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The Eight Dimensions of Wellness: Small Steps, Big Impact · Talking FACS

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  Welcome to Talking FACS, what you need to know about family,
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  food, finance, and fitness.
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  This nationally recognized, award-winning podcast is hosted by the University
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  of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals, families,
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  and communities to improve quality of life.
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  Wellness isn't just about the absence of illness. It's a state of living where
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  we feel balanced, fulfilled, and able to thrive in every part of life.
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  The eight dimensions of wellness give a framework for looking at health as more
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  than just physical fitness.
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  Welcome to Talking FACS, where we share research-based information you can
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  use to strengthen your family, your community, and our state.
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  I am your host, Mindy McCulley, Extension Specialist for Instructional Support
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  with Family and Consumer Sciences Extension.
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  My guest today is Dr. Monica Mundy, Assistant Extension Professor for Community
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  and Family Health. Welcome, Monica.
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  Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm so glad that you're here today to talk
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  with us about the eight dimensions of wellness because many people might have heard about these.
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  But first of all, let's just define them. What are those eight dimensions?
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  So the eight dimensions are emotional, environmental, financial,
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  intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual.
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  And basically each one of these represent different areas in our life.
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  And together, they really create this foundation for our overall wellness.
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  I like to think about it as a wheel.
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  And each of the eight dimensions are a spoke of that wheel. And if one spoke
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  is weak or it breaks, the wheel just doesn't turn smoothly.
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  So it really is about finding that balance across all eight dimensions.
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  So the same is true for us.
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  When one dimension is neglected, it affects the others.
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  So by paying attention to each area, even if it's small, everyday ways,
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  we can kind of create a balance, reduce stress, and just live happier, more meaningful lives.
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  I love the analogy of a wheel because if everything's in good balance,
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  then it's going to roll well.
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  But once something gets out of whack, then it starts to wobble.
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  So let's first talk about emotional wellness. What do we see in healthy emotional wellness?
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  And it's all about understanding and managing how we feel.
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  So we can think of things like how we handle stress, how we adapt to change,
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  and really just trying to build up that resiliency when something goes astray
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  or something we don't expect comes along.
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  Because life always throws us some curveballs.
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  Isn't that the truth? So do we have strategies for dealing with when our emotional
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  wellness gets out of whack?
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  We do. And so sometimes that's practicing mindfulness, taking the time to journal,
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  or even talking with a friend or a counselor, right?
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  Even something as simple as taking a deep breath before you're responding to
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  maybe a particular tough moment really can help strengthen our emotional wellness.
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  Ah, yeah. So then when we talk about environmental wellness,
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  it feels like to me that this is an area that maybe we don't have as much control
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  over as perhaps our emotional wellness.
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  Is that the case? That is right.
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  Environmental really is just looking at our surroundings and how that impacts us.
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  So it could be something within our control, like the clutter around us.
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  We'll have a little bit of that. or it could be something out of our control
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  that may increase our stress, but there are things that we can do to improve
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  our mood and stay healthy in our spaces.
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  In our community, there is a cheese plant, actually. And on the days that they're
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  making cheese, there's a very strong smell.
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  And that's really nothing you can do anything about except close your windows or whatever.
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  And so sometimes that's kind of what you have to do, right, to deal with it.
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  That's true. So I live by a water treatment plant.
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  And we often have some days where the wind just blows the right way.
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  And it maybe isn't as nice to be outside from what we smell as it would be on other days.
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  So those are just kind of days where maybe we might do some indoor activities.
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  As a family, we might watch a movie, we might have a board game night to really bring things in.
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  But if maybe our inside environment isn't necessarily what we want to have,
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  I have two young kids, so sometimes it gets to be a lot, no matter how many you have in your house,
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  we need to kind of go outside and see our green spaces. Maybe we take a trip to the park.
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  Everybody can play in a particular area and be happy.
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  So then financial wellness is the third one.
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  And I know that if we are in control of our money, then we can feel comfortable about a lot of things.
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  So what do you have to share with us about financial wellness?
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  And this is probably one of the biggest challenges that people face.
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  And financial wellness really isn't about being rich, right?
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  It's being secure and confident in managing what we have.
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  And so there's lots of practical tips that you can use for that particular piece.
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  It could be simply keeping a budget or working towards that budget,
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  maybe saving a little bit each month, avoiding unnecessary debt.
