Wellness is More Than Just Physical Health

What is Wellness?

Your well-being is about you as a whole individual, not just your physical health status. Although there is no single definition of well-being, experts agree that wellness includes the following:

Presence of positive emotions and moods
Absence of negative emotions like depression or anxiety
Satisfaction with life
Fulfillment and positive functioning

Researchers in different areas have looked into some various aspects of wellbeing that are commonly considered, including all of the following aspects:

Physical well-being
Economic well-being
Social well-being
Development and activity
Emotional well-being
Psychological well-being
Life satisfaction
Domain specific satisfaction
Engaging activities and work

Well-Being and Your Health

A common principle of wellness is that your health is more than the absence of disease or injury. Rather, it’s a holistic approach to health that encourages a long, meaningful life.

Wellness influencers can be environmental or social, such as peace, economic security, a stable ecosystem and a safe living situation. Individual wellness influencers may include physical activity, a healthy diet, social ties, resilience, positive emotions and autonomy.

Factors in Well-Being

A combination of factors determine your wellness, and many studies have determined the relationship between these factors and individual well-being, including

Genes and personality: Some personality traits are strongly connected with well-being include optimism, extraversion, and self-esteem. There may be a genetic basis for emotions like happiness and sadness, but circumstances and social conditions also play a role in your overall wellness.
Age and gender: Men and women have similar levels of well-being, but this tends to change with age—younger and older adults tend to have higher well-being than middle-aged adults.
Relationships: Supportive relationships have a positive effect on well-being and are one of the strongest predictors of well-being overall.
Income and occupation: This relationship can be tough to understand, and income may correlate only minimally with well-being in some cases. These associations are generally stronger at poorer economic levels, but the effects do exist at higher levels also. Unemployment negatively affects well-being both short term and long term, and at all income levels.

Your primary care doctor can offer specific recommendations and information regarding your overall health and wellness.

Revere Health Wellness Institute is home to an exercise facility complete with expert staff available to both patients and community members. Our providers can help you increase productivity, improve general health and manage chronic conditions. We have a registered dietitian, physician and health education specialist on staff. Contact us today!

Sources: