The Seven Elements of Holistic Wellness

Achieving overall health and wellness continues beyond eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Physical health is just one of the seven elements of holistic wellness.

Better health and potentially even disease prevention can be achieved if all seven elements of holistic wellness are addressed. The seven elements are:

1. Emotional wellness
2. Physical wellness
3. Spiritual wellness
4. Occupational wellness
5. Social wellness
6. Environmental wellness
7. Intellectual wellness.

Emotional Wellness

If you can feel happy and smile during the day, rather than wallow in negativity, it will help reduce stress and make you feel more optimistic. You will be better able to deal with your emotions and the people and events that trigger them. Instead of overloading yourself with tasks, seek balance by setting time aside for yourself. If you can do this, it will help you stop feeling overwhelmed with life and improve your emotional wellness.

Physical Wellness

Physical wellness can be achieved by adhering to the basic requirements of physical health, such as exercising regularly and eating a healthy, nutritious diet. It is also essential to have quality sleep every night. And make sure you drink plenty of water, too!
Spiritual Wellness

Spiritual wellness goes deeper than your religious beliefs. It also includes your values in life. For example, a big part of achieving spiritual wellness can be found in practicing gratitude. Being grateful allows you to become more positive and empowers you to look at life differently.

There’s a wise old saying, “I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.” Start learning to be grateful for what you have in life. This can significantly reduce your risk of developing depression and feelings of worthlessness.

Occupational Wellness

The majority of the population worldwide are workers. That doesn’t only mean employees or those that engage in physical labor. Business owners and anyone in the managerial chain is still a worker. Most of us will have to work in our lifetime. Evaluating whether your work makes you miserable or happy is vital for your occupational wellness.

Don’t waste too much time in a career that can cause your health to suffer. Yes, this can be difficult if you think you don’t have a choice. However, you need to make changes if you want change. If your job causes you stress and anxiety, only you can do something about it. Waiting for someone else to make changes for you is disempowering and usually glacially slow.

Social Wellness

First, identify your needs and values to better understand yourself and your social needs. Knowing ‘your self’ is paramount in your ability to set your own boundaries. This will help you to establish positive relationships with only the people you want in your life. It will help you connect with like-minded individuals, which are those people who share the same values as you.

Surround yourself with positive people and keep in contact with your family. However, let go of toxic people that make your life miserable, even if they are family members. Negative or vindictive people can quickly drain your energy and emotional wellness while contributing to your anxiety and stress.

Getting involved in the community where you live is another way you can boost your social wellness. You may not be a ‘people person,’ so this may not be something you would like to do. However, if it is, it will help develop your sense of social consciousness as you become more in touch with your society’s needs and those around you.

Environmental Wellness

Our environment has a significant impact on our overall health. We can’t be healthy if we live in an unhealthy environment. Just look at fish in a dirty pond. Our fate is the same. Therefore, live in a place that promotes positive health, and ensure your environment is healthy, too. You can start by maintaining cleanliness in your home and removing harmful substances. Even if you feel that some things are beyond your control, take charge of the areas where you can influence the outcome.

Intellectual Wellness

When we stop learning, we stop living. Make it a point to keep learning new skills! Read books, play music, learn a language, or two or three, just don’t stop. If you keep learning, you are not only becoming more educated by the day, but you are also opening your mind to more opportunities and possibilities. You’ll be expanding your knowledge and values in life. If you allow yourself to, you’ll explore a world of wonder.

There are so many things you can do to improve your intellectual wellness. If you don’t like reading or playing music, don’t let that stop you. Play intellectually stimulating games that sharpen your brain (we love Soduku!) and/or activities against other people, from outdoor sports to card games.

As you can see, you can make many changes in your life to develop complete holistic wellness. It all starts with you. Why not start working on one element or all seven elements today, right now? It’s your decision.