Dimensions of Wellness

Dimensions of wellness are a varied group of concepts and abilities believed by many to foster the balance of the body, mind, and spirit. Wellness proponents believe this complex internal balance promotes improved health and happiness in an individual. People have been studying and pursuing wellness in various forms for more than five thousand years. In ancient China and India, practitioners developed the ideas of balance and harmony within and around humans. This idea spread to the Greek and Roman worlds and then grew and developed for centuries. Despite a decline in popularity in the early twentieth century, wellness returned by the 1950s as a topic of great and increasing interest. Since then, millions of people have embraced holistic and alternative medicines and techniques in pursuit of greater personal and interpersonal wellness. The main areas, or dimensions, of wellness generally include physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, occupational, and environmental wellness. Some proponents include additional dimensions such as financial, creative, and medical wellness.

Brief History

Although the modern concept of wellness became most popular around the middle of the twentieth century, its underlying ideas can be traced back thousands of years. The general idea of fostering a holistic harmony within the body likely originated around 3000 BCE in Asia. In China around that time, people began developing a mixed spiritual and medical program that was later termed traditional Chinese medicine. In this system, people seek harmony through medicinal herbs, physical movements, mental focus, and activities such as acupuncture. This medical system draws heavily from spiritual faiths such as Buddhism and Taoism and is still associated with them in modern times.

Around that same time, people in India began practicing Ayurveda, a system by which practitioners seek to harmonize the body, mind, and spirit. When done successfully, users believe this harmony can improve health and reduce sickness. Principles of Ayurveda passed from generation to generation and were eventually incorporated into Hindu sacred texts. Ayurveda itself, as well as associated practices such as meditation and yoga, are common health and wellness practices in the twenty-first century.

The idea of wellness next appeared in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, starting around 500 BCE. At that time, a shift in medical knowledge and practice occurred. Physicians such as Hippocrates began to understand that many diseases are aided, or even caused, by the patient’s lifestyle. Factors such as diet, exercise, and environment can all play into the formation of illness. By this equation, Hippocrates recognized that improving one’s lifestyle can reduce or even eliminate the risk of disease. Later, with the rise of Rome, leaders began to implement healthier living conditions, such as sewage systems and bathing facilities, to foster better health among citizens.

These same basic principles—viewing the body and mind as being connected and promoting holistic health—endured in different forms for many hundreds of years and across countless lands. Health topics appeared in philosophy, science, and even religion, in addition to medical fields. Promoters of holistic health spread the idea of self-care and preventative care, which is preventing an illness from occurring. Over time, successes in many of these attempts led experts and common people alike to embrace the idea that the mind, body, and spirit are connected and the health of one is conducive to the health of all three.

Some approaches to holistic healing have since proven ineffective and even fraudulent or dangerous. However, many innovations in wellness persisted over centuries and remain important to modern practitioners. One such innovation was homeopathy, the idea that the body can cure itself, whether naturally or through the application of natural substances. Homeopathy was introduced in the 1790s by a German physician named Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann. In the mid-1800s, a clergyman named Sebastian Kneipp promoted hydrotherapy, the practice of using water for healing.

In the late 1800s, physicians made strides into exploring the connection between the physical structure and the workings of the body and overall health. Physician Andrew Taylor Still introduced osteopathy, specialized treatments of bones, joints, and muscles, in the 1870s. In the 1890s, Daniel David Palmer, also a physician, created a related treatment called chiropractic medicine, which focuses on the alignment and interplay of the bones and muscles and their impact on other health systems. Meanwhile, a physician named Maximilian Bircher-Benner explored the positive effects of a balanced diet on the health of the body.

In the early 1900s, ideas of wellness reached a peak, with many people opening or visiting spas and sanitariums that touted holistic healing and health treatments. Institutions such as the Battle Creek Sanitarium, run by John Harvey Kellogg, attracted great attention for combining treatments such as herbal therapy, hydrotherapy, and diet and exercise programs for their guests. Kellogg became even more famous for introducing vegetarian cereals meant to improve the American breakfast.

However, in 1910, the push for holistic and alternate medicines and treatments experienced a sudden reversal. A study funded by the Carnegie Foundation and written by educator Abraham Flexner severely criticized the state of modern American medicine. In particular, the report targeted many forms of holistic treatments, which Flexner claimed were scientifically unfounded and had little or no actual health value. Rather, the report promoted stricter scientific oversight over the medical field and a focus on disease treatment rather than health maintenance. The Flexner report radically shifted the largely positive perception of holistic medicine and sent the field into decades of decline, during which time pharmaceuticals became the primary means of treating illness.

Overview

The idea of wellness re-emerged in its modern form around the 1950s. This new popularity was due largely to the studies, writings, and teachings of physicians and scientists such as Halbert L. Dunn, John W. Travis, Bill Hettler, and Don Ardell. Such proponents of holistic care toured and spoke widely. They collaborated on new standards by which alternative medicine can be judged and supported the construction of new facilities for holistic care. The re-emergence of wellness was also aided by growing disillusionment with the pharmaceutical industry, whose products were increasingly costly and detached from natural materials and processes.

By the late 1900s, governments in the United States and many other countries had begun to embrace and promote these new forms of health and wellness. Government offices, classes in schools, programs in workplaces, spas and other facilities, and widespread media exposure popularized the campaign for wellness to unprecedented heights. It also made concepts about wellness and holistic and alternative treatments more available and trusted. A greater worldwide interest began in the well-being and happiness of individuals. This interest also launched a wellness industry offering trillions of dollars in products, information, and services ranging from beauty lotions, diet and exercise programs, herbal medicines, spas and similar facilities, and even health-based tourism.

