Healthy Aging through Dimensions of Wellness
Good news for us all: Disability and disease are not commensurate with old age. The social and lifestyle choices you make can impact your health in later life more than almost any genetic factor.
Research shows that, no matter what your age, a multidimensional approach to healthy living is a powerful tool for achieving a better quality of life. What are the dimensions you need for better health? Physical, social, intellectual, emotional, vocational, spiritual, and environmental.
None of these exist in a vacuum; they overlap and interact in dynamic ways to contribute to overall wellness. At The Center, you’ll find more than 100 different programs across the dimensions offering opportunities to have fun and engage.
Physical Wellness
Make lifestyle choices to feel and function better. From getting regular physical activity and enough sleep to avoiding harmful behaviors and seeking medical care when appropriate, you’ll be doing your body and your brain a favor.
Social Wellness
Connecting with other people wards off loneliness and isolation, which can be as detrimental to your health as smoking. Meaningful relationships also provide a support system, whether you break a leg and need help getting groceries or just want someone to pick up the phone and talk.
Intellectual Wellness
Commit to lifelong learning. Having an open mind (without accepting everything you hear), exploring new ideas, participating in creative and stimulating activities, and expanding your knowledge keep you interested and interesting.
Emotional Wellness
Life is full of challenges; cultivate the resilience to meet them. The ability to acknowledge, accept, express, and manage your feelings effectively allows you to maintain perspective and take responsibility for your actions. Find healthy coping mechanisms that help you approach life optimistically.
Vocational Wellness
Find something to do that’s personally rewarding. The more you can align your values, skills, and talents in such a way that you can contribute to a better world, the more fulfillment you’ll get from your job or volunteer activities.
Spiritual Wellness
Having a world view and personal morals, beliefs, and values consistent with that view help you find meaning and purpose in existence. People find a feeling of connection to the larger world in very individual ways—find what nurtures your soul, whether it’s a walk in the woods, yoga, or a worship service.
Environmental Wellness
This two-fold dimension comprises both the responsibility of protecting the natural world and the joy of being in it. Are you making a positive impact on environmental quality by recycling, reducing water consumption, or participating in community clean-up efforts? Do you go outside or at least listen to the birds from an open window?