When seeking to achieve greater overall well-being, it is necessary to understand the importance of caring for your mental health through various means and efforts. It is common for people to believe that mental health and physical health, or merely the mind and body, are separate from each other. Yet, it is important to understand that the mind and body are undoubtedly connected; mental health influences physical health, and physical health influences mental health. Thus, utilizing mental and emotional outlets alongside physical exercises can be especially valuable for your overall well-being.
At Avalon Malibu, we know how challenging it can be to care for your mental health, especially if your mental health is currently your biggest stressor. Conversely, if you feel that your mental health is above average, you may leave it on the back burner. In either case, it is essential to understand that to achieve and sustain overall well-being, you must be diligent in actively tending to your mental and physical health needs. Remember, caring for your mental health is a responsibility that everyone shares, not just those in crisis. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to tend to your mental health in daily life.
Addressing Overall Well-Being: Understanding the Eight Dimensions of Wellness
The term “well-being” is often used interchangeably with the term “wellness.” A publication by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) explains that “wellness is about how we live our lives and the joy and fulfillment and health we experience.” Though wellness and overall well-being address the same broad concept, they can be broken down into different, interconnected dimensions that build upon one another. More specifically, SAMHSA highlights the following eight dimensions of wellness:
- Emotional
- Physical
- Occupational
- Intellectual
- Financial
- Social
- Environmental
- Spiritual
Meanwhile, when any one of these eight dimensions is not being properly attended to, you can expect to experience reduced feelings of overall well-being in life. For example, if you are safe in your home environment, feel supported by family and friends, and exercise regularly but do not have a reliable income or employment, you will inevitably experience discontent at some point or another.
Consider taking the time to reflect on these eight dimensions, identifying what factors in your life are contributing to, as well as what barriers may stand in the way of, wellness in that area. During reflection, you may quickly discover how these contributions and barriers connect with one another in the greater scheme of overall well-being.
Dimensions of Wellness and Mental Health
In reference to SAMHSA’s eight dimensions of wellness, each dimension can certainly have a direct impact on an individual’s mental health. Yet, as the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.” Thus, lets specifically discuss the importance of emotional and social wellness for mental health and overall well-being.
First, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Emotional wellness is the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times.” Efforts such as engaging in expressive modalities and hobbies, showing passion for yourself, and engaging in self-care are all notable ways to strengthen emotional resilience and wellness. Additionally, physical efforts, such as getting enough sleep and engaging in regular exercise, also have a direct impact on emotional wellness.
Social wellness, on the other hand, sheds light on the importance of relationships, social habits, and community in achieving and sustaining quality mental health. Seeking out connections with others, balancing care for others with care for yourself, building healthy relationships through communication, and getting active with others are all important ways to care for your social wellness, mental health, and overall well-being.
Signs That Indicate a Need for Mental Health Treatment and Support
As mentioned previously, tending to your mental health is not something that should only be done in crises. Rather, actively tending to your mental health should be a daily endeavor to foster lasting overall well-being, proactively protecting against stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions.
If you are seeking additional confirmation as to why you should prioritize caring for your mental health today, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you experiencing changes in your eating or sleeping habits?
- Do you feel chronically exhausted?
- Are you experiencing unexplainable aches, pains, headaches, or other physical stress?
- Do you use alcohol or other drugs to self-medicate stress?
- Are you experiencing recurring interpersonal conflict?
- Do you have low self-esteem?
- Are you thinking of harming yourself or others?
- Do you struggle to stay motivated in daily life?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to seek out professional treatment. Even if you answered no, professional treatment and therapy can help you maintain your current mental health state and protect against future health risks.
Achieving Overall Well-Being at Avalon Malibu
At Avalon Malibu, we offer mental health and addiction treatment through a wide range of treatment programs and service options. We utilize a holistic approach to treatment, treating you as the whole person that you are rather than for the problems or diagnosis you are struggling with. Likewise, we can help you achieve overall well-being by addressing each dimension of wellness in treatment as well as beyond treatment. Furthermore, we will guide and support you as you navigate ways to best care for your mental health to, ultimately, experience and sustain overall well-being for a lifetime to come.
It is no surprise that mental health plays an undeniable role in overall well-being. When mental health is not properly tended to through emotional, social, and physical means, it can quickly reduce and place you at risk of worsening mental health problems as well as substance abuse. Learning how to properly take care of your mental health is an important step in the healing process. Meanwhile, when you need professional guidance and support, we at Avalon Malibu are here to walk alongside you. We offer several treatment programs tailored to fit your unique, individualized needs and recovery goals. We support your journey in achieving overall well-being. Learn more by calling us today at (844) 857-5992.
