Those who focus on social wellness place precedence on living in harmony rather than conflict and seek positive, interdependent relationships with others. They are willing to actively pursue different ways to preserve the beauty and balance in the world and are inspired by exploring other cultures, backgrounds and value systems. These individuals generally have good communication skills and high respect for themselves and others as they create strong support systems to rely upon. They are the optimists in our lives who are often in good moods and believe in sharing their happiness with others.

People who believe that keeping themselves in top condition is of high importance are generally focused on their physical wellness. This involves consistently balancing physical activities, such as muscular strength and endurance and flexibility, with healthy eating habits. Developing physical wellness empowers people to keep tabs on their own vital signs and understand how situations positively and negatively impact their bodies. The benefits of looking good and feeling great most often lead to psychological benefits of higher self-esteem, self-control, determination and sense of direction.

Because our careers take up so much of our time, it is important for our overall well being to do what we love and love what we do. This category includes individuals who achieve a balance between work and leisure time and often address workplace stress in effective ways. They enjoy going to work most days and manage their workload efficiently by contributing their unique gifts and skills to work that is both meaningful and rewarding. Their values are conveyed through their involvement in activities that are gratifying and can easily communicate with individuals at all levels of their organization.

This category is interesting because it can be interpreted many different ways depending on personal views. Those who focus on spiritual wellness continuously seek out the meaning and purpose of human existence. According to the National Wellness Institute, these individuals believe that it is better to be tolerant of others than to close our minds to the world and to be true to themselves by living each day in alignment with their personal values. In addition they seek to find harmony between that which lies within and the social and physical forces that come from external forces.

This dimension involves feeling positive and enthusiastic about ourselves and life in general. Development in the emotional wellness dimension includes recognizing and managing our feelings, being able to develop autonomy, maintaining satisfying relationships and the ability to cope with stress. These individuals enjoy life despite its occasional frustrations and can easily adjust to change. They are willing to arrive at personal choices based on the combination of thoughts, philosophies and behavior. Trust, commitment and respect are important elements to their interdependent relationships with others and they recognize conflict as being potentially healthy.

Intellectual wellness encourages continued learning, problem solving and creativity. This involves improving verbal skills, keeping abreast of social and political issues and reading books, magazines, and newspapers. They cherish mental growth and stimulation, explore new understandings, and search for lifelong learning opportunities. For students this may mean taking classes outside of their academic degree or program curriculum to help broaden their perspectives and increase their skill sets.