When you hear the word wellness, what does it mean to you? Simply put, wellness could mean being “well.” But, with all the chaos and complexities of modern life, how do you track if you’re truly doing “well”? 

There are 6 ways to help you keep track of your wellness. Six dimensions, if you will. When you feel good and confident about these six dimensions of wellness, you won’t just survive but thrive. Life is short, so the time to take control and get in the driver’s seat is now. 

It can definitely seem intimidating at first, but gradually easing your way into a routine that supports the six dimensions of wellness is a game-changer. Once you begin practicing healthy habits within these six dimensions daily, only then can you know if you’re truly doing well. 

See below for the 6 dimensions of wellness and what they mean.

Physical wellness is pretty straightforward. In order to be physically well, you don’t have to spend every morning or evening at the gym. The key is finding a physical routine that works for you but also pays off in the long run. If you’re inactive, try going for a walk first thing in the morning to clear your head and get your blood pumping. For moderately active people, try a new workout like pilates, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), or play a sport you like. After about a week, you’ll feel better than you ever have.

Not everyone is an extrovert. Some prefer staying on a Saturday night and cuddling up to a good movie. While there’s no problem with that, social wellness calls for having healthy and happy interactions with other people. For extroverts, being socially well could mean having meaningful and beneficial interactions with friends and groups. On the other hand, introverts can be socially well with a few close friends who they see throughout the week.

Emotional wellness can be complex. It’s challenging to wrangle your emotions on your own. This ties back to social wellness. Having close friends to hear you out when you’re feeling down can help you feel better. If the issue runs too deep for friends to help solve, consider therapy or counseling. After all, everyone can benefit from counseling and letting a professional hear and analyze your thoughts.

Our brains need stimulation. The best way to ensure you’re “with it” for the rest of your life is to engage the mind in complex intellectual activities to keep the gears turning. For many of us, we can find intellectual wellness in a positive work environment and engaging in conversations with like-minded others. You can also find intellectual wellness by reading a book, playing word games, testing your memory, and being eager to learn new things.

Find work that feels like play. Occupational wellness focuses on feeling confident and happy in your occupation and loving what you do and bring to the community. It’s never too late to change your career and find something you can be proud of. On the other hand, financial wellness focuses on feeling financially secure, which could start with opening up a savings account and transferring a certain amount of your paycheck to that account.

This brings us to the last dimension of wellness: spirituality. This dimension encompasses all of the previous dimensions of wellness by examining your state of mind and how you feel about where you’re at in life. Do you have a generally optimistic outlook? Is the glass half full rather than half empty? The key to spiritual wellness is acceptance and feeling at peace with yourself, everything you have in life, and your environment. Once you’ve mastered the 5 prior dimensions, only then can you be spiritually well.

Everyone’s wellness journey is unique. Sometimes, you feel so beaten and battered by life that finding ways to implement a new routine can be intimidating.

Our advice is to take it one step at a time. Go through each dimension of wellness and ask yourself what you could be doing better. You don’t have to change your life all at once, but having the plan to become the best version of yourself always helps.

Whether it’s being more active or reading a book, anything helps. As corny as the saying is, you can do anything you set your mind to.