12 Dimensions of Wellness

About five years ago when I began pursuing my career as a life coach, I was introduced to the Wellness Wheel. I was already familiar with the seven dimensions which is emotional, intellectual, physical, social, environmental, financial, and spiritual. But the program I went through was about the 12 dimensions of wellness. This course changed my life and helped to shape my career path.

Now I'm not here to advertise for the company that teaches this course, so I will leave their name out, but if you type in the internet search bar "12 dimensions of wellness", the organization will pop up. What I am go to do is write briefly about a few of the dimensions just to give meaning to the dimension and my journey. Before I get started there is something I do want you to keep in mind. The 12 dimensions of wellness, as a whole, is the essence of who you are internal. Each dimension is a piece of you and with understanding each dimension you get a better understanding of yourself. The 12 dimensions are: Self Responsibility and Love, Breathing, Sensing, Eating, Moving, Feeling, Thinking, Playing and Working, Communicating, Intimacy, Finding Meaning, and Transcending.

Self-Responsibility & Love

This is the 1st of the 12 dimensions, and I think a great start in the journey of the 12 dimensions of wellness. This dimension is simply about caring and respecting yourself. I think it's fair to say that most people do so much for others, and are constantly putting themselves last. A mom's concern is only with the wellbeing of her children and household. A father stays gone all day working hard to make sure he can provide for his family. Our young adults and single people who have the ability to focus on their financial growths as well as enjoy their time with friends, but still their personal wellbeing is set aside. And when it finally comes that time where we must care for ourselves, we're tired and frustrated. Tired because we have exalted all energy on others, and frustrated because caring for ourselves is last on our list, so when we are forced to sit down, we become upset.

Self-responsibility and self-love is all about you looking at yourself, you are taking care of yourself, and you are respecting yourself. It's our job individually to care for our own selves. You are responsible for you and I am responsible for me. If we love and care for ourselves first, when we are stronger when caring for others.

Playing and Working

This is the 8th dimension of the Wellness Wheel which focuses on work/life balance. There are people that work 40 hours a week, and there are those that work 80. On the other side, there are people that are fortunate enough to play way more than work. Either they are young and do not yet have real responsibilities, or they are older, have served their time, and are now enjoying life. And then there are those that find too much free time or they are just trying to find themselves.

For me, my family would say that I work too much, however I am fortunate to be in a profession that I love. I generally leave the house around 6:00 a.m. and return between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. I like telling people that my place of business is my playground. You see, I work in a gym where my job is to help others to live a healthier lifestyle through the form of fitness, wellness, and nutrition education. Because I love what I do, my work is a part of who I am.

For my play balance, I have learned that when my family ask for me, that's the time to stop and enjoy the fruits of my labor. This is what allows me to feel whole.

The last dimension I want to mention is, Transcending. This dimension has to do with leveling up, or advancing to the next level. Think about receiving a promotion from work, but more on a spiritual level. To transcend is to evolve. We transcend from child to adult. We transcend our minds from fixed to growth. We even transcend our emotions from no control to control.

When I looked at myself regarding Transcending, I took a nice look at the person I was to the person I am today. I was a child wanting nothing but to enjoy life and now I want to help others to find and reach their potential, as I have. I now see that education never stops and that every situation, good or bad, is a lesson.

Take time to reflect on your life. Who were you then and who are you now? What were you about then and what are you about now? These are just 3 of the 12, and I encourage you to check out the wheel and get a better understanding of who you are. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you found it meaningful.