What Is Wellness?
Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of, and making choices towards, a healthy and fulfilling life. It is more than being free from illness; it is a dynamic process of change and growth.
The World Health Organization defines wellness as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
While there are several different models of wellness, the one that I feel is the most comprehensive is the 12 Dimensions Model of Wellness (John Travis, MD, MPH 1976). Travis’s model is based on a theory of energy and energy flow. He sees the dimensions as they relate to what we take into the body/mind, and how we then transform the energy and put it back out. The questions you may ask yourself here, as you look at the different dimensions are, “On a scale of 1-10 (1 being lowest and 10 being highest), how am I doing in each area?” Think for a moment, “What do I need to take in?” or maybe, “What do I need to let go of, in order to move up a notch towards achieving a more successful existence?”
Wellness Is A Journey…
Other words that come to my mind when thinking about wellness would include: holism, balance, self-responsibility, positive and proactive.
Holism – Your health and well-being are the outcomes of the constant interaction between the several natural dimensions of life and wellness. Each dimension is interrelated with the others. The aim is to be conscious of yourself as a whole and complete person, living life as fully as possible.
Balance – While acknowledging the constantly changing nature of your life, you look to balance it by giving significant attention to each of the dimensions. Lack of sufficient attention to any one dimension will result in less-than-optimal development as a person, and may possibly lead to chronic unhappiness.
Self-responsibility – A well person owns up to their responsibility for health and happiness and does not allow others to take control over decisions they need to make for themselves. Self-responsibility presupposes self-awareness, including the process by which one becomes increasingly more aware of both the causes and consequences of their behavior.
Positive and Proactive – Wellness requires primarily positive perspectives and values by which to live. It also requires a strong sense of purpose and conscious, deliberate action. These are our starting assumptions, and they have stood up well through time. However, they merely provide a framework. What you put inside that framework is totally up to you!
Every Journey Starts With The First Step…
Remember, wellness is the conscious development of the whole self. Embarking on a wellness journey is a process of searching for the appropriate “tools” to aid yourself in becoming a healthier and happier human being, and in discovering your own effective methods to use these “tools” for continued growth and development. Just as all aspects ofOf life are variable, there are countless ways to cultivate yourself on the ever-changing path of wellness.
Wellness is a choice, a way of life, and an active process. If you could choose to improve your level of wellness, where would you start?
“The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination.”
– Carl Rogers”
– Stefanie Bloom, Ed.D., NBC-HWC
Life Coach, SOAR Psychotherapy and Testing
