Introduction
When people think about health, they often focus on just physical wellness—eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep. At Hallelujah Diet we focus on physical health a lot because that is our specialty. But we recognize that health is more than just physical health. This article is a reminder of that fact. The WHO defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.” The wellness wheel is a tool that helps you look at all the different dimensions of your life. By paying attention to all dimensions of wellness, you can create a well-rounded, fulfilling life. Let’s explore the eight parts of the wellness wheel and the role they play in your well-being as a whole person. Then you can use the wellness wheel to assess your current strengths and what dimensions of your health need your attention now.
The 8 Dimensions of Wellness
Here are the 8 Dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, occupational, social, intellectual, spiritual, cultural and financial wellness. Most of the statements in the descriptions below are positive statements about someone who has mastered wellness in this area. If you find these statements are not true for you, then you have probably need to focus some attention in that dimension of your life.
Physical Wellness
Physical wellness is about taking care of your body so it can take care of you. You eat nutritious food and stay active. You get enough sleep, and you find ways to decompress from stress. You have healthy habits that keep your body strong so that you can pursue fulfilling your purpose as a person.
Emotional Wellness
Emotional wellness means being in touch with and dealing with your feelings in a healthy way. You cope with stress well. You have developed autonomy and self-awareness. You have emotional reserve and can recover from life’s setbacks. You can express your emotions in a healthy manner.
Occupational Wellness
Occupational wellness means obtaining fulfillment in your work or daily activities. Basically, you like what you do, whether it is a job, going to school, being a mom and homeschooling your kids, or being retired and investing in others. Regardless, you feel valued and are rewarded for what you do. You find fulfillment in what occupies most of your time.
Social Wellness
Social wellness is about building and keeping strong, healthy relationships with family, friends, and the community. You recognize the importance of a supportive network around you and you work at maintaining meaningful connections. You work at improving your communication skills. You have healthy boundaries in your relationships.
Intellectual Wellness
Intellectual wellness means keeping your brain active and engaged. You like to read, learn new skills, enjoy solving puzzles, or have deep conversations. You challenge your mind regularly, which helps you grow as a person and reach your full potential.
Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual wellness is about possessing principles, beliefs, and values that give purpose to human existence. It helps answer these 4 questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What is wrong with the world? How can what is wrong be made right? Spiritual wellness means you have or are developing a worldview consistent with the answers to these questions, perhaps through organized religion, personal values, or philosophical reflection. At the same time you respect other people’s spiritual beliefs and give them space for their own journey.
Cultural Wellness
Cultural wellness is about recognizing and valuing different backgrounds, traditions, and perspectives—including your own. You like to learn about other cultures, and enjoy interacting with people who are very different from you. You like to experience activities from other cultures. You are aware of cultural beliefs that motivate people differently around the world. You appreciate and enjoy the traditions and background of your own family and heritage.
Financial Wellness
Financial wellness means managing your money wisely to reduce stress and support your goals. You are good at budgeting, saving, and making smart financial decisions to invest in assets. You already are or are becoming confident in your long-term financial stability. This stability allows you to focus on fulfilling your greater purpose as a person.
Use the Wellness Wheel to Reflect on Your Health
The wellness wheel is a great tool for self-reflection. You can assess where you’re doing well and where you may need to make changes. To help with this, here’s a questionnaire covering each area of wellness. Just answer the questions to gain insight into the areas that need more attention.
Wellness Wheel Questionnaire
Physical Wellness
- Do you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep most nights?
- How often do you exercise or engage in physical activity?
- Do you eat a balanced diet based on whole foods?
- Do you take time for leisure activities?
- Do you have access to medical and dental care when needed?
Emotional Wellness
- How often do you acknowledge and process your emotions?
- Do you have healthy coping strategies for stress and anxiety?
- Can you easily express your emotions to others?
- How well do you recover from life’s setbacks?
Occupational Wellness
- Do you feel satisfied and fulfilled in your job or daily activities?
- How well do you balance work and personal life?
- Do you have clear goals for your career or personal growth?
- Do you feel valued in and rewarded for your work?
- Are you able to manage work-related stress effectively?
Social Wellness
- Do you have a supportive group of friends or family?
- How often do you engage in social activities or gatherings?
- Do you maintain healthy communication in your relationships?
- Are you able to set and respect personal boundaries?
- Do you feel connected to your community?
Intellectual Wellness
- Do you seek out opportunities to learn new things?
- How often do you challenge your brain with new activities?
- Do you read, listen to podcasts, or talk with real people about meaningful topics?
- Are you open to new ideas and new ways of thinking about life?
- How well do you adapt to change?
Spiritual Wellness
- Do you have a set of principles, beliefs, or values that guide your life?
- How often do you engage in spiritual or philosophical reflection?
- Do you feel connected to a higher purpose or meaning?
- How do you seek answers to life’s big questions?
- Are your actions and daily life aligned with your core beliefs?
Cultural Wellness
- Do you feel connected to your cultural background and heritage?
- Are you open to learning about other cultures and traditions?
- Do you respect and appreciate diversity in people and experiences?
- Have you explored different cultural experiences recently?
- How do your cultural beliefs influence your daily life?
Financial Wellness
- Do you have a budget plan and live within your means?
- Are you able to avoid consumer debt?
- Are you saving up for emergencies or future goals?
- Do you feel confident or secure about your financial future?
- Are you investing in assets that will pay you passive income when you can no longer work?
- Do financial concerns cause you significant stress?
Conclusion
Your health is more than just your body—it’s about your emotions, relationships, spirituality, fulfillment in occupation, financial wholeness, and more. All these dimensions of health are connected and affect each other. You are a whole being. So take time to reflect on where your health is in each dimension, you can set goals to improve your overall well-being. Look for the area that needs the most improvement and work on that one. When your health is in balance your wheel is round and you can roll with the winds and storms of life with ease and you can focus greater attention on fulfilling your purpose as a person.
