Although 2020 hasn’t been the year I’d hoped for, I have still found a way to grow and set goals for each aspect of my life. There are 8 dimensions of wellness: emotional, physical, social, intellectual, occupational, financial, spiritual, and environmental. To be well-rounded in my wellness, I try to tap into each dimension daily or weekly. Setting goals for each dimension not only helps keep me on track in every corner of life, it allows me to push myself a little bit harder and grow a little bit further. Goal-setting is different for everybody, but I hope this inspires you to think of how you are treating your 8 dimensions, and how you could incorporate them daily.
First off is the emotional dimension. This is how you cope with your feelings, how you manage stress, and implementing self-care into your daily routines. A few examples are journaling a few minutes each day, going to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal, or taking a bath. Whatever helps you relax and manage stress can be fulfilling emotional wellness.
Physical wellness is being active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Personally, I like to exercise 3-4 times a week, which happen through walking, lifting weights, or swimming laps. For some people, this goal could be to walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator, walk to a coworkers office instead of emailing them, or to jog in place while your food is in the microwave. A physical goal doesn’t have to be excruciating, it just has to be a little something to get your body moving.
Next is the social dimension. COVID-19 has paused many social gatherings, which would fulfill social wellness. However, it doesn’t have to be a grand party. Social wellness could be achieved by calling an old friend, or a coffee date with your bestie.
An important dimension we usually forget about is your intellectual wellness. This is the thought of expanding knowledge, or learning something new. I try to read an article or listen to a podcast. Learn something new everyday, right?
The occupational dimension can happen a few different ways. When I worked my part time job, my goal was to work 15-20 hours a week. This was a good balance for me, but it might be different for you. Now, I work a full time job and am a student, as well. My occupational goal is to leave by 4:30 or earlier everyday. This allows me to designate work time for work, and give me enough time for school. Other work goals could be to make a X amount of sales or to reach X amount of clients.
Financial wellness can go hand in hand with occupational. Financial wellness means that you are happy with your money situation and you can successfully manage your finances. I like to keep a budget, but this could mean you put $10 away each week or 30% of your savings.
Next is spiritual wellness which can be accounted for several ways. If you follow a religion, designating time for devotionals, worship, or prayer is a great way to fulfill spiritual wellness. Another option is meditation. Think of a method that connects you with a higher power or helps you seek purpose, and incorporate that to your routine.
Lastly is the environmental dimension. Environment means your surrounding area–your community, workspace, or bedroom. On a broad scope, you could make a goal to recycle more or compost food. Narrowed down, you could make your bed every morning or do your dishes after each meal. This goal is to make you more comfortable, and to be respectful of your surroundings.
It will be tricky at first to incorporate each dimension daily, so first try for weekly goals. If this is easy, pick a few for daily goals and go from there. You are important, which each dimension of yourself is, too.