I often hear people who are surprised that buying that cool sports car or moving to a new country didn’t bring them happiness. No, moving to a tropical island does not remove your anxieties and fears. And yet, our culture in the West tells us that if have that beach house or car then all our problems will go away and we’ll be happy. But what is happiness? There are many different definitions out there. Essentially though, having a purpose and being able to contribute something to society whilst developing meaningful connections are an important part of happiness. This definition nicely  takes us to the 8 dimensions of wellness. So what is wellness and how can we cultivate it? 

The Workplace Wellness Lab has my favourite diagram of the 8 dimensions for you to help you work out your wellness approach. I often work through these with people to guide them through options but here is an overview: 

1- Physical

This is the obvious one although it isn’t just about exercise but it’s also about healthy eating and proper sleep. Many of us struggle to get proper sleep. According to Newsdesk, more than 51% of adults globally not getting the recommended 7 hours sleep. But don’t be hard on yourself and expect to change overnight. You can motivate yourself by breaking down your goals into smaller chunks and start changing your habits over time. 

In this world of globalisation and supermarkets, a lot of our food is not fresh and doesn’t have enough nutrients. Ivee, a start up company in New York, have started addressing this problem by allowing at-home IV treatments of important nutrients and supplements. These support our health and also help keep our brains functioning at their best. For example, B vitamins play a key part in producing neurotransmitters which helps avoid cognitive decline when ageing. 

2- Emotional

Connecting and managing our emotions is often neglected as many of us were taught to hide our emotions. However, we need to feel them all – the anger, the joy, the sadness. Today, emerging research shows that it is better for us to feel a range of emotions, called emotional diversity. This allows us to become more resilient because we are better ‘trained’ at noticing our emotions and what’s triggered them.

Activities that can help you be more emotionally balanced include self-care, mindfulness  and meditation, as well as using all your senses, for example, listening to music or eating strong-tasting / spicy food. 

3- Environmental

Of course having the right environment around us is important but not all of us can just up and leave. 

So be creative in how you can improve your environment. Is there a park you can go to more regularly to simply sit in nature? Can you add flowers or pot plants to your home? This also has the added benefit that you now care for something else. Even caring for plants helps you step out of your own head. Essential oils and candles are another great way to create a soothing space. 

4- Financial

This is a common worry for most people and it’s not easy to always get it right. I know it sounds obvious but if you’re not happy with this part of your life, make a plan. I know this from personal experience as it took me years to pay off my debts from my misspent 20s. It was scary and humbling but it started with acceptance and then a plan.  

5- Intellectual

Expanding our skills and knowledge and being able to use our mental capability is also part of achieving ‘flow’. Remember the time you were doing something and so were so engrossed that you did not feel time? In fact, you weren’t even aware of yourself or the world around you. You were in a state of flow, sometimes referred to as linked to happiness.

Working on hobbies or learning new skills that create this flow is very fulfilling. This also has the great benefit of slowing down our mental ageing. Anything from doing a sudoku to reading a book or exploring a new place can create this moment for you. 

6- Occupational

We spend most of our time at work so it should not be a surprise that this is a key component of wellness. Of course there are bad days but overall, we need to feel appreciated and rewarded for doing something meaningful. We can ask ourselves why we get up every morning for work and mull this over with friends or colleagues. What do others feel like at your work? Do they feel fulfilled or is there perhaps something you can both improve and change? Perhaps even introducing a wellness program to work?

7- Social

We are social animals, whether we like it or not. Anyone who has lived with me knows that I’m very happy staying at home with my garden and my dogs without seeing anyone for days … and yet, after a while, I do feel the tug of needing that human contact. Oxytocin is released when we touch or hug someone and it gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Social interaction also allows us to get out of our heads. Talking to others can be a useful and therapeutic sounding board. Others can bring us back to ‘being reasonable’ and perhaps less critical in our self-chat. Call a friend or join a reading club or even a support group.

8- Spiritual

I think this is still a tough one for many people as it can be linked to religions. However, you can be very spiritual without religion.

For me personally, spirituality is about contemplation, curiosity of the world around us, being connected to animals, especially my dogs, yoga and meditation. Working on my values and purpose was a key activity for me but for those of you who also need something more scientific then look no further than Einstein himself. Like many scientists, he realised that there is something much greater than all of us.

I believe it is important to be spiritual as it can help us find meaning in life and to take perspective when times are tough. Appreciating that we can contribute to something bigger than ourselves, helps us find fulfilment and inner peace.