A journey begins with the assumption that we start from where we are now. When we make online airline reservations, the first entry is a code for our home airport. That is usually a no-brainer. The question of where we are now may be a little more difficult to describe on a journey of personal growth.
I want to begin our travels by asking that you to take a brief assessment (see link below) that points to the balance you currently experience among four dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Physical wellness has to do with eating, exercise, and physical health. For some, the challenges of low energy, chronic pain, recurring illness, and other physical issues occupy the foreground and demand attention before other aspects of wellbeing can be addressed.
Emotional wellness reflects the quality of relationships with ourselves and others. Emotional disruption may arise from grieving the loss of a loved one, changing or losing a job, moving, taking on a caregiver role, or other changes that affect our comfort, confidence, and peace of mind.
Mental wellness entails the ability to focus, to think clearly, and to engage the problem-solving capacity of the brain when needed. Mental challenges often pair up with emotional ones, as thoughts and feelings are tightly entwined. Emotions can drive our decisions and derail our efforts to make reasoned sense of complex issues. Thoughts can run amok and prevent our moving past emotional roadblocks.
Spiritual wellness represents our sense of purpose, meaning, and value. Spiritual issues can arise out of major life changes that affect the roles and relationships that have shaped our identity and self-worth. Intimate relationships, work settings, physical and mental capacities can change, gradually or suddenly. Those changes often call for us to re-frame our sense of why and how we want to live.
Many of us seek balance among the various aspects of our lives. The four dimensions of wellness offer a framework for discussing and working toward life balance. To complete a "quickie" life balance assessment, click here. In answering the questions, you will develop a broad sense of what is working best for you right now, and what might call for attention and change.
