Before I started writing for R&R, I was not aware of the Six Dimensions of Wellness, but I wish I would’ve known about them earlier.
The dimensions summarize the multiple components of wellness very nicely and they stress the importance of achieving a well-balanced lifestyle for multiple aspects of your life. Wellness is not solely about how fit you are or whether you meditate every day.
It is about making conscious, healthy decisions in all aspects in order to improve overall health. I think this is an important distinction that we all have to remind ourselves about.
One week, you may be focused on the physical dimension in terms of working out every day and eating well but may neglect the emotional dimension by repressing your feelings.
This is something I am guilty of, but this summer has allowed me to ultimately make sure I am addressing every dimension as much as I can in order to attain personal balance.
What are some techniques or practices that have helped you personally in pursuing wellness?
I’ve talked about meditation in many of my articles and the reason for that is because meditation has personally helped me so much on my wellness journey.
When I first went to college, I tried to meditate to alleviate stress, but I could not make it a regular part of my routine. However, while I was studying abroad my junior year, it finally clicked. I had to realize that meditating was not meant to be seen as a chore or as something I had to do, but rather as something I was doing for myself.
I also realized that I could meditate in different ways. Sometimes, I would listen to guided meditation from Headspace when I couldn’t focus on my own. Other times, I would sit in silence with my eyes closed and breathe.
After a while, I was able to achieve the latter on a regular basis quite successfully. Ultimately, I find it is important to check in with yourself on a daily basis, especially during stressful times.
You might think that you’re doing fine, but when you take a moment to really examine your mind and stay in tune with your emotions, you may realize that there are areas you need to address before they overwhelm you, and meditation certainly helps you recognize them.
What piece of advice on wellness would you give to our readers?
The biggest piece of advice I could give readers about their wellness journey is to be patient with themselves and give it time.
When I recommend meditation to friends, I tend to hear that they tried it once and stopped because it didn’t “work.” But meditation is not something that is going to magically fix you after doing it once and instead, it is a practice. It’s not something you perfect, but rather something you grow with.
Whether it’s meditating or exercising or daily journaling, you have to ensure that you give it a real chance before writing it off. These methods require time and dedication in order to help you, but they can’t do that if you quit after one week.
I know it can be difficult to incorporate something into your routine, especially when you are not able to see substantial results immediately, but I promise, if you give these methods a real chance, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see the improvements in your mood and focus.
So, before you give up on a wellness method, I recommend giving it time—maybe a month or even six months. Remember: this is a journey, so it’s important to be patient and enjoy the opportunity to do something for yourself.
Which of your pieces was your favorite to write? Why?
I really enjoyed writing 5 Ways to Shop More Sustainably because it was a topic that I did not know too much about initially.
I had known a bit about fast fashion before and it was something I saw popping up on social media, which spurred me to think how much people really know about this incredibly important topic. Although I had some knowledge, I recognized that I still had a lot of research and work to do for myself.
I enjoy learning new things so reading up on fast fashion and the different responsible brands that are making conscious decisions to lessen their environmental impact was an enlightening experience.
It also allowed me to adopt a new perspective on wellness. When we typically discuss wellness, we discuss it in terms of ourselves and our needs. However, we rarely think about wellness for others and for the planet and how our own habits can lead to their harm.
Sometimes, we need to look outside of ourselves and recognize that we have an innate responsibility to be conscious and caring consumers and learn how to rectify habits for the safety of others, and I believe this article will help others to do just that.
Reflect & Refresh 