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  And that could be as simple as maybe having one less outside cup of coffee,
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  you know, a week and maybe making that coffee at home.
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  But even the small steps can kind of build confidence and reduce that financial wellness anxiety.
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  As you've mentioned with all of these, they're small steps that when we take
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  these small steps, they can lead to large leaps, you know, after a while because they become habits.
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  So how about our intellectual wellness program?
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  Just like we talk about needing to exercise our bodies, we also kind of need to exercise our brains.
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  So thinking about, you know, being creative, lifelong learners, as I like to call myself.
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  So just trying to stay a little sharp. And it could be doing the crossword puzzle
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  on your phone in an app. I almost said the paper, but a lot of us don't get a paper anymore.
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  Could be just reading a book or learning a new skill, right?
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  Just taking the time to keep your mind moving.
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  And then, of course, we have occupational wellness. This might be another one
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  that lots of people feel like they don't have control over.
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  But we do have ways to control this, don't we?
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  Yeah, and we spend so much of our lives working.
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  And that can include studying, volunteering, being a parent,
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  right? Just not our typical nine-to-five job.
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  So sometimes it's just finding that satisfaction and the key word there, balance in what we do.
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  And so sometimes that's reflecting on your work and maybe not bringing the work
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  you do in your nine-to-five home with you as well,
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  looking for that balance and kind of setting some healthy boundaries to kind
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  of protect your time and your energy.
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  Physical wellness.
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  Yeah. And so this could be exercise, nutrition, sleep.
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  And the best thing to really do is to try to avoid those risky behaviors and
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  to take preventative steps.
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  One of those steps could be just getting up and aiming to move every day.
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  That doesn't have to be perfect. It could just be a small 10-minute walk.
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  Maybe you swap soda for water for one of your drinks for the day.
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  Maybe it's just going to bed 30 minutes early, right?
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  All of these small changes like we've been talking about can increase your physical wellness.
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  So then we have social wellness. So how can we improve this area?
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  And as humans, we're just wired to connect. And so we want to make sure that
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  we build and have healthy, supportive relationships.
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  And five ways we can practice this is maybe reaching out to a friend that you
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  haven't spoken to in a while, or maybe joining a group that has shared interests
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  that you do, maybe setting aside some tech-free time.
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  So putting the screens down and just connecting and interacting as a family.
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  And then the last area is spiritual. So what are ways that we can nurture that spiritual wellness?
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  Yeah, and this is all about meaning, purpose, and value.
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  And that can mean something different from each individual person.
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  But depending on where your spiritual wellness lies, it could be meditation,
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  prayer, even just gratitude journaling each day, just a sentence at a time,
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  or just taking some quiet time to really reflect on what matters to you.
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  These are all amazing, and when we put them all together and get that wheel
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  moving, I can see that it can have a real snowball effect in our life.
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  But what does the research tell us about why this matters?
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  Yeah, we know when we feel more balanced, we're going to not struggle in certain
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  areas, like with our finances and stressing about our work.
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  And wellness isn't perfect, and it's definitely not about being perfect, right?
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  It's really just noticing where we might need a little bit more attention in
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  those eight dimensions and then taking small steps to grow.
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  Well, and you have talked throughout each of the dimensions about the small steps.
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  So is that where we start with beginning our journey into wellness?
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  And it really is just starting with taking inventory, right?
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  Looking at each of the eight dimensions and saying and thinking,
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  where might I need a little bit more attention?
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  And just starting there. So you may just identify one of the eight areas and
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  think of just one thing, realistic step you can do to begin to make those changes in your everyday life.
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  I love that you can focus on one at a time, that you don't have to do all eight.
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  To become balanced, that you
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  can really get one area in control and then move along to the next ones.
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  Because it could be a little overwhelming if you try to work on everything all at once.
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  Oh, yeah. I'm a creature of habit, right? So when my habits start to change
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  or they need to change, I need them to change slowly.
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  So, Monica, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us.
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  I know that this is information that's going to be useful to our listeners and
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  to me as well. Well, thank you for having me.
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  If you are just tuning in, you're listening to Talking FACS,
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  and you can find us wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
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  Thank you for listening to Talking FACS. We deliver programs focusing on nutrition,
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  health, resource management, family development, and civic engagement.
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  agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.
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