We all look for the quickest and most simple workout routine to get in shape. We’re all guilty of frantically skimming Pinterest for the leanest recipes, but we tend to neglect the other areas of our health. Becoming physically fit is usually how we want to get healthier. What about our social, spiritual, emotional, environmental, occupational, and intellectual wellnesses? What better way to hit every aspect of health than one each day of the week?!
Sunday:
It’s only fitting for me to do spiritual health on this day of rest. As defined by Health, Fitness and Wellness, spiritual health is “the ability to identify one’s basic purpose in life and to achieve one’s full potential.” Believing in a higher power and practicing your faith results in a stronger satisfaction in life, lowered depression, and an increase in inner strength. Practicing a specific religion is proven to lower symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Get on your knees and pray, girl!
Monday:
Many people despise the dreaded Monday. On the other hand, I love Mondays! This starts with being mentally and emotionally stable. Emotional health is the ability to express and acknowledge your feelings. Being mentally healthy is the ability to responds to life’s challenges rationally. When we express our feelings appropriately—right time, right place—we are able to easily control our mind and body. Being mentally healthy means we can adapt to life’s ups and downs reasonably. Mental and emotional health are like two peas in a pod: we allow ourselves to have a feeling toward something and we know what to do about it. Acknowledge your mood toward Monday: cry or smile, and move on.
Tuesday:
Monday is done and we’re moving on to Tuesday. We already have an excessive amount of homework and other tasks to start completing. This is when we need to be intellectually healthy. Becoming intellectually healthy starts with time management and challenging yourself. To manage time, it’s helpful to keep a planner and prioritize your day and week. Expose yourself to new people and different ideas to form your own beliefs to challenge yourself. Keep moving forward in school; college is a great place to try something out of your comfort zone!
Wednesday:
The week is dragging on… Time to hit the gym. Being physically fit means you have “the ability to respond to routine physical demands, with enough reserve energy to cope with a sudden change.” Simple question: if you are sitting on the floor, can you get up without using your hands? It’s important to have a set workout routine, but it’s also beneficial to simply move every day. This keeps our bones and muscles on track for a fit lifetime. To be physically fit implies that your heart, lungs, and muscles work well. Come join us at Zumba at the IWC every Wednesday at 5pm to get your heart rate up, strengthen your muscles, and improve your mood!
Thursday:
You’ve been cooped up in that small room all day. Time to get outside! Environmentally healthy means respectfully interacting with nature and the Earth. Get acquainted with the patches of flowers all over campus. Realize the short- and long-term consequences of polluting, recycling, and keeping your appliances plugged in. Aside from admiring nature and respecting our Earth, start taking shorter showers, unplug appliances when you’re not using them, turn off the lights when you’re not home, eat local, take a bus or ride your bike, and use reusable shopping bags and water bottles. These are just the easiest ways to become more environmentally healthy, but you can always challenge yourself by keeping a beehive and much more!
Friday:
It’s the last day of the work week. But we can’t give up yet—we gotta hit our occupational wellness goal. I challenge you to create healthy and long-lasting relationships with your coworkers, distinguish a place for work and a place for play, and balance your work time and leisure time. Keeping work at work and finishing it in a timely manner will result in less stress. And we all know the amazing benefits of less stress: better sleep, fewer breakdowns, and happier mood. Yes please.
Saturday:
What else is there to do on a Saturday other than socialize? Let’s discuss our ways to become socially healthy. One of the best ways to increase your social wellness is through communication. A simple goal: listen more. Don’t just listen to say something in response; listen genuinely and ask questions to clarify. This applies to non-verbal communication, too. Nod your head to signal you understand. Aside from communicating, friendships are a result of socializing. I enjoy this anonymous quote about friendship.
It definitely takes time and effort to become healthy in all seven aspects of wellness. Researching this topic has inspired me to be more in control of certain areas of my health. I hope you are more aware of your habits and genuinely want to become healthier. Take a step outside of your comfort zone to grow. With great health comes great happiness!
Picture Sources:
Cover pic: https://northdallasgazette.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/wellness2.jpg
M: https://missdreamymarie.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/monday-quotes-sayings1.jpg
T: http://68.media.tumblr.com/5ddf2af3796f574d89a8aa7b94b290b0/tumblr_ocrdigJ8pb1r3kdxyo1_1280.jpg
W: https://earnspendlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/s58-1163×800.jpg
Th: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/a7/58/02/a75802ce14281a1e4e05cf2725e97b0c–kid-memes-funny-memes.jpg
F: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5a/96/8a/5a968a219844367087aa52e81060953e.jpg
S: http://quotepixel.com/images/quotes/friendship/william-shakespeare-quotes_17496-0.png