Wellness Resources
Eight Dimensions of Wellness
Wellness is about more than managing stress or addressing mental health concerns. It involves the many areas of life that contribute to our overall well-being. The Eight Dimensions of Wellness, developed as part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Wellness Initiative, provides a framework for understanding the different areas that can influence our health, happiness, and quality of life.
The eight dimensions are emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual wellness. Each dimension is connected to the others, and finding balance across these areas can support a healthier and more fulfilling life.
As you explore the dimensions of wellness, consider where you are thriving, where you may need additional support, and what small steps you can take to strengthen your overall well-being.
Emotional
Coping effectively with life and creating satisfying relationships.
Environmental
Good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support well-being.
Financial
Satisfaction with current and future financial situations.
Intellectual
Recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills.
Occupational
Personal satisfaction and enrichment derived from one’s work.
Physical
Recognizing the need for physical activity, diet, sleep and nutrition.
Social
Developing a sense of connection, belonging and a well-developed support system.
Spiritual
Expanding our sense of purpose and meaning in life.
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Eight Dimensions of Wellness.
Meditation & Mindfulness
Incorporating "mindfulness" and "meditation" into one's daily life can have a significant impact on both physical and mental health. This section of the Counseling and Wellness Center website is dedicated to providing knowledge and resources about these practices to help you get started.
What is Meditation? What is Mindfulness?
These are great questions that are not easily answered. Meditation and mindfulness have been practiced since ancient times and as such have been utilized in so many varied, forms that it's impossible to give one clear and concise definition of what meditation or mindfulness look like. In the broadest sense, meditation is "a family of self-regulation practices that focus on training attention and awareness in order to bring mental processes under greater voluntary control and thereby foster general mental well-being and development and/or specific capacities such as calm, clarity, and concentration. (Walsh & Shapiro, 2006). Mindfulness can be generally defined as a "state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience. (Psychology Today, 2017)"
The Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness
The health benefits of regular meditation practice can include stress and anxiety reduction, improved sleep, better interpersonal relationships, and better cognitive functioning (Headspace inc., 2017).
Empirically supported benefits of mindfulness include a reduction in rumination, stress reduction, boosts to working memory, improved focus, less emotional reactivity, more cognitive flexibility, more satisfaction in relationships and an overall improvement in self-insight. Other health benefits of mindfulness include increased immune functioning, improved well-being, increased information processing speed, and a reduction in psychological distress (American Psychological Association (apa.org)).
Resources for mindfulness
Check out the mindfulness references on reserve at the Lawrence W. Tyree Library.
Links
References
- Epstein, Ronald M. 1999. Mindful Practice. JAMA. September Vol. 282 (9):833-839.
- Hart, Tobin. 2004. Opening the contemplative mind in the classroom. Journal of Transformative Education. January Vol. 2(1):28-46.
- Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society. UMass Medical School. Center for Mindfulness | UMass Memorial Health. Accessed 8/12/09.
- Full Catastrophe Living: using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. Jon Kabat-Zinn; [preface by Thich Nhat Hanh]. 2009. Delta Trade Paperbacks. New York, N.Y.
- Widening the Circle: Mindfulness in the World. 2009. DVD. Jon Kabat-Zinn and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health, and Society. University of Massachusetts Department of Medicine, Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine. Worcester, MA.
- Hurry up and meditate: your starter kit for inner peace and better health. David Michie. 2008. Snow Lion Publications. Ithaca, N.Y.
- The Buddha's Brain: The practical neuroscience of happiness, love and wisdom. Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius. 2009. New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Oakland, California.
- The Mindfulness Solution: everyday practices for everyday problems. Ronald D. Siegel. 2010. Guilford Press. New York, N.Y.
- Emotional Intelligence: why it can matter more than IQ. Daniel Goleman. 1995. Bantam Books. New York, N.Y.
- The Mindful Way Through Depression: freeing yourself from chronic unhappiness. Mark Williams [et al.]. 2007. Guilford Press. New York, N.Y.
- Mindsight: the New Science of Personal Transformation. 2010. Daniel J. Siegel. Bantam Books. New York, N.Y.
- The Mindful Brain: Reflection and attunement in the cultivation of well-being. 2007. Daniel J. Siegel. Norton and Co. New York, N.Y.
- The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation: A review of contemporary research with a comprehensive bibliography, 1931-1996. 2nd Ed. Michael Murphy, Steven Donovan, and Eugene Taylor. 1997. Institute of Noetic Sciences. Sausalito, CA.
- Zen and the Brain. James Austin. 1998. Cambridge: MIT Press. Boston, MA.
- The Miracle of Mindfulness. Thich Nhat Hanh. 1987. Beacon Press. Boston, MA.
- Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. Shunryu Suzuki, S. 1980. Shambhala Library. Boston, MA.
- Singer, B., & Ryff, C.D. (Eds.). (2001). New horizons in health: An integrative approach. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
- Situpa, The 12th Tai, 1996. Awakening the Sleeping Buddha. Shambhala Publications