Understanding the Concept of Wellness

Healthful Vitality | 11/06/2021 | Understanding the Concept of Wellness

For ages, doctors have used an oversimplistic approach to diagnosing diseases and managing them. So often, if a person is not diagnosed with any disease, medical specialists would call such a person healthy.

However, many people keep complaining that they are not feeling well despite the absence of disease. It could be due to stress, some disability, or even some other less understood issues. Therefore, now experts realize that not every healthy individual feels well. On the contrary, and interestingly enough, many living with illnesses and disabilities still say that they feel well.

It means that wellness is a higher concept. The ultimate goal of healthcare is not just to manage diseases but ensure the wellness of individuals. It is now accepted to be a better approach, as one cannot cure all the ailments but still help an individual to feel well. If a person is physically healthy and still not feeling well, it still indicates the presence of some problem.

Three tenets of wellness

Wellness is about a positive mental attitude and proactively handling health issues. It is also about the multidimensional approach towards health. There are three tenets of wellness:

• Wellness means consciously making efforts to achieve full potential and make efforts to be happy
• Wellness can only be achieved through a multidimensional approach. It means that treating diseases is not enough. Equally vital is to take care of mental health, resolve social and even environmental issues.
• Wellness is about staying positive all the way and keep affirming

Six most vital dimensions of wellness

There are numerous dimensions of wellness. However, the six most vital dimensions of it are:

1. Physical

Physical dimension is the best-understood thing. It means staying physically healthy and active, making the right kind of food choices, engaging in exercise, having enough sleep.

2. Mental

Here mental means paying particular attention to reducing stress. Staying mentally engaged in various things ensures optimal cognitive functioning.

3. Emotional

Humans are emotional beings, and yet they often forget to take care of their emotional wellbeing by socializing or sharing feelings with others.

4. Spiritual

Spiritual is about exploring the higher purpose of existence, or at least trying to find some purpose in life.

5. Social

Social involves meeting people, engaging in various social activities more proactively.

6. Environmental

Environmental not only means physical environment but cultivating a positive environment around through the right choices.

Wellness is not just about using some interventions; it is about continuous efforts. Thus, it means trying to thrive, maintain a positive attitude, prevent diseases. Instead of blaming others, take responsibility for his or her health. Experts recommend that doctors should be more aware of this concept. Thus, they should not just focus on diagnosing and managing physical health conditions only. There is a need to realize that everything is interrelated. For example, increased stress causes various ailments, and ailments increase stress. Practicing wellness concepts may help break the vicious circle and help find happiness.

(Related Article: Lifestyle Intelligence)