What is wellness and why is it important? Wellness can be defined as an “active pursuit” associated with an individual’s choices, motivations, and actions toward improving their overall health and well-being. Personal wellness incorporates many different elements that are interconnected.
At Ag for Life, we view wellness from the perspective of the wellness wheel. Now picture a tractor wheel. If one part of the wheel is deflated, the whole wheel is effected and unable to operate at its optimum potential. This concept is parallel to our personal wellness, when one aspect of our health is neglected and suffering it can cause a ripple effect into other areas of our personal well-being. Wellness is multi-dimensional, meaning there are many factors that influence and impact our state of health on a daily basis. The wellness wheel identifies the eight dimensions of wellness as social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, and occupational.
The ability to examine each dimension of your personal wellness is a good way to start evaluating your current state of well-being. Where are you thriving and where are you feeling more challenged? In identifying each dimension of wellness, you can then establish systems to move you toward a fuller sense of well-being and fulfillment. Instead of trying to work at all dimensions at once, start by choosing one dimension to focus on. Develop an action plan for how you intend to enhance this area of well-being.
Perhaps you are doing a great job with your physical well-being by taking care of your body with regular exercise, sleep, and nutrition. However, perhaps you are struggling more with achieving fulfillment in your career path. In this case, you would examine the occupational dimension of wellness and explore where you could make changes to your career path. Perhaps more education, training, or a change in job or position would enhance your occupational wellness. In doing so, you would be fulfilling this dimension of wellness by bringing more balance and harmony to the other dimensions of your well-being. Other dimensions such as intellectual and social can be impacted positively by finding more fulfillment in your career.
Take time now to reflect on each of the eight dimensions of wellness for yourself, and rate how you feel in each domain from 1-5 (one is your lowest and five your highest level of happiness and contentment).
Now that you have identified your eight dimensions of wellness, you have a better sense of what dimensions you wish to work on developing. You can cultivate your vision for this coming year, through the creation of your very own vision board. This is a great exercise you can do by yourself, with your family, or even as a team-building exercise.
Your vision is unique to you—you have the choice to choose where you put your energy. The exercise of creating a vision board will help to bring clarity, direction, and serve as a visual reminder of what you are working toward this year.
Here is what you will need:
Materials:
• Poster board/ Blank paper
• Magazines
• Images that are meaningful to you
• Scissors
• Glue
To start: on the blank canvas or paper, write down things that have been holding you back.
You will then begin to cover the canvas/blank paper with images, words, and quotes that resonate with you as you create your vision board.
Here are some great question prompts to get you started in creating a clear direction for yourself.
Who are you being called to be?
How do you want to feel in your life?
Watch our video tutorial on how to create a vision board.
Now that you have created your vision board, place it somewhere in your home or office where you will see it regularly. In doing so, the visual reminder will help to keep you on track and connect you to what areas of your well-being you wish to improve upon.