Exploring the 7 Domains of Health

Exploring the 7 Domains of Health

I have always believed that everything we do is interconnected. Which is why when I embarked on this health journey years ago, I called it a wellness lifestyle. I knew that each choice I made, each habit I developed would influence other ones with all of them adding up to how healthy I was inside and out.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.” So, it makes sense that health relates to more than just the food on our plate or the exercise we do. In fact, there are 7 domains of health that contribute to our overall well-being.

In the past few years our mental health has entered the conversation with more people sharing how they are feeling or conditions they battle on a daily basis such as depression or anxiety. We have now begun to realize that mental health plays a big role in our physical health. It influences our food decisions and contributes to the motivation we have for completing an exercise program or getting to the gym.

The pandemic also taught us that our social health can contribute to our mental health. Many of us were isolated in our homes but still found a way to connect with each other as we realized this connection and our communities were part of what we needed to survive in the long run.

So, what are the seven domains of health? And how do they apply to our lives?

• Physical Health
• Social Health
• Emotional Health
• Environmental Health
• Intellectual Health
• Financial/Occupational Health
• Spiritual Health

Physical Health

This has to do with areas that affect your physical body such as exercise, movement, nutrition, hydration, and sleep. It is this area where we tend to set the most goals such as creating a new exercise routine or changing our food habits. But also prioritizing sleep and drinking enough water throughout the day are just as important to the health of our body. It also means scheduling and attending your doctor’s appointments to keep on top of your health.

Social Health

This domain has to do with the health of our social connections: family, friends, colleagues. How well are we at forming and maintaining meaningful relationships? Do we have a strong support system when times are tough, or do we forge our path alone? We are social creatures and a community-based society so when these interactions are taken away, we suffer. The strength of our social connections helps us live a longer, healthier life.

Emotional Health (or Mental Health)

Here is where we talk about the state of our mental health. This domain is concerned with how well we cope with life’s challenges, our ability to control our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Maybe there are some concerns such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, coping with trauma. Our coping mechanisms come into play here as well as learned behaviors in this area. How well do we manage stress? Seeking professional help can be beneficial to managing our emotions and mental health as well as using such tools as meditation, yoga, and journaling.

Environmental Health

This domain has a couple layers to it. One is referring to our global environment and our connection to nature. How do we take care of the world around us? Do we spend time in nature appreciating the trees, the sun, or water? Do we have access to clean air and water? These are important fundamental rights we should all have.

It also refers to our own personal environment, such as the clean air and water, parks, types of food accessible, whether we live in a city or town, pollution, and our neighborhood. Plus, our own personal home environment, how we decorate, the bedding we use, what we surround ourselves with. Our home can be our sanctuary and what we bring in matters.

Financial Health (occupational health)

This is more than just the amount of money you make. It also refers to how you spend your money, save your money, and thoughts around money. Our beliefs about finances come from our families and how we were raised, and this often impacts our interaction with money. Keeping track of our income and how we spend it allows us to have a bigger picture of our finances, then we know where we can save, cut back, or invest.

This domain can often be tied to our occupation. And I am a strong believer that we need to LOVE what we do every day. Yes, I understand this is hard, I am living proof of that, but if we are miserable at work, it can affect many other domains of our health because remember it is all connected. So being aligned with our purpose and feeling fulfilled is important but that’s also tied to another domain I will address shortly.

Intellectual Health

This does not refer to how smart you are, this has to do with your creativity and curiosity, your knowledge, what you like to learn, and your passions. This helps keep your brain engaged and mentally stimulated. Having a hobby, taking a class, learning a new language, reading books or even creative pursuits such as painting, singing, acting, writing, those all fall under this domain. We need to have something outside of work that also excites us.

Spiritual Health

I often leave this one for last as it can have different meanings for different people and isn’t necessarily tied to religion. I am a spiritual person, but I don’t belong to any one religion. Spirituality refers to having a sense of purpose in life and understanding your own values, beliefs, and ethics. It is your connection to something higher or greater than you are, feeling fulfilled and happy, and most of all practicing gratitude. Many times, we take for granted privileges we have but offering gratitude for our basic needs goes a long way towards our health.

As important as all these domains are, it can seem overwhelming to tackle every area and make changes to improve them all at once. I recommend sitting with yourself and rate how you think you are doing in each one. Once you have that information, use it to pick one or two areas to focus on for the next 3 months, 6 months, or even the year. You will see once you start to improve in one area others will also improve.

In 2023, I spent the year working on my mental/emotional health and my environmental health. I started back in therapy, and I’ve been cleaning out and decorating my apartment. Both of these have given me clarity on where I need to go next. So, for the first 6 months of 2024 I will be focusing on my physical health and financial health. I need to build up savings and make some more money to take care of some debt. I also need to prioritize some exercise and health issues that need attention.

Choosing these two areas to work on has made setting goals less overwhelming because I have somewhere to focus. So, if you’re still thinking about those goals for the year, let this be your guide and watch how your life can improve step by step.

Wellness Wednesday

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