The 9 Dimensions of Wellness Pt. 1
The 9 Dimensions of Wellness Pt. 2
The 9 Dimensions of Wellness Pt. 3
The 9 Dimensions of Wellness Pt. 4
The 9 Dimensions of Wellness Pt. 5
The 9 Dimensions of Wellness Pt. 6
Recreational Wellness
It was a while ago that my partner read me this excerpt from a book that helped me realize how powerful it is to get bored (I can’t remember which book or which excerpt so I’ll cycle back to that another day). Everytime I take a social media break (which I try to do for at least a month twice a year) I reconnect to my sense of boredom which sparks my engine of imagination and creativity. I took my social media off my phone and use an old phone for it now for the same reason. Some of the best poems I’ve ever written or some of the most poignant lines happened waiting in line at the store or while using public transportation. So when we talk about recreational wellness we talk about what you do for fun that makes you feel good. This might overlap with other tenants of wellness. I say all the time to my clients when we discuss this — working out might be a health thing for you but it also just might be a hobby at some point, and that’s okay. What this tenant helps us to remember is that the intention we bring to work or activities changes what we take from them. So for Recreational Wellness this is an easy one-two. What do you do in you free time and what do you do in your down time? See more below:
Freetime - How do you spend large spans of freetime in your week? Do you have large spans on freetime in your week? Entire days free or large chunks of hours? Have you always/ever had these chunks of free time? What is your go-to activity for evening recreation or weekend fun? Do you play a sport? Do you game? Do you gym? Do you paint? Do you go to museums?
Downtime - How do you spend small pockets of free time that show up throughout our day-to-days? Are you on social media? Are you reading? Are you enjoying the peace of the moment? Do you knit? Do you game? Do you stretch?
A note worth making is that I sort of besmirch social media in my revelations around recreation but it’s okay to like social media and it be a place you enjoy spending time. Again, this is about intention. There is not good or bad thing to be in any of these aspects of wellness. It just simply is. It’s observed. It’s felt. It’s changed. It’s encouraged. But it doesn’t have to be judged like I did (my bad! social media can get unhealthy FOR ME and I shouldn’t project that on to y’all). Just reflect on how you spend your time.
Next up: Mental Wellness