Wellness Can Get You There (NAPSA)—Want to live a longer and happierlife? It is time to strive for wellness! Wellness is being in good physical and mental health and provides a foundation for overall wellbeing. Everyone’s routines and habits can be affected by stress (good and bad), life demands, crisis, or trauma. These changes cause emotional, social, and physical imbalances. One of the best ways to combat this is to establish healthy habits that promote wellness. As a result, satisfaction improves, con- SOCIAL SPIRITUAL FINANCIAL PHYSICAL WELLNESS SAMHSA nections to supportive relation- There are eight ways you can help your health and longevity. energy increases. 4, Environmental Wellness: Improvinglife also includes feeling and beingin a safe, stable environ- ships are strengthened, and Wellness can improve quality of life and increase years oflife. Focusing on health and wellness is especially important for people with mental or substance use disorders. Theseindividuals are likely to die decades earlier, mostly due to pre- ventable, chronic medical conditions. Carlton Speight, public health adviser with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), says, “Many people who have experienced these disorders can achievea full andsatisfying life in the community, especially when they can accesseffective services and support systems.” That’s why SAMHSA launched the Wellness Initiative (www. samhsa.gov/wellness-initiative), which promotes improving mental and physical health. A hallmark of the initiative is the Eight Dimensions of Wellness (www.samhsa.gov/well ness-initiative/eight-dimensionswellness), a step-by-step guide to establishing healthy habits. The Eight Dimensionsof Wellness: 1. Physical Wellness: Promoting good physical health habits like nutrition, exercise, sleep and appropriate health care lead to a healthier body. Creating these healthy routines and making sure there is balance with other day-to-day tasks can help, even when a person is challenged with stressor illness. 2. Intellectual Wellness: Learning new things and keeping the brain flexible can help expand intellect. Activities like learning about current events or organizing game nights in your home or community center can keep the brain healthy andactive. 3. Financial Wellness: Considering how to manage income, debt, savings, and future financial stability are key to financial wellness. Starting to slowly save money or pay down debts can help increase wellness and awareness of available resources. ment. The benefits of clean air, food, and water, along with occupying and preserving pleasant environments, support your happiness. Learning, contemplating, and relaxing in natural spaces builds healthy perspective and balance. 5. Spiritual Wellness: Taking time to focus on personalbeliefs and values—if this is personally important—increases wellness. It includes the search for meaning and purpose in human existence, and developing an appreciation for life and the natural forces that exist in the universe. 6. Social Wellness: Healthy relationships with friends, family, and community are a part of overall happiness and support. Having an interest in and concern for the needs of others and humankind is also a part of building social wellness. 7. Occupational Wellness: Activities—including employment—should provide meaning and purpose and reflect personal values, interests, and beliefs. Having work-life balance, pro- moting open communication in work relationships, and striving for accomplishment builds contentment and wellness. 8. Emotional Wellness: Honoring personal strengths, while also recognizing when help may be needed, creates a more bal- anced life. It becomes easier to express feelings, adjust to emotional challenges, and cope with stressors. Learn more about the eight dimensionsof wellness and how to apply them to your life with SAMHSA’s workbook: “Creating a Healthier Life: A Step-By-Step Guide to Wellness.” You can also find additional information on mental health and wellness by visiting www.samhsa. gov.
