The Holistic Wellness Self-Assessment

How healthy are you, really? Using the 8 pillars of wellness to evaluate your health

Photo by Vitalii Pavlyshynets on Unsplash

Being healthy carries with it a myriad of associated behaviors — eating leafy greens, exercising regularly, taking care of yourself, and avoiding toxic habits such as smoking, binge drinking, and abusing drugs.

But in reality, wellness is far more than that. One predominant model of wellness is comprised of 8 individual pillars — physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, financial, and environmental — each of which makes a unique, significant contribution to your overall state of health.

So how do you evaluate your wellness, and on what criteria?

In no particular order, you will address each of the eight pillars:

1. Physical wellness
2. Emotional wellness
3. Social wellness
4. Spiritual wellness
5. Intellectual wellness
6. Occupational wellness
7. Financial wellness
8. Environmental wellness

Below is an excellent visual diagram outlining the eight pillars listed above. While it’s a simple diagram, it is effective. Take a look at the…