Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles recently shed light on the mental health struggles elite athletes experience. While most of us are not elite athletes, who is to say we don’t struggle too?
Stress and change are inevitable—no matter who we are. However, our ability to cope with stress and change—as well as life’s many other challenges—is determined by our overall level of wellness.
Our overall wellness is made up of five components: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual. To improve your overall health, it’s helpful to focus on the individual components:
Physical wellness
Sound nutrition and regular exercise are essential factors in physical wellness—as is the ability to relax. Try to take some quiet time for yourself every day, with no TV, phone or other interruptions. Also, be sure to get enough sleep.
Emotional wellness
Emotionally healthy people express themselves in a positive way without making others feel defensive. Being assertive is also important because this allows you to express your emotions appropriately as they occur. Being direct and clear with others can also help reduce anxiety and anger, allowing us to remain emotionally balanced and reduce mood swings. It also helps to maintain a sense of humor about yourself and life in general.
Intellectual wellness
The way we think, feel and act are all interconnected. Intellectual health is based, in part, on the ability to see something positive in any situation. Remember to use the power of positive thinking. Here are a few tips to optimize your intellectual health: Avoid irrational beliefs, all-or-nothing thinking, jumping to conclusions or blaming yourself or others for negative events. It’s also helpful to avoid “if only” and “what if” thought patterns.
Social Wellness
Social health is based on relationships with other people: family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Sharing feelings, joys and burdens is very important to overall wellness. Try to reach a balance between work and home responsibilities. Keep in mind that the only way to have a friend is to be a friend. This means taking time to foster and develop friendships with others. By providing friendship and support to others, you create your own support system.
Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual health involves believing in something greater than ourselves, which moves us toward a sense of wholeness. Spiritual health provides hope, courage, enthusiasm, contentment, and reflection. There is overwhelming evidence that those who have a strong spiritual base are better at managing the ups and downs of life. Spiritually healthy people are forgiving—they “live and let live.”
Your EAP is an excellent tool for helping you improve your overall wellness. To learn more, contact your manager or human resources department for more information or assistance. Or click here to learn more about the FEI EAP.