What is the Wellness Wheel?

2020-02-15

Everyone is busy and schedules can be hectic and exhausting. Finding a balance in everyday life can be difficult and even stressful at times. There are numerous websites, apps, fad diets, diet pills and list goes on for weight loss, less stress, and healthier lifestyle. Focusing on the seven wellness dimensions can help with an improved overall balanced lifestyle. The Wellness Wheel is a wellness model that helps us understand the seven dimensions of wellness. The seven dimensions of the Wellness Wheel are emotional, intellectual, physical, social, environmental, financial and spiritual.

What is the Wellness Wheel?

Overall wellness can seem to be overwhelming and stressful and difficult to decide where to begin. There are many stressors in our daily busy lives and can prevent us in our desire for better overall wellness. Many people struggle with emotional, intellectual, physical, social, environmental, financial and spiritual wellness. The Wellness Wheel can be a guide to help with our overall wellness by categorizing it into seven dimensions.

Why is each dimension of the Wellness Wheel important?

Emotional health is vital to overall health. How do you cope with everyday stressors? How do you react to difficult situations in your life? How do you feel about yourself? The way you show emotions can demonstrate how you respect others and yourself. Some ways to stay emotionally healthy is to have steps to manage your stressors, keep up with your school work, getting enough sleep, knowing and getting professional help and counseling when you need it. Visit https://www.learntobehealthy.org/lessons-and-activities/grades-10-12/mental-health/ for engaging activities for students in K-12 for healthy decisions making, self esteem, healthy relationships, stress management and much more!

Intellectual health is very important to overall wellness. Having intellectual health means you stay curious and willing to learn new things. Do you keep up with current events? Do you have a list of books you would like to read? Do you engage in creative activities? Joining a club can help you focus on enhancing intellectual interests and health.

Physical health can be a fun dimension for overall wellness. Physical wellness involves physical fitness, eating well balanced meals, getting enough sleep, stress management, preventive medical/dental care and appropriate health screenings based on recommendations by health care provider. How much physical activity do you get every day? LearntobeHealthy.org has engaging nutrition and fitness activities for students in K-12. Do you make healthy food choices with now and then foods? Keeping a daily personal health log can help when focusing on physical wellness. Visit Learn to be Healthy's health log page for an individualized Health Log to journal daily nutrition, physical fitness and overall mood to evaluate your overall daily wellness.

Social wellness includes having a strong social network. A strong social network can provide you with support and help with guidance when you are stressed or if you need stress relief. Having social issues can make it difficult for social wellness. Do you have social media that you feel helps you with your social wellness? How is social wellness sometimes difficult for you? Maintaining healthy relationships with family and friends help with social wellness. Who do you look to for support when you feel stressed or pressure in social situations?

Environmental wellness is something we all can strive to maintain. Environmental wellness means you are doing your part in taking care of your global environment and your personal surroundings at home, work, school and everywhere. You can recycle your trash, volunteer with an organization to clean up the environment, de-cluttering your living space, conserve energy, use compost in your yard/garden, etc. How do you intentionally and unintentionally practice environmental wellness?

Financial wellness can be difficult at times, but with good planning, it can be achieved. Living within your means is the truest version of having financial wellness. Taking steps to live within our financial means, staying on a budget and planning for your future are all necessary for financial wellness. What are some ways you can cut back on your unnecessary spending? How do you try to save financially? What ware some of your financial goals?

Spiritual wellness can be different for everyone based on your personal beliefs, values and morals you believe in your life. Spending time and exploring in your spiritual life can be important in your spiritual wellness. How do you explore and support your spiritual wellness?

Overall wellness has many components and can be overwhelming. The Wellness Wheel can help guide us with the seven dimensions of wellness. LearntobeHealthy.org has standards-based engaging activities for students in grades K-12 focusing on the seven dimensions of the Wellness Wheel targeting emotional, intellectual, social and physical wellness. To learn more visit www.LearntobeHealthy.org or call 717-848-3064.

Next steps:

To learn more on emotional wellness for students, visit the following pages:

To learn more about intellectual wellness health lessons for students in grades K-12, visit https://www.learntobehealthy.org/lessons-and-activities/.

To learn more social wellness health lessons for students in grades K-12, visit https://www.learntobehealthy.org/lessons-and-activities/.

To learn more on physical wellness for students, visit the following pages:

To journal daily nutrition, physical activity and overall mood, visit LearntobeHealthy.org Individualized Health Log, https://www.learntobehealthy.org/lessons-and-activities/health-log/.