I Love It When We Talk HEALTH!!!!!!!

I LOVE IT when we talk health!!!
But I get absolutely carried away as wellness takes center stage. Health is an active state of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being and it is more than just the absence of disease. As great as health is to us it only covers two of the three segments of wellness, leaving out an important aspect, one that completes us … the spirit! If we were to view wellness without giving attention to the spirit it would be like viewing an incomplete picture, which to the amateur eye may appear mosaic. Complete Wellness reveals the whole story while at the same time painting a masterpiece of life.

The body and mind even when divided into sub-groups will always point back to it's dependence on the spirit. Wellness exist within these three pillars of support; body, mind, and spirit, and each of the subgroups give greater perspective on how to maintain whole. Let’s look at one of the current models of wellness:
adopted from Loyola Univ.

Spiritual Wellness is the quest for meaning, value, and purpose resulting in hope, joy, courage and gratitude. It encourages one to develop a personal faith and to seek God in all things. It is the discovery and incorporation of a personal set of values and beliefs that defines the person, places the individual in relation to the larger community, and engages a faith that promotes justice.

Social Wellness means contributing to one's human and physical environment for the common welfare of, and social justice within, one's community. It includes promoting a healthy living environment, encouraging effective communication and mutual respect among community members, and seeking positive interdependent relationships with others.

Physical Wellness means respecting and taking care of your body. It is applying your knowledge, motivation, and skills toward enhancing personal fitness and health. It is making healthy and positive choices regarding a variety of issues including nutrition, physical activity, sexuality, sleep, the use of alcohol and other drugs, self-care, and the appropriate use of health care systems.

Intellectual Wellness is having a curiosity and strong desire to learn. It is a lifelong process of creating and reflecting upon experience, staying stimulated with new ideas, and sharing. It is discovering challenges, overcoming barriers, and integrating opportunities to grow, make plans, develop strategies, and solve problems.

Vocational/Occupational Wellness is a fit between who you are called to be and what you are called to do. It is finding the place where your deep desires and gifts meet a need in the community.

Environmental Wellness is an awareness of the precarious state of the earth and the effects of your daily habits on the physical environment. It is respect for God's creation and the beauty and balance of nature.

Emotional Wellness is striving to meet emotional needs constructively. It is the ability to respond resiliently to emotional states and the flow of life events. It is realistically dealing with a variety of situations and learning how your behaviors, thoughts, and feelings affect one another and your decisions.

Cultural Wellness is being aware and respectful of your own faith traditions and cultural background as well as learning about, accepting, and contributing to the diversity and richness present in other faiths and cultural backgrounds. It is acting towards oneself and all others with sensitivity, consideration, understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and civility.

1. Which area are you feel you are least well? Why?


2. List these areas from most well - least well; how does that list look for you?

Let Me Know

Mrs. Nez