As 2023 came to an end, I found myself reflecting on the various aspects of my life and well-being. As I stated exploring wellness as a whole, it became evident that achieving balance in all areas would be extremely difficult if I didn’t start out by stepping away from all the noise to focus and think on each IDEA, instead of trying to implement new habits that, ultimately, would get tossed aside when life isn’t going according to plan.
I also realized that achieving this balance, while it will take a lot of work, is the key to fulfilling and meaningful existence. This realization led me to the decision to go on a journey exploring the 8 dimensions of wellness.
I would like you to go on this journey with me. Read on or click the picture to watch the video on YouTube.
To get started I’m going to list the 8 dimensions of Wellness and why I feel it is important for me to take this journey:
1.) Physical Wellness:
I’ve come to understand that a healthy body is the foundation for everything else. I have been unhealthy for the entirety of my 40s, not exercising regularly, not eating like I’m supposed to, definitely not sleeping like I’m supposed to, and knowing that my cortisol levels and stress hormone levels are constantly elevated. After being seen by a few different doctors, taking their advice for months at a time, and not seeing any changes, I have decided that I’m going to do my own exploration to find out what my body needs at this age. Everyone is different! However, most of the clients that we see at the spa and most of the people that follow us on social media are around my age and women, so I feel like a lot of the things that I find will be useful to you as well.
2.) Emotional Wellness:
If you are around my age (43), then you know that navigating the emotional roller coaster of life has become even more nuanced. Exploring my emotions finding healthy coping mechanisms and fostering positive relationships have been instrumental in maintaining emotional well-being. Over the last few years, I have had some fairly intense things happen and if it weren’t for my husband, sister, and close friends consoling me and standing by me, then I think my health would be even worse. I want to explore with you as I strengthen my emotional wellness over the next year.
3.) Intellectual Wellness:
I am a huge nerd! I want to literally know everything that there is to know about everything. I don’t like to gossip; I think it’s a waste of time. When I sit around in a group, with my coffee or my tea or my alcoholic beverage and talk to friends, I want to have an engaging thought-provoking conversation! I like to take up challenges that stimulate my mind. My mind needs to stay busy. Science and history are so intriguing to me! The human body and the way that it functions is absolutely fascinating to me! I could go on forever about this but I’m going to stop right here so we can move on.
4.) Social Wellness:
At my age if you have children and if your parents and/or grandparents are still living and close to you, you probably have a ton of responsibilities piling up. Maintaining strong social connections can become a very big challenge when you lead a very busy life. However, like I said when I spoke about emotional wellness, I have realized the profound impact of nurturing relationships in my 40s. Intentionally slowing down to spend time with my husband, spending time with my kids and taking the time to be present when I am with family friends and even with my clients is a real challenge for my ADHD brain. It’s hard for me to sit still and if I’m being completely honest, I’m sure I have some past trauma and that keeps me from connecting with people as deeply as I could. Hopefully, as I explore this aspect of wellness, I can provide some insight to those of you that struggle with the same things.
5.) Occupational Wellness:
The balance between work and personal life takes center stage in our 40s. For me, it has been especially hard as I own two businesses that are rapidly growing. Reevaluating my career goals, finding purpose in daily tasks, being intentional, and seeking a healthy work life balance are things that I have been working on, but we’ll continue to work harder on over the next year.
6.) Environmental Wellness:
Being mindful of my surroundings and understanding the connection between my well-being and the environment has become crucial. From creating a peaceful home environment to embracing sustainable practices, I’ve learned that a good relationship with my surroundings positively impacts my overall wellness. I used to be very conscientious of how I impacted the environment. I was also very intentional to keep my house clean and inviting, very intentional to think of how I was nourishing my family when I cooked meals, and tried and bring a positive attitude everywhere I went, so that the people I was with would be impacted in a positive way. This is something that has really changed with me over the last few years, and I will be desperately trying to get back to that point in the coming months.
7.) Financial Wellness:
I will not pretend as though I can teach or speak on this matter because I am not someone who thinks a lot about finances. However, I am learning and trying to implement new practices that will help me make informed decisions about savings, investments, and expenditures to help me have a sense of security and Peace of Mind as I grow into my retirement age. As I learn, I will share things with you, and hope you will share with me!
8.) Spiritual Wellness:
In the last several years I have delved deeper into understanding my beliefs, my values, and my purpose. Cultivating a sense of inner peace, mindfulness, and gratitude has been transformative on my spiritual wellness journey providing a solid foundation for navigating life’s challenges. I have not consistently kept the practices that I know work for me. At this point I feel as though I’ve explored other practices to figure out if they would work for me or not and I’m still exploring, however I know some things that we all can do no matter what our spiritual beliefs are and I will share with those with you.
In researching wellness, and embracing the eight dimensions, I’ve discovered that balance is not a one-time achievement but an ongoing process. It’s about recognizing the interconnectedness of these dimensions and making intentional choices that align with my own values and aspirations. I am hoping that as I take this journey and you follow along with this holistic approach, that it will empower you to live a more fulfilling and harmonious life.
