What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “wellness?” We tend to hear responses about physical health such as exercise, nutrition or sleep habits. But, have you ever thought about all seven of the contributing factors to your health? It’s time to broaden your mindset to accept that wellness is not only comprised of fitness, nutrition and sleeping, but a full integration of your physical, mental and spiritual being. Just changing your perspective, and attending to all seven dimensions of wellness, can make vast improvements in your well-being and possibly increase your life expectancy.

Wellness encompasses these six dimensions: 

• Physical Health:The need for physical activity and movement, exercising regularly, good nutrition, awareness of eating habits and adequate amounts of sleep.
• Financial Health:Satisfaction with current and future financial situation, developing skills to manage finances and planning for future challenges.
• Intellectual Health:Having creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills, recognizing individual learning style and being able to articulate.
• Emotional Health:Effective coping methods and strategies to manage stress, positive relationships, handling emotions and recognizing responsibility.
• Social Health:A connection to community, feeling of belonging, a well-developed support system and developing flexibility and resiliency when faced with adversity.
• Spiritual Health:A strong sense of purpose, meaningful life and goals and spending time defining personal values and ethics.

When you attend to all of these dimensions on a daily basis, your well-being will increase while your stress decreases. The people of Okinawa Japan, Sardinia Greece, Ikaria Greece, Nicoya Costa Rica and Loma Linda California understand this well and have found that living a stress-free and healthy lifestyle leads to longevity.

And all areas of wellness can be compiled into one word: purpose.

Find what makes you happy and what drives you. Having a strong sense of purpose will get you up in the morning to focus on your six dimensions of wellness.

If the pursuit of longevity, improved quality of life and living a balanced life appeals to you, then start by finding your purpose. From there, prioritize the six dimensions of wellness in your daily life. When wellness meets purpose, your physical, financial, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual health will greatly improve.

Kelsey Young, CPT, Owner of Great Escape Fitness LLC, a local wellness and fitness studio dedicated to creating a community that will live longer, happier and healthier inspired by the world’s longest-lived cultures.