8 dimensions of wellness

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness

How to Focus on Each Component of Wellness 

The different components of wellness will vary in importance for different people depending on your priorities and preferences. You may also find that different components vary in importance at different stages of your life.

It's therefore prudent to be aware of them all and understand what actions you can take to focus on each one when you need to.

How to Improve Physical Wellness

 

Physical wellness is as much about what goes into your body as it is the level of exercise that you get. In today's world men are more conscious about the need for regular physical activity, but the average person could benefit from adopting a more holistic approach. Here are some tips and suggestions to help you on your way:

1. Get regular exercise. Research suggests that you need at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise or 15 minutes of vigorous exercise every day. If hitting the gym or running track every day is not your thing, try doing something that you enjoy where exercise is a by-product. For more information on how much exercise you need, check out this article on the Harvard medical school website.
2. Eat a healthy, nutritionally balanced diet. This doesn't mean that you need to be on a permanent 'diet' or deny yourself treats from time to time. It's about moderation and balance - getting the nutrition you need in the quantities you need it. Try to limit the amount of sugar and saturated fats that you consume, eat enough fiber, opt for more complex carbohydrates where possible (whole grain bread and starchy vegetables etc) and get the right balance of calories and nutrients overall. Understanding macros is a good foundation to healthy eating and an app that we like to use to is myfitnesspal.
3. Maintain a healthy weight - this will be achieved by following points 1 and 2 in this list. Start by understanding what a healthy weight is for you. A simple way to do this is to use a BMI calculator. According to the World Health Organisation, is estimated that in 2016 over 1.9 billion people over the age of 18 were overweight and 650 million of these were obese. Do what you can to avoid becoming part of this statistic. If you feel that you need to lose weight then the technique that we recommend the most is to put yourself on a sensible calorie deficit through a combination of exercise and a sensible diet, for long enough to reach your target weight. 
4. Look after your skin. It's literally your biggest organ and something that too many people neglect. For most people simple using a good cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen is enough. Skincare doesn't need to be complicated and luckily for you we created a range of premium men's skincare products to help your skin get the active ingredients it needs in a simple and effective routine. 
5. Be patient - expecting results too quickly and getting frustrated will increase your likelihood of giving up. Forming healthy habits and a healthy lifestyle takes time. Set yourself realistic goals instead and track your progress so you can stay on top of how you are doing.

How to Improve Emotional Wellness

Emotional wellness is an area that men in particular often don't focus on enough, and it's closely linked to mental health and mental wellness. Being able to manage your emotions effectively can be a key weapon in your arsenal towards a happy and successful life, but it is much easier said than done.

In some cultures there can be harmful stereotypes when it comes to men and their emotional wellbeing or self-care, but at the Unknown we strongly encourage breaking down social stereotypes where they are counter productive.

Take your emotional wellness seriously, physical strength and academic intelligence is not enough without emotional control and emotional intelligence. You need to be the master of your emotions in order to excel in the modern world. Here are some tips on boosting emotional wellness:

1. Manage stress - this is something that the majority of people would benefit from. Try to give yourself a healthy work-life balance and explore relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga or Tha-Chi to help.
2. Understand your beliefs on your meaning and purpose in life - at The Unknown we like to define success as 'the fulfillment of one’s genuine aspirations, achieved in a way that aligns with our internal values and beliefs.' We believe that by connecting your purpose and values to your aspirations, you are much more likely to feel fulfilled and experience happiness on your way to success. You want to avoid feeling lost or confused by being disconnected from your meaning and purpose. Take the time to understand this and follow your calling.
3. Get enough quality sleep - one of the most negative influences on your wellbeing can be lack of good sleep. We are human after all and need sleep to recharge and repair our bodies. There are many ways that you can help yourself to get better sleep such as: going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, optimizing your sleep environment, choosing the right mattress, relaxing and avoiding electronics before bed. Sleep is a huge topic in it's own right so for more information a great resource is the Sleep Foundation.
4. Seek help when you need it - know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness or vulnerability. Quite the opposite. By seeking the appropriate help you can constantly improve and get yourself back on track more effectively when you need to.
5. Become an optimist - the world is a much better place when you look forward with optimism and hope. Give yourself credit for all the things you do well and don't be so hard on yourself for mistakes and shortcomings, you can always improve. If you believe in the laws of attraction and impact of positivity then this is a point that you will take seriously.

