alo Moves Member Facebook Group!
Occupational Wellness
Occupational wellness relates to fulfillment in your career and other life roles such as parenthood or community positions. This area deals with work-life balance and happiness at work, as well as feeling like you’re contributing to the world and constantly growing in your skills.
Tips for occupational wellness:
Ask yourself every so often: Do I feel fulfilled in my career? Am I on the right path? If you’re stuck somewhere and want to branch out to a different position or industry, explore what that change could look like in your life and develop a concrete plan to get there.
If you’re unable to change jobs but want more satisfaction in your current role, first make a list of how you can improve your current tasks, workload, and contributions. Then, with a solid idea of what you want, consider speaking with your boss about ways to improve and grow your role.
Make sure that you’re keeping a healthy work-life balance. Perhaps you create a cut-off time where you stop checking your work email, close your laptop, and pause work-related projects. Schedule a mental health day or plan a future vacation. Create boundaries where there are none.
Connect to your coworkers in a deeper way. Start each meeting with friendly questions and informal conversations. If it feels comfortable for all parties, perhaps you connect with them outside of work as well.
Stay updated on the latest in your industry by scheduling time every week or month to brush up on the latest news or develop a new skill.
Even if you don’t have a traditional full- or part-time role, examine the ways in which you contribute to your family or community at large. What unique gifts do you bring to the world? Where do you want to go from here?
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