Despite the rise in popularity of wellness, the concept itself remains loosely defined. Generally, people view wellness as a balance between the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of an individual, encompassing nutrition, exercise, thought patterns, and overall health. People have viewed this broad topic in a variety of ways, often by listing so-called dimensions of wellness that contribute to overall wellness. Some sources emphasize about five dimensions of wellness, while others view about ten dimensions.

Physical Dimension

One of the fundamental dimensions, and the dimension easiest to see and evaluate, is the physical dimension. This aspect of wellness involves healthy behaviors that positively impact the body, such as eating good foods, eating in moderation, getting proper exercise, and avoiding damaging habits such as substance abuse. Physical wellness includes learning about diseases and disease prevention and protecting oneself from harm whenever possible. Physically well people will most likely feel stronger and have better bodily health than those who are sick.

Intellectual Dimension

Another fundamental dimension is the intellectual, or mental, dimension. Proponents of wellness believe that the mind, just like the body, needs stimulation, exercise, and care. People can inspire their mind using new knowledge, and continually learn information and skills throughout life. Activities such as reading books and newspapers, talking about ideas, creating artwork, and attending plays or performances can all positively impact the mental aspects of wellness.

Emotional Dimension

Between the physical and mental aspects of wellness, and interwoven with many other aspects, is the emotional dimension. This dimension relates to the feelings and moods a person experiences regularly. Emotionally well people can understand, accept, and express their feelings in a healthy way. They experience happiness, love, and other enjoyable feelings. They also acknowledge and deal with negative feelings such as anger, stress, and sadness using control and good judgment. Emotionally well people generally have a strong self-esteem, good communication skills, and a positive outlook on life.

Spiritual Dimension

Closely tied to mental and emotional aspects is the spiritual dimension of wellness. This dimension relates to the values and beliefs a person holds about such important topics as the meaning of life and the existence of forces outside the self. Spiritually well people find hope and purpose in their daily lives. They seek answers to important questions but are willing to accept when those questions are difficult or impossible to answer. They also practice reflective thinking, strive for growth, and try to accept others for who they are.

Social Dimension

Another aspect that looks outside the self is the social dimension. This dimension deals with how a person gets along with others, whether they are close friends or family, strangers, or large groups of people. When people are socially well, they are usually supportive, cooperative, respectful, and open to physical, mental, and emotional intimacy. People are encouraged to promote and participate in healthy community events and communicate their own ideas and opinions in constructive ways.

Occupational Dimension

The occupational, or career, dimension is closely related to the social dimension, but focused more on a person’s experience with an ongoing job or task. Occupational wellness relates to whether and how well a person fares at work and uses abilities to achieve positive goals. Wellness proponents usually encourage people to consider various careers, choose the best-suited one, and keep aware of changes or new opportunities to expand and improve. People who are occupationally well generally like their job, find it meaningful and enriching, and are motivated to work hard to bring results.

Environmental Dimension

Environmental wellness reaches even further beyond the self and the immediate groups to encompass how an individual relates to the overall physical environment. This is a newer dimension of wellness, having developed only since people began understanding the often harmful, sometimes disastrous, impact of humans on nature. People who are environmentally well respect nature and make choices to help preserve it. Recycling, conserving water, and avoiding food waste are signs of environmental wellness. People may heighten this dimension by reflecting on the importance and beauty of nature, whether through scholarly studies or hands-on exploration.

Additional Dimensions

Some sources include additional dimensions of wellness. These dimensions may be smaller than others, more specific to certain groups, or partly overlapping more fundamental dimensions. For instance, some wellness researchers list medical and dental wellness, which involves awareness of one’s medical needs and attention to regular good habits, screenings, and checkups. However, other wellness experts might consider that a part of physical wellness.

Wellness experts may use a separate category for financial wellness, or a person’s understanding of and adherence to wise financial plans. A financially well person would most likely make careful and prudent money decisions, save as much as possible, and manage debt and risk that might plague financially unwell people.

Creative wellness is another category sometimes added to the list of wellness dimensions. Creatively well people likely have many interests in culture and art. These interests encourage them to participate in creative processes and foster a deeper appreciation for the creativity of themselves and others. Some experts see this as an independent variable, while others might prefer to add it to other dimensions, such as intellectual or social wellness.

Digital wellness is a focus on one's virtual presence and use of technology and how they impact one's overall wellness. Digitally well people establish habits that support their values, goals, safety, and community, both online and in real life.

Bibliography

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“Dimensions of Wellness.” Roger Williams University, 2023, www.rwu.edu/undergraduate/student-life/health-and-counseling/health-education-program/dimensions-wellness. Accessed 16 Aug. 2024.

Fair, Sharon Elayne. Wellness and Physical Therapy. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2011.

“History of Wellness.” Global Wellness Institute, globalwellnessinstitute.org/industry-research/history-of-wellness/. Accessed 16 Aug. 2024.

“Ten Dimensions of Wellness.” The Ohio State University, 2019, swc.osu.edu/wellness-education-and-resources/ten-dimensions-of-wellness. Accessed 16 Aug. 2024.

“Seven Dimensions of Wellness.”Grand Rapids Community College, 2018, www.grcc.edu/faculty-staff/human-resources/professional-development/employee-wellness/seven-dimensions-wellness. Accessed 16 Aug. 2024.