On Nov. 20, Freedom Home Care welcomed Rhonda Guzman, director of therapy at the Claremont Rehab and Living Center, to speak about the six aspects of wellness. She spoke about the life choices that are instrumental in leading to improved health, wellness and an overall better quality of life. Focused on wellness as the active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more successful existence, the attendees of the event were engrossed in her expertise on the topic of better living.
Guzman explained that the aspects of wellness are broken into six specific areas, including emotional, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual. These areas are widely accepted as the six essential elements of wellness and were developed by Dr. Bill Hettler, who is co-founder of the National Wellness Institute. They are commonly referred to as the six dimensions of wellness.
Each aspect of the wellness continuum follows specific tenets, which Guzman outlined in her presentation for Freedom Home Care. Here’s a rundown of those tenets, according to the National Wellness Institute:
Occupational wellness:

• It is better to choose a career which is consistent with our personal values, interests, and beliefs than to select one that is unrewarding to us.
• It is better to develop functional, transferable skills through structured involvement opportunities than to remain inactive and uninvolved.

Physical wellness:

• It is better to consume foods and beverages that enhance good health rather than those which impair it.
• It is better to be physically fit than out of shape.

Social wellness:

• It is better to contribute to the common welfare of our community than to think only of ourselves.
• It is better to live in harmony with others and our environment than to live in conflict with them.

Intellectual wellness:

• It is better to stretch and challenge our minds with intellectual and creative pursuits than to become selfsatisfied and unproductive.
• It is better to identify potential problems and choose appropriate courses of action based on available information than to wait, worry, and contend with major concerns later.

Spiritual wellness:

• It is better to ponder the meaning of life for ourselves and to be tolerant of the beliefs of others than to close our minds and become intolerant.
• It is better to live each day in a way that is consistent with our values and beliefs than to do otherwise and feel untrue to ourselves.

Emotional wellness:

• It is better to be aware of and accept our feelings than to deny them.
• It is better to be optimistic in our approach to life than pessimistic.

We here at Freedom Home Care were incredibly honored to have such a well-spoken authority speak on the topic of wellness. And as the director of therapy for a venerable organization such as the Claremont Rehab & Living Center, Guzman was an ideal speaker.  We thank her for her time and are happy to move forward armed with the tools for healthy living. We will be sure to apply them in our own lives as well as the lives of those we care about most.