As mentioned in my previous post “EDWB: The First Four,” there is this concept called the Eight Dimensions of Well-Being which affects your happiness, health, and peace. The First Four (creatively named by yours truly) are internally focused, but the Final Four (yup, that was me too) involves social, environmental, occupational, and financial well-being. These are externally focused with regards to internal perspective. We can control the Final Four better than we can control the First Four, and that’s only because the Final Four stem from the world that we live in and the choices we make.
Social
Our social dimension is important for fostering and maintaining healthy, nurturing, and supportive relationships. It is how we interact with each other. Having relationships (friends, family, or romantic) is crucially important for happiness and self-esteem. Being a part of a relationship makes you feel a sense of belonging, which helps you discover your purpose in life. By forming relationships, you “create boundaries that encourage communication, trust and conflict management. Having good social wellness is critical to building emotional resilience” (Life of Wellness). Emotional resilience is key for when you encounter an emotionally driven moment in your life or someone else’s life. It helps the emotional part of your brain mature and manifests active listening and empathy skills. These skills are helpful in all types of relationships. Practicing your social skills in social settings is important for self-identity and determining what you do/do not enjoy in this life.
Environmental
Our environmental dimension inspires us to respect our surroundings, all species living in the world, and protecting our planet (humanity’s home). This can be done through recycling, conserving energy, using renewable energy, and so on. You hear about it every day, especially since global warming and climate change is becoming a popular subject. The core elements of our environmental dimension are respect and awareness. If we respect our environment and become more aware of how we affect it, then we can decide on new lifestyle choices that assist our surroundings rather than destroy them. The more aware we become, the easier it is to form habits that are beneficial to humanity’s home. If we adopt these habits during the present time, then we can focus on future issues that humanity may face. This does not require you to “join a movement or organization, but it does encourage you to practice habits that promote a healthy environment” (Life of Wellness).
Occupational
Our occupational dimension focuses on our career path, enjoyment, and goals. “This dimension of wellness recognizes the importance of satisfaction, enrichment, and meaning through work” (Life of Wellness). We spend the majority of our life sleeping and working, so it is reasonable to want a good job that pays well and makes us happy. Right? Unfortunately, that is not the case when it comes to certain jobs because companies can lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate (just like people do) prospective employees. Choosing what you want to do for the rest of your life is never an easy choice, which is why we job-hop until we find the “right” job for us. When working, you can improve your skills in conflict management, social communication, active listening, and other professional talents. These professional skills can also mend into your personal life and can help improve other dimensions of your well-being. Work does not always have to be paid or enjoyable, and that is okay because you learn from the sh*tty experiences, too. Always remember that work is infinite, so if you find yourself not taking kindly to a certain job, then you have that option to explore other opportunities. Just make certain that you are happy and self-reflect on your goals.
Financial
Our financial dimension is responsible for money management. The sad truth is that money makes the world go around, and if we do not have enough of it, then it can impact our health. “Financial stress is repeatedly found to be a common source of stress, anxiety, and fear” (Life of Wellness). Money management is a piece of knowledge that is not taught in our education system as strenuously as it should be. Budgeting, investing, planning, saving, loans, banking, and financial literacy is not a highly coveted area but is a necessary one if you want to become financially independent/stable. For some reason, people are afraid to speak about money as if it is the Devil (which it can be). Everyone goes through financial hardships and it is nothing to be embarrassed about. If you have never dealt with financial hardship, then kudos to you, you are most likely part of the 1% of America that has a plethora of money that has been passed down from generations (but that is another rant). For the rest of us, we must learn how to manage our money and how to make it work for us and our future. Make it a topic of conversation that is frequently spoken about, taught, and improved on. Always have a nest egg (back-up money), keep your finances organized, take advantage of discounts (no shame in saving money), and plan.
The Final Four focus on the external life with respect to our internal perspective (or bias) because we can control the social, environmental, occupational, and financial well-being of our lives. We get to choose who we associate ourselves with, how to care for our environment, what job to have, and how to spend our money. Granted, everyone is born with different privileges and hardships but how we overcome these born-into-situations is what makes all the difference.
Finally,
E.
References: https://www.lifeofwellness.ca/8-dimensions-of-wellness/
#EightDimensionsOfWellBeing #MentalHealth #WellBeing #Social #Environmental #Occupational #Financial #Wellness #Happiness #Health #Peace #Pyschology #Philosophy #LifeOfWellness
thEEsmilE 