Wellness is the act of trying to improve one's life to thrive rather than simply survive. A person who is seeking wellness is looking for greater balance and happiness in their life by making goals and trying to reach their full potential.
The
University of South Dakota lists seven areas of wellness:
- Emotional
- Environmental
- Financial
- Intellectual
- Occupational
- Physical
- Social
- Spiritual
The
UCDavis Student Health and Counseling Services lists the same categories, while the
National Wellness Institute doesn't include environmental and financial dimensions of wellness in its list.
According to the
Global Wellness Institute, wellness has been a concept since ancient times. In 3,000 to 1,500 BC, a system of wellness called Ayurveda was created in India to "create harmony between body, mind and spirit." In 3,000 to 2,000 BC, acupuncture, herbal medicine and other Chinese practices were invented to promote wellness.
There are plenty of other cases of people in ancient times trying to create wellness. The wellness movement began in the United States when physician Halbert L. Dunn wrote a book called "
High-Level Wellness" in 1961. Since then, more and more people have been seeking to take part in the wellness movement.