How to Improve Social Wellness

Building healthy, supportive and nurturing relationships is an important influence towards achieving a healthy level of wellbeing. Our relationships span family, friends, our other halves and work colleagues to name a few. So how can we improve our social wellness? Here are some tips to help:

1. Make an effort to stay in touch with friends and loved ones - one of the greatest impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak was the social limitations that came from social distancing. For many of us this will have been a wake up call to the importance of regular contact with positive influences in our life. We are lucky that modern technology allows us to stay in contact wherever we are in the world, but it doesn't completely replace live contact so make time to allow for this where you can. In particular spend as much time as you can with people that make you feel good, we shouldn't underestimate the importance of this on our mental health.
2. Make new friends and connections - as the saying goes, it's about who you know, not what you know. Whilst that may be a little superficial and mostly relevant from a work perspective, expanding your social reach can often bring more benefits than you realize. Try joining clubs and organizations that are linked to something that you are passionate about as a place to start. We tend to connect more effectively to people who share our passions. You never know what opportunities may arise from meeting new people. A good tool to help you with this is meetup, give it a try.
3. Work on your communication - you are more likely to get what you need from your relationships if you can learn to communicate as effectively as possible. Tell people close to you about your beliefs, values and preferences and take the time to learn theirs in return. Relationships tend to be more fulfilling where there is mutual benefit, understanding and appreciation.

How to Improve Spiritual Wellness

 

The term spiritual wellness can often incite skepticism, but more often than not the skepticism stems from a lack of understanding about it's benefits. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we all need to feel that we have a purpose in life and we all have principles, values, morals and beliefs that are important to us. Spiritual wellness can help you get a greater understanding of your preferences and how they impact you. Here are some pointers on increasing spiritual wellness:

1. Travel more - experiencing new cultures and ways of life is not only enjoyable, but it can do wonders to broaden our horizons. The world is a big place, try to experience as much of it as you can.
2. Try Yoga - Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines closely connected with spirituality. It's benefits range from physical strength and flexibility to increased mindfulness and reduced stress. It's popularity means that there will undoubtedly be somewhere close to you that can go to learn and practice Yoga, or alternatively you can learn more about it online and practice at home if you prefer. A cool Yoga Instagram worth checking out is dade2shelby.
3. Meditate - we love meditation at The Unknown and despite the increase in its popularity, there are still not enough people reaping the benefits it can provide. You can use meditation to increase your self-awareness, patience, tolerance, imagination and creativity. It's also a great tool for reducing stress and negative emotions. We would definitely recommend giving it a try with an open mind. A good resource to use to get you started is Headspace.

How to Improve Financial Wellness

Whether we like it or not, our finances will always have a major impact on our lives. This doesn't necessarily mean that you need to be wealthy to live a fulfilled life, but having a solid grounding and understanding of your finances and the concepts of financial management in respect of your personal goals in life can give you substantial peace of mind. Here are some useful ways to improve your financial wellness:

1. Live within your means - this is another way of saying spend less than you earn. Sounds obvious, but it is easy to get carried away and build debt to buy luxuries that we can't really afford. Whilst spending money can bring short term enjoyment, the long term consequences are often not worth it. Try to budget efficiently and learn to find an appropriate balance. There is nothing wrong with wanting more, but consider earning more before you start forking out on that new Rolex.
2. Learn how to grow your earnings - there are so many ways to boost your earning that there will never be a shortage of opportunities. Clearly this is not an easy task or else everyone would be wealthy, but take time to explore ways you could earn more without burning yourself out. Some options to consider are learning to invest prudently, starting a business or side hustle, or monetizing a passion. We live in a world where a teenager can become a millionaire by having enough followers on Tik Tok, so go and find your route to financial expansion.
3. Learn to save - a recent report from Bankrate showed that the average American has around $8,863 in savings. Whether this is enough or not is subjective to your circumstances and where you live, but the point remains that you should try to protect yourself by contributing to savings on a regular basis. You never know when you might need them and they can give you great peace of mind in the meantime.

