Health and wellness month: Defining and promoting wellness
by Family Councils Ontario
Wellness is an important aspect of our existence. It’s more than simply freedom from illness; in fact, even when ill we can work on supporting our wellness. As per the World Health Organization, wellness is "...a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity1." In this entry in our Health and Wellness month series, we’re going to explore wellness in terms of a Family Council.
Wellness is a comprehensive term that incorporates many facets. According to the National Wellness Institute, it is “an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.” Our wellness affects our actions and emotions and impacts every aspect of our life. 1 It’s important to note that optimal wellness is personal and will differ from person to person, and throughout a person’s lifespan. Even when one aspect of wellness is out of balance, we can take steps to improving our wellness and regaining equilibrium.
These are the aspects of wellness:
- Emotional: awareness and acceptance of one’s feelings; positivity and enthusiasm about one’s self and life; capacity to manage feelings, development of autonomy, and coping with stress.2
- Occupational: satisfying and enriching work; ability to contribute gifts, skills and talents in meaningful ways.2
- Physical: good exercise and eating habits; personal responsibility and care for illness; professional medical support as needed2.
- Social: connections with and contributions to community; attention to and enhancement of relationships and friendships2. Building and maintenance of a strong support network1.
- Intellectual: Use and expansion of creativity, knowledge, and skills; sharing of creativity, knowledge, and skills with others; pursuit of personal interests and new challenges2.
- Spiritual: Search for meaning and purpose; living in alignment with values and beliefs2.
- Financial: successfully managing finances and expenses1.
- Environmental: living a lifestyle that is respectful of surroundings; interactions with nature and personal environment1.
So, how do we apply this to a Family Council?
Family Council members give and receive peer support through interactions during and between meetings. In this way, members can support the emotional and social aspects of wellness. Through casual discussions or formal educational opportunities, members can learn about how to promote their own physical, spiritual, financial, and environmental wellness e.g. a presentation on reducing caregiver stress, how to start an exercise program, or financial planning for retirement. Through meaningful involvement on a Council, members can support their own and others’ occupational and intellectual wellness. Through these activities, Councils support their members to achieve their full potential and optimal wellness.
Stay tuned next week for the fourth and final entry in our health and wellness series. Also, share how your Council supports its members’ optimal wellness with us on Facebook!
Sources and more information on the different dimensions of wellness:
1: What is Wellness? https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/wellness/what-is-wellness
2: The Six Dimensions of Wellness Model http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nationalwellness.org/resource/resmgr/docs/sixdimensionsfactsheet.pdf
More information: The Seven Dimensions of Wellness http://www.sfu.ca/students/health/resources/wellness/wheel.html