Emotional wellness is the ability to manage your emotional states in an appropriate way. For instance, if someone crosses you on something small (which happens every day), it’s important not to dwell on it or let this trigger a bad mood.

Mental wellness is your ability to control and regulate thoughts, feelings, moods and behavior. This can be impacted by the environment you’re in or what medications you are taking.

Spiritual well-being includes a belief system that gives life meaning or relates an individual with something greater than themselves (i.e. God). This can be impacted by family, social or culture values.

Occupational/situational wellness includes the ability to balance work and life, setting boundaries in your day-to-day routine and maintaining a sense of control over your job. It also means being able to take care of yourself when you’re sick.

Social/family life wellness includes the ability to maintain relationships with friends, family and other people. This can be impacted by school or work schedules that may not match up with your social network.

Environmental wellness is the ability to create a healthy environment for yourself in which you feel safe and comfortable (i.e., supportive partners, good friends).

The bottom line is this: well-being depends on how we live our lives. It’s about making conscious choices every day that allow us to lead a life in balance with the world around us and ourselves. The more dimensions of wellness you are able to maintain, the better quality of your life will be.