How to Improve Intellectual Wellness

In order to live a stimulating life we need to keep our brains active and engaged. Work often takes away the majority of your mental energy throughout the week, but we need much more than this to help us feel fulfilled. Here are some ways you can give your brain a boost:

1. Read more - I'm sure we don't need to justify the benefits of reading, but if you are interested in understanding more about them we have a section in our blog on the Best Morning Routine. Keep your knowledge bank full, your creativity inspired and your imagination open. Make time for reading and take a look at 28 Books That Help Show the Way to Success for inspiration on what to read.
2. Learn new things - focus on things that you enjoy or that you are likely to need in the future. School and University doesn't need to be the end of our educational journey and learning is more fun when you choose to do it out of appreciation for its benefits. There are an abundance of tools available for learning new skills, but one of our favourites is Udemy. Whilst the courses on this site are not free, they are often very reasonable and if you choose the right course it can be well worth the investment.
3. Challenge your brain daily - your options to do this are endless. Try completing a crossword every day, use a brain training app or partake in a little Sudoku. The brain is a muscle that needs exercising regularly too.
4. Attend cultural sites and events - it can be museums, music, art or anything else that takes your fancy. The more variety the better so long as you have a genuine interest in it.

How to Improve Occupational Wellness

The average person spends around 90,000 hours at work so it's not surprising that occupational wellness can be an important influence in our lives. Some of us are lucky in that our work is also our passion, but this is unfortunately the minority and for many people work can be a means to an end. Whatever your current career situation, here are a few ideas to help you feel content:

1. Be aware of the positives in your work - we are often guilty of complaining about work and focusing on the negatives, but if we look closely enough there are often many positives that we don't fully appreciate. Whether it's an enhanced social life, peace of mind with a regular income or providing an environment where we are learning, your work is bound to have its good points. Try not to discount them.
2. Strive to fulfill your career potential - don't settle for any less than you know you are capable of. It helps to have a sense of realism and patience to accompany your ambition, but don't deny yourself what you know you can achieve. If your current workplace is unable to fulfill what you need then look for something that can take you the next step. A job doesn't need to be a prison sentence, if you are not getting what you need then look for something new on the side.
3. Have regular dialogue with your boss about your future - we are often afraid to ask for more, but your employer should be happy to oblige if there is added value in it for them. Whether you are seeking more money, more responsibility, a promotion or all three, if you can demonstrate your value effectively, communicate in the right way and time things effectively, then there should be no reason why you can't continue to progress.
4. Consider working for yourself - this isn't for everyone as the benefits of being your own boss can be countered with the additional stress and uncertainty that being self-employed brings. Nevertheless, some of us are just not cut out to work for other people. If that sounds like you then find a way to take the leap, it's better to regret the things that you tried than regret not having tried in the first place.

How to Improve Environmental Wellness

 

It feels like the media is never short stories about how we can do more to be respectful towards our planet and environment, and it's often for good reason. Humans are an incredible race and our achievements and advancement is astounding when you think about it, but that does sometimes lead to consequences for our planet. We are luckily intelligent enough to recognize the harm we are sometimes doing and so here are some ways that you can give your environmental wellness a boost:

1. Recycle - how easy this is to do depends a lot on where you live, but if we all took more time and care in recycling the impact on our environment can be hugely significant. Start by contributing to what you can immediately control and do your bit when it comes to recycling.
2. Shop local and sustainable - businesses are fueled by demand and so if the demand dictates less transportation and more sustainability then businesses will follow suit. At The Unknown we invested a significant amount of time and resource in trying to make sure that our products and packaging are as sustainable as possible without compromising efficacy. We are by no means perfect and have a long way to go, but we are trying to do our bit.
3. Don't waste food or water - turn that tap (faucet), shower or hose of when its not being used. Give yourself appropriate portion sizes of food to minimize the waste and be generally mindful of the impact of your everyday actions.
4. Use more economical modes of transport where possible - the benefits here often go beyond environmental wellness into physical benefits too. Try riding your bike more often, walking or even taking public transport instead of driving the car. You don't need to sacrifice convenience to the point of hardship, but if we all contribute a little more we can reduce pollution substantially.

 

We hope you have found this article on the 8 dimensions of wellness informative and beneficial and encourage you to share comments, opinions and feedback using our comments box below