Finding Your Balance

What is wellness? The World Health Organization  states  wellness is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This definition is fairly broad and since individuals will vary in their beliefs and values, ultimately this will have a different meaning for everyone.

​​The concept of wellness being other than just physical health has been around for a number of years. In 1977, the National Wellness Institute created the Dimensions model and this was further expanded upon by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA) SAMHSA's eight dimensions of wellness model is as follows:

While there doesn’t have to be an equal balance between them, there should be a harmony among these dimensions. An example of disharmonious dimensions would be if you focused solely on your career (Occupational Dimension) for an extended period of time, ignoring other facets of life such as physical, mental or social health. Eventually this would have a negative effect on your other dimensions and the harmony between them. Perhaps you gave up your Friday night social evenings with friends to put more focus on your career and no longer maintained that social circle (Social Dimension). Or maybe you gained 20lbs since you stopped exercising and started eating more processed and fast food (Physical Dimension). By putting too much focus in one area of your life, especially for a prolonged period of time, you will eventually start to see negative effects in other areas of your life. Balance is the key!
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According to SAMHSA, creating balance is an important part of wellness and this can be affected by a number of variables including culture, circumstances, resources as well as other factors. Balance will look different to each one of us, as we all have our own preferences, desires and skills. It is also important to keep in mind that as our values and needs will be dynamic over time, we will need to re-balance periodically.
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So how does this all apply to you? You may already knowingly or subconsciously have strategies in place to help keep these dimensions within a healthy balance. Or perhaps it is part of a New Year’s resolution or new goal to improve your overall wellness. Regardless, there are many relatively simple steps that you can implement even today that will improve your well-being. Following are some examples of self-care that could enhance the quality of your life:

• Ensure to get enough sleep. You won’t have the energy to do much of anything if you’re tired all the time. 7 to 9 hours of sleep is the range that tends to be recommended for healthy adults, so find the amount that your body needs and try to stick to it. 
• Take your lunch break every day or if that’s not possible, even a couple of times a week. Even though you may not think you have time, this mental break may ultimately lead to better productivity in the afternoon.
• Start meditating. Start off with 2-5 min in the morning. If you don’t know where to start, try a guided meditation.
• Try to eat healthier or follow the 80/20 rule when eating: if you love food as much as I do (I’m typically thinking about my next meal as I’m eating the current one) then you might find it difficult to adhere to eating healthy consistently. But what if you don’t deprive yourself? What if you eat relatively healthy most of the time and indulge periodically? Of course, you can always play with the percentages slightly but you get the gist. By treating yourself periodically you are less likely to feel deprived and therefore more likely to stick with healthier eating.
• Do something you love or have always wanted to try. If you enjoy reading, challenge yourself to read a book a month. Or better yet join a reading club to also add a social element. Do you love dancing? Take up a dance inspired fitness class or find videos on YouTube and dance along a few times a week. Get your kids to join and make it a regular family night event.

These are just a few examples and the list is endless. What small steps can you think of that you could implement today? Or you may decide that you need someone to help work with you to come up with strategies to keep some balance among your dimensions and that’s fine too. In that case there are many life or health and wellness coaches who are trained to help you succeed in many of these areas. Do your research and select one that you truly connect with. Regardless, take the time to determine what a fulfilling life means to you and set goals to strive towards it. You’d be amazed by how just a few subtle changes can have a big impact on your quality of life and overall well-being.