Wellness Reimagined
WCI defines wellness as “a harmony of mind, body and soul, that results from a mindful quest to achieve a holistic and a sustainable balance across all dimensions, enabling the individual to excel and thrive”. In other words, wellness is a conscious, self-directed and an evolving act of maintaining optimal and sustainable equilibrium in every facet of life, which enables the individuals to achieve their fullest potential.
There was no standard definition of wellness, and so we did a short survey with a diverse set of individuals, on “one-word to describe wellness”. Such a simple and an unassuming word that we use so often, and yet "Wellness" meant so differently to each one of us. There were assorted perspectives on wellness, all profound and reflective.
Wellness and well-being are often inter-changeably used. We believe wellness is far more comprehensive and encompassing. Well-being is a static milestone, whereas wellness is more holistic. It is an ongoing and a sustainable exploration; of striving and thriving; for a harmonious and a balanced living. While wellness is not a new concept at all, its significance has tremendously evolved in the recent years. Wellness is now more center-stage than ever, in our lives and in everything we do.
7 Dimensions of Wellness
Traditionally wellness has been synonymous with good health. Gradually, the concept of health widened to encompass physical and mental health. At WCI, we believe, wellness is highly multi-dimensional, and goes far beyond the considerations of physical and mental health.
We acknowledge the pioneering work done by Halbert Dunn, Bill Hetler, Jack Travis, Donald Ardell, and other eminent wellness thought leaders since 1950s and over the years; in defining wellness and its multi-dimensionality. The concept then evolved over time and contexts.
We believe wellness is an amalgamation of physical, mental, financial, intellectual, occupational, social, and environmental dimensions. Each of the 7 dimensions are inter-dependent, and contribute uniquely to our overall wellness, and hence achieving balance across these dimensions is fundamental to experiencing optimal wellness. A steadfast commitment to appreciating this multi-dimensionality of wellness, will allow us to flourish in all our endeavours.
1 Physical Wellness
Physical wellness has been the most prominent dimension of wellness, synonymous with good health. It involves taking care of one’s overall health, being physically fit and making healthy lifestyle choices, mindfully and consistently.
It constitutes a wide and diverse spectrum encompassing health, fitness, nutrition amongst many others. Beyond physical health and fitness, it also extends to other dimensions that help us to feel rejuvenated such as beauty, fashion and various other rejuvenating pursuits; aligning with traditional indicators of robust health to enhance our overall physical wellness.
2 Mental wellness
Mental wellness is another significant dimension of wellness and it indicates positive state of one’s mental health. It is the ability of the mind to cope, manage and adapt to various adversities in life. How we feel from within can impact every other aspect of our life. Compromised mental wellness can lead to poor health conditions which can adversely affect our daily routines and relationships.
It also includes adept management of one’s emotional wellness and spiritual wellness. Emotional wellness refers to how one is able to process one’s emotions and effectively manage their life situations, resulting in a blissful and a balanced life. Spiritual wellness involves finding life’s meaning and purpose, and understanding the values, beliefs and morals that guide our actions, resilience and inner peace.
3 Financial wellness
Financial wellness is the management of one’s resources for short-term and long-term economic stability and growth, constituting a foundational aspect of one’s overall wellness. Prudent financial decisions, whether it is about education fund for kids or medical insurance for parents or retirement planning for self or making a Will, are core to one’s financial wellness. It entails informed fiscal decision-making and goal-setting, for achieving desired financial security and stability, in present and for the future, to support one’s overall wellness.
4 Intellectual wellness
Intellectual wellness is about enriching one’s knowledge base, skill-sets and experiences. It is stimulating the brain for nurturing learning and creativity, embracing new ideas, and looking for ways to master new skills. It involves critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, open-mindedness and stimulating curiosity. Being open to new and diverse ideas, experiences and perspectives, allows one to maintain good cognitive health, expand one’s world views and use a balanced approach to thinking critically and creatively, which enriches one’s overall wellness.
5 Occupational wellness
Occupational wellness is seeking fulfillment from one’s work and career, whilst striking the right balance between one’s professional and personal life goals. It includes maintaining a harmonious work-life balance, whilst fulfilling career goals. There is heightened awareness about this dimension in recent times, which has led to workplace wellness becoming an extremely strategic agenda for employers. Workplace wellness is no more restricted to basic health perks, but it now stretches far and wide, encompassing meaningful initiatives and engagements at workplace.
6 Social wellness
Social wellness is about nurturing connections and relationships with one’s families, friends, colleagues and other social networks. It also involves caring, contributing and fostering a sense of belongingness for the community and society. At WCI, we believe cultural wellness is an integral part of one’s social wellness. Cultural wellness is about how we interact with others in the society who are different from us in their backgrounds, customs, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, abilities etc. Social and cultural wellness advocates for nurturing positive relationships, appreciating the diversities around us, promoting inclusivity and equity within the society, and thus fostering a wellness-embedded world.
7 Environmental wellness
Environmental wellness is valuing the relationship between us and the spaces around us. It is recognizing our inter-connectedness with the environment, about mindfully caring for our planet and protecting our natural resources, making our surroundings safe and sustainable for us and others to live in. Individuals attuned to environmental wellness, will recognize and demonstrate their responsibility towards conscientious preservation of the planet and its resources, and continuously strive to create a lasting positive impact on our world for our future generations.
