Dimensions to Wellness Professional Capstone

Professional Capstone: Dimensions to Wellness

Introduction

From the onset, it should be noted that various dimensions to wellbeing have been highlighted in nursing and medical literature. Some of the said dimensions are inclusive of, but they are not limited to, the physical dimension, the mental/emotional dimension, the spiritual dimension, the social dimension, the environmental dimension, the financial dimension, and the environmental dimension. This write-up concerns itself with these dimensions to wellbeing. Amongst other things, it discusses whether the dimensions are interrelated and the perspective of the society in as far as the dimensions to wellness are concerned.

Discussion

Part 1

The physical dimension happens to be the most focused on dimension of wellness in the healthcare realm. According to Murray and Clendon (2010), the physical dimension relates to “the bodily aspect of health” (117). As the authors further point out, the physical dimension encompasses the long held viewpoint of wellness as the absence injury and disease (Murray and Clendon, 2010). There are a wide range of activities and undertakings that have been associated with the optimization of physical health. Towards this end, whenever we invoke the physical dimension, the aspects of the same that come to mind are inclusive of physical exercises, nutrition, management of weight, etc. This is more so the case given that these come in handy in efforts to enhance or promote physical health. However, it is important to note that the physical dimension – although important – shares an intricate interrelationship with the other dimensions of wellness. In essence, what this means is that wellness could be deemed a holistic integration of the various dimensions of wellness. Indeed, to some extent, the dimensions affect each other.

The physical dimension could have an effect on the mental dimension. The mental dimension is associated with the various aspects of feelings, thinking, behavior, etc. Normal functioning of the body could, for instance, have a positive impact on mood and help in the aversion of stress. Indeed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC (2023), one of the factors that have been linked to an increase in the risk of mental illness is presence of chronic illness.

The physical dimension could also have an effect on the social dimension. The social dimension relates to “wellbeing pertaining to social connections, relationships, and personal expression” (Clendon and Munns, 2022, p. 193). Bodily aspects of health (physical dimension) could reduce a person’s interactions with others and get in the way of the formation of meaningful relationships. We did witness this during the COVID-19 pandemic where the need to self-isolate as well as restrictions placed by governments from across the world limited physical interactions between people and got in the way of the development and maintenance of meaningful relationships with other people.

The physical dimension also does affect the spiritual dimension – which has got to do with the possession and nurturing of values, principles, as well as beliefs that apportion meaning to life (Clendon and Munns, 2022). Presence of injury or disease (particularly debilitating illness), and the pain and suffering associated with such illness, could make one question the meaning and direction of life.

Yet another dimension that the physical dimension does affect is the occupational dimension. The latter dimension, according to Clendon and Munns (2022) relates to the utilization of talents and gifts in efforts to enrich one’s life as well as that of others. Issues tying to the various aspects of physical health could affect one’s utilization of certain talents, aptitudes, and facilities.

Part 2

As has been indicated elsewhere in this text, all the dimensions are intractably related. Thus, the various dimensions mentioned herein also affect the physical dimension. To begin with, the physical dimension could be affected by the mental dimension. The CDC is categorical that “depression increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.” The mental state of a person, i.e. anxiety, has also been associated with aspects in the physical domain of wellness such as insomnia, headache, and digestive problems.

The physical dimension could also be affected by the social dimension. The relationships forged with others, such as family, could come in handy in not only prevention of illness, but also recovery from illness. For instance, recovery from an injury or illness could be fostered by the caring and compassionate nature of those around a person.

Yet another dimension that does affect the physical dimension is the occupational dimension. Clendon and Munns (2022) point out that “achieving optimal occupational wellness allows you to maintain a positive attitude and experience satisfaction/pleasure in your employment” (196). Factors that could get in the way of this, and have an impact on physical health, are inclusive of the nature of tasks performed. Tasks that, for instance, are too fatiguing could have a negative impact on physical dimension of wellness.

Part 3

The society could, in my opinion, be deemed as being largely disconnected in relation to the other dimensions of wellness other than the physical dimension. This is to say that most persons lack awareness about the relevance of the other dimensions of wellness and how they are all interconnected. For this reason, most people – particularly in the modern society – fail to embrace a multi-dimensional approach to wellness. A good example of this is the tendency to spend most time perusing career goals, at the expense of building and nurturing social relationships. Further, today, most interactions between persons have moved online. There are some who argue that this does have a negative impact on our ability to interact with those closest to us, i.e. family members. More specifically, in the words of Jarai (2023), “social media use can lead to less quality in-person time spent with loved ones and relationship dissatisfaction.” It is also important to note that the society also fails to embrace the environmental dimension and could, as a matter of fact, be deemed disconnected to this particular dimension of wellness. This is more so the case given the wanton destruction of the environment and little interest in environmental conservation efforts.