To function at your best level, you know you need to take care of yourself. That entails making healthy choices. You also know that if you ignore either your physical or your emotional needs your overall health and well-being will be affected. Now that you’re retired (or approaching retirement), it’s even more important to revisit some of the conditions that contribute to your total wellness.
More Than What Meets the Eye
Personal wellness isn’t simply the absence of illness or distress – it’s the presence of positive physical, mental and social well-being in your life. Wellness is a lifelong process of making decisions that support a more balanced life where you maximize your potential. It’s never too late to review and revisit the seven key elements that make up total wellness and define self care.
Integrating the 7 important dimensions of wellness, namely intellectual, social, physical, emotional, environmental, spiritual and occupational, into your daily routine will ensure your retirement years are fulfilling. Think of each of them as part of a circle or wheel with you at the centre or the hub, and how each element radiates outwards from you (benefiting others as well as yourself) and conversely, how these actions reflect positively back onto you too.
The 7 Conditions
1. Intellectual
Intellectual wellness is attained by engaging in creative and mentally-stimulating activities. It includes expanding your own knowledge as well as imparting what you know to others. You can develop intellectual wellness through academic pursuits, but also through cultural, artistic or skill-based learning. As we often say, learning should never end just because you’re getting older. There is great joy to be found in stimulating your intellect and in turn, sharing it.
2. Social
Social wellness refers to the quality of the relationships you have and how you interact with others. Building supportive relationships, dealing with conflict effectively, and making the time for socializing contribute to your overall social wellness. Retirement is an ideal time in life to grow new relationships and nurture friendships. It’s also a good time to repair broken ones.
3. Physical
Physical wellness comes from making healthy choices that support your physical body. Avoiding harmful/unsafe habits and practicing a lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and exercise, a healthy diet, proper sleep, regular medical checkups, and not abusing alcohol and other drugs or tobacco.
4. Emotional
Emotional wellness is understanding your own feelings and expressing emotions in a constructive way. It is also the ability to manage stress and cope with life’s ever changing challenges.
5. Environmental
Environmental wellness involves considering the interactions between your environment, your community, and yourself. The environment includes not only the natural environment but also your social environment. During your retirement years, you may find you have more time and the opportunity to explore the many resources “out there” to help improve the natural and social environment around you. Keep in mind that environmental wellness is a condition whereby a person is willing to foster a healthy and safe world for themselves and for others.
6. Spiritual
Spiritual wellness refers to having values or beliefs that provide a sense of meaning and purpose to your life. Being spiritually well means you consider whether your actions align with your values. For some people it means connecting with something bigger than themselves.
7. Occupational
Occupational wellness is finding fulfillment from your work, hobbies, or new endeavours. By contributing meaningfully to your family, friends or the community and by continuing to expand your skills and strengths, you’ll continue to grow and engage in the purpose of life. Occupational wellness is relevant throughout our lives as it encompasses such things as academic study, paid work and volunteerism.
There are always choices you can make to help enhance your total wellness. A good way to start is by engaging in self-reflection and perhaps resetting your goals to reflect your new status as a retiree. Remember, you are at the centre of your own life.
So, if you’ve let things slide over the years, now is the perfect opportunity to get back on track.