We are told from a very young age that all we need to do to be healthy is exercise a few times a week and eat our veggies. While this is a part of being healthy, there are so many other aspects of health and overall well-being. Live Well NAU is a new initiative coming soon to campus that will help us find resources for all eight dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, financial, and environmental.
To keep this blog short enough so that you’ll actually read it, we’re going to dive in and explore just five of the eight dimensions of wellness:
1. Physical
Physical health is generally what we think of when we think of health. It’s the “exercise a few times a week and eat your veggies” side of health. This is a very important part of health as it is linked with various biological ailments.
We can all do our best to fuel our bodies with nourishing and pleasurable foods while also incorporating regular physical activity that we actually look forward to. But of course, that’s not all there is to health.
And, it’s important to realize that for some, these health-supporting behaviors are down-right impossible. For students working three jobs, just to pay their Flagstaff rent, they may not be able to get to the gym. And studies show that many students experience food insecurity – meaning they don’t have the resources to keep the cupboards fully stocked and may not know when the next meal is coming. Opportunities to eat veggies may be few and far between, and it’s not their fault.
2. Emotional
Emotional health REALLY matters. If we’re honest, this is an area many of us are really struggling with and no one seems to know exactly why. Is it technology? Too much comparison on social media? Violence we see on Netflix dramas and graphic video games? Who knows? All I know, is that we need to get serious about this one.
It is important to practice self care to maintain a healthy emotional state such as doing things you enjoy or taking time out of your day to sit still and be at peace. An unhealthy mind leads to an unhealthy body.
Again, emotional health is much more complex than just finding opportunities for self care. It might also help to cut back on technology and spend more time outside. Plus, some of us have had some pretty messed up childhoods, or been on the receiving end of bullying, racism, discrimination, or abuse. For some of us, our path towards emotional health means hitting up Counseling Services to find healing from some past hurts or to navigate current stressors.
3. Spiritual
Spiritual health is something everyone experiences whether you are a part of a specific religious group or not. Spiritual health includes whatever a person believes about the world but also it includes what a person thinks their purpose is in life. Living a life with purpose will help improve many other aspects of health because it gives you motivation to continue on with your day. Ways to improve spiritual health and reminding yourself of your purpose could be faith-based practices, meditation, or taking time to take a step back from the stress of the day to gain perspective.
4. Social
Social health is often overlooked, but it’s super important. Loneliness has a stronger association to mortality (dying) than smoking! Can you believe it? Integrating ourselves in social situations is important because we are created as social beings. When deprived of social interactions with people we tend to experience adverse health issues, either mentally or physically. Social health can look like hanging out with a few friends getting dinner or it can be joining a club and meeting new people.
5. Intellectual
Intellectual health is an aspect of health that most people don’t even know exists. Learning about different topics keeps our mind sharp. Thinking in different ways, either creatively or analytically, keeps the mind healthy. Being intellectually healthy leads to openness of new ideas and experiences which can lead to being socially, emotionally, and physically healthy. Improving intellectual health could be reading, researching, or trying things that you think you might be interested in and enjoy. Just being in college supports your intellectual health – so go you!
What’s fascinating about all dimensions of wellness is how they overlap. For example, let’s say in an effort to improve physical health, you decide to cut out certain foods. Well, what typically happens when you get rid of foods you love, is that you crave them more. And then you obsess over these foods (and your bathroom scale), which negatively impacts emotional health. And you may even avoid hanging out with friends who are going to certain restaurants eating the foods you’ve decided to eliminate. This could negative impacts social health.
Or, let’s say that your emotional health is suffering and you’ve been seriously down in the dumps lately. Perhaps you’re isolating yourself and that has impacted your social health. And you hardly have the energy to get out of bed, let alone go workout. So your physical health tanks too.
See what’s going on here? These different forms of health are all very interconnected. And a hit to one form of health can impact others. Or, an attempt to improve one area of wellness can result in the decline of others.
After learning more about these five dimensions of wellness, which one are you struggling with the most?
Is there one small change you can make that would move you one tiny step forward on the path towards improved health and well-being? Stay mindful and analyze how you feel after making a change in this area. Assess if other areas of health were also impacted, negatively or positively. Decide if it’s a change worth keeping.
And don’t forget that you don’t have to attempt these changes alone. Meet with a UCAN health coach and we’ll help you look at all the pieces.
Hannah Rahn, Health Coach