Wellness: What are the dimensions of the search for continuous well-being?

First, the wellness (wellness) is not a passive or static state, but rather a «active search«which is associated with intentions, choices, and actions as we work toward an optimal state of health and wellness.

Secondly, well-being is linked to comprehensive health, that is, it extends beyond physical health and incorporates many different dimensions that should work in harmony.

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The wellness is a single search: we have the responsibility for our own choices, behaviors and lifestylesbut it is also significantly influenced by the physical, social and cultural environments in which we live.

Wellness is often confused with terms like health and happiness.

Although there are common elements between them, well-being is distinguished by not refer to a static state of being (i.e. being happy, in good health, or in a state of well-being). Rather, wellness is associated with an active process of being aware and making decisions that lead to optimal holistic health and wellness outcome.

Well-being is multidimensional

Wellness is more than just physical health. Most well-being models include at least 6 dimensions (and sometimes as many as 9 or 12):

Physical: a healthy body through regular and responsible exercise routines, nutritional care and prevention of harmful consumption, sleep protection and care, regular medical check-ups, etc.
Mental: Commitment to the world through learning, problem solving, creativity, acquiring new knowledge, working to strengthen already acquired skills, transforming thoughts and forms of speech that are negative or obsessive in thoughts and actions positive etc
Emotional: Being in contact, being aware of emotions, accepting them and being able to express one’s own feelings (and those of others).
Spiritual: Our search for meaning and purpose in human existence.
Social: Connect, interact and contribute with other people and our communities.
Environmental: a healthy physical environment free from hazards; awareness of the role we play to enhance, rather than denigrate, the natural environment.

Other aspects that can be considered are the material or financial well-being, interpersonal and occupational relationships.

The wellness continuum

One way to understand well-being is to consider health as a continuous ranging from illness to optimal state of well-being.

*On the one hand, patients with poor health use the medical paradigm to treat diseases; they interact reactively and episodically with physicians and clinicians providing care.

At the opposite extreme, people proactively focus on prevention and maximize their vitality. They adopt attitudes and lifestyles that prevent disease, improve health, and improve their quality of life and sense of well-being.

In other words, well-being is proactive, preventive and driven by self-responsibility.