5 Dimensions of Wellness (Lauren Schumacher)

In today’s society, there has been a more extensive focus on overall health and wellness. Our overall well-being is extremely important and it is directly connected to many things in our lives. When your mind and body are performing at their best, we can live a more peaceful and enriched life; which in turn, leads to overall success and happiness. Wellness can generally be defined as, “the quality and state of being healthy in body and mind” (Envick, 2012). Corporate wellness programs are designed to take care of wellness in employees, and these programs help employees with improving their current state of health. There are five dimensions of wellness including physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual. Each of these dimensions can be implemented into the workforce to help lead to a more positive individual and a more positive work environment.

           

Overall wellness has been shown to have a positive effect on worker productivity. “Physical wellness is a critical antecedent in the relationship between psychological well-being and worker productivity” (Envick, 2012). However, studies show that there has been an overall decline in the health of the American workforce with the continued rise in obesity and unhealthy habits (Envick, 2012). Due to this decline in overall health, many workers are not performing as well as they could be which contributes to a less productive workforce. Wellness programs increase productivity and decrease unwanted behaviors such as employee absenteeism and turnover (Envick, 2012). In a recent article, it is said that, “86 percent of full-time employees in this country are above normal weight or have at least one chronic condition. Together, these employees miss an estimated 450 million extra days of work each year, compared to healthy workers, costing at least $153 billion in lost productivity” (Ross, 2012).

Physical wellness includes exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, caring for one’s body and avoiding the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs. Physically well individuals have the ability to apply their knowledge, behavior, skills and attitude towards reaching their personal fitness and health goals ("Physical wellness," 2013). An example of a physical wellness program in the workforce is weight loss management. Many companies now offer free fitness classes or individual workouts onsite or at a nearby facility to make fitness opportunities more convenient and goals more attainable. Along with exercise, managing a healthy diet in the workplace is also imperative for achieving physical wellness. Companies are promoting healthy eating and are starting to include vending machines with options for fresh, healthy snacks instead of the usual junk food-filled ones (Patel, 2012). Although these are just a few examples of how companies are implementing physical wellness programs, each of these is helping to contribute to a more physically well workforce.

Another dimension of corporate wellness that can be explored is emotional wellness. Emotional wellness entails the capability for individuals to be aware of and accept their feelings, have an optimistic approach to life, express feelings freely and manage feelings effectively, express emotions appropriately, adapt to change, and to cope with stress in a healthy and safe way ("Emotional wellness," 2012). Emotional wellness is extremely important in the workplace because it creates a positive and optimistic work environment. An employee that understands themselves emotionally and who can also be aware of how to handle themselves in different situations will be the most productive and beneficial in the workplace. Jobs come with all different types of stress, but what makes or breaks an employee is how they can handle that stress. In an article about corporate wellness efforts, it is stated that, “Aggregate data from health risk assessments across ComPsych's customer base show that stress, anxiety, depression and poor social support may be hampering employees' efforts to achieve wellness goals. To be effective, corporate wellness programs must focus on emotional as well as physical factors of the employee” ("Compsych report: Employees'," 2011). An example of an emotional wellness program in the workplace is self-help groups. Self-help groups are designed to assist employees in emotional situations in which they feel alone. The purpose of these groups is to allow people to safely feel and express their emotions, and to help break their isolation at work or in society and reinstate them into society with the support of a peer group ("Workplace wellness program," 2011). Emotional wellness is so important because how one feels emotionally can directly affect so many other aspects their life.

