|
Health Is the Whole Body, Mind and Soul
You count grams of fat and fiber, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink green tea, and jog four times a week. But you spend most of your time at a high stress job, have few close relationships, and feel that your life lacks meaning. The good things that you do for your body may help increase your resistance to stress and illness, but they only reflect part of a much larger picture.
According to the National Wellness Institute, the Six Dimensional Model of Wellness is beneficial for the following reasons: Human Beings Are Multidimensional All aspects of a person (body, emotions, thoughts, relationships, beliefs, values, activities) affect his functioning as a whole. Further, these individual aspects affect each other. For example, a person who is not utilizing his interests on the job (occupational dimension) may experience boredom and negativity (emotional dimension). A sense of futility (spiritual dimension) results, which causes others to avoid him (social dimension). This increases his frustration (emotional dimension) and can lead him to overeat and become obese (physical dimension). Most Modern Health Threats Are Not Physical Although we think about health in physical terms, most health threats today are not physical, writes Brian Luke Seaward, PhD, in his book Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water: Reflections on Stress and Human Spirituality. Instead, they are emotional (feeling overwhelmed, bored, worried, or guilty) or spiritual (assessing relationships, values and one’s purpose in life). Health Is More Than the Absence of Disease The multidimensional approach is oriented toward maximizing individual potential and functioning. It defines health as balance and complete well-being, being all that you can be, not merely as the absence of symptoms and disease. Unfortunately, today’s medical care is largely based on a disease model of health. You may be able, however, to find doctors who specialize in integrative medicine. This is a practice that places the patient, not a disease, in the center. Finding Balance in an Unbalanced World But life can be so busy and complicated these days. Who has the time to address all these dimensions? Many wellness experts suggest numerous opportunities to find more balance. Strategies may include: Finding Single Activities That Meet Multiple Wellness Needs For example, taking a daily walk with your spouse and children can fulfill needs for physical activity, emotional bonding, and relationship enhancement. And, if you use the time to discuss ideas and career aspirations, your family walk could also contribute to intellectual and occupational needs. Clarifying Your Values and Priorities Take time to know the deepest purposes for which you live, and use them to set goals and make decisions. For example, you may find that you’d prefer more time with your family rather than a bigger paycheck. Don’t wait for a crisis to show what really matters to you. Identifying Areas Where You Want More Balance Using your values and the Six Dimensional Model of Wellness, identify your current wellness deficits and develop a few goals that will help you find more balance. Being Realistic and Flexible Perfect balance in all dimensions is not possible in an ever-changing world. There will be times when you’re overextended, lonely, angry, and tired. Over the years, you’ll need to make adjustments until you find a balance that enhances your quality of life.
RESOURCES:
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
REFERENCES: This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © 2009 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved. |
||||||||||||||