Social wellness pertains to one’s ability to interact with the people around them. Social wellness involves using good communication skills, having meaningful relationships, respecting yourself and others, and creating a support system that includes family members and friends ("Social wellness," 2012). Achieving social wellness is highly important not only with friends and family, but also among co-workers in the workplace. Once wellness programs are put into action, many companies are faced with the challenge of how to get employees involved and excited about participating. Social wellness can work along with physical wellness in the workplace to achieve the overall corporate wellness goal. In today’s society, technology has become so intertwined with almost everything that is done, so therefore, many companies are turning towards social media to help engage employees with their wellness programs. Social media can help boost involvement and aid in reaching overall wellness goals. Use social media sites to make a wellness program something employees want to be a part of. For example, “Post pictures of employees participating in a local 5k, start a Facebook contest between employees around a health goal or highlight individual employees succeeding with the program. Visibility often increases accountability on the part of the employee, and other employees who see their colleagues participating in these programs will be encouraged to join in as well” ("Making workplace wellness," 2012). Using social media is such a simple thing that can increase participation immensely which can lead to a more successful wellness program.

Spiritual wellness is a personal matter involving values and beliefs that provide purpose in our lives. Different individuals will have different views of what spiritual wellness means to them, but it is mainly considered to be the search for meaning and purpose in human existence, leading one to aspire for a state of harmony with oneself and others while working to balance inner needs ("Spiritual wellness," 2012). Being spiritually well is important in the workplace because it means that one is at peace with themselves and their minds will also be in a positive place. Employees who are in tune with their spirituality will also tend to be more open and accepting of others, which is essential when working with so many different people with contrasting beliefs and values. Companies are starting to offer programs to help instill spiritual wellness. For example, many companies are willing to spend more to sponsor workshops and seminars on spiritual growth, meditation, yoga, creativity and living a balanced life. Employees who are spiritually in tune with themselves are beneficial because they have improved self-esteem and are more productive.

Lastly, intellectual wellness includes engaging employees in creative and stimulating mental activities to expand their knowledge and skills, and to help them reach their full potential. Employees can easily help contribute to overall intellectual wellness simply by learning something new. Intellectual wellness is one of the easiest dimensions of wellness to implement because it can be something as straightforward as reading a book, magazine or newspaper. Keeping updated on current events and ideas can also help improve intellectuality. Expanding one's knowledge challenges the mind and promotes creativity, leading to an employee who is more informed and open.

Overall corporate wellness is so important because when a plan is implemented successfully, the workplace as a whole can excel and thrive. Each of these five dimensions are entirely different from one another, however, they all directly affect each other. In order to achieve overall wellness, each of these dimensions has to be explored and carried out for harmony within a company.

Works Cited

Compsych report: Employees' poor emotional wellbeing is hindering wellness efforts. (2011). Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/docview/884240604/13C5F2D858C1141AFB 1/11?accountid=12924

Emotional wellness. (2012). Retrieved from http://wellness.ucr.edu/emotionalwellness.html

Envick, B. R. (2012). Investing in a healthy workforce: The impact of physical wellness on psychological well-being and the critical implications for worker performance. Academy of Health Care Management Journal, Retrieved from             http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/abicomplete/docview/1037802667/13C5ECEFB21990CD8E/1?accountid=12924

Making workplace wellness sexy…through social media. (2012, November 26). Retrieved from            http://www.benefitfocus.com/blogs/your-hr-blend/2012/11/26/making-workplace-wellness-sexy/

Patel, J. (2012, March 3). Five trends shaping health and wellness at the workplace. Corporate Wellness Magazine, Retrieved from
http://www.corporatewellnessmagazine.com/article/five-trends-shaping-health.html

Physical wellness. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.redlands.edu/academics/11761.aspx

Ross, R. (2012, May 15). Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-ross/workplace-wellness_b_1463526.html

Social wellness. (2012). Retrieved from http://wellness.ucr.edu/social_wellness.html

Spiritual wellness. (2012). Retrieved from http://wellness.ucr.edu/spiritual_wellness.html
          
Workplace wellness program : Boost company wellness through emotional wellness techniques. (2011). Retrieved from
http://workplacewellnessprogram.org/workplace-wellness-program-boost-company-wellness-through-emotional-wellness-techniques/