Health lifestyles are aspects of health that can be managed in order to live a longer, higher quality life with less illness. The American Heart Association lists “Seven small steps to big changes,” or “Life’s Simple 7” (http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/My-Life-Check---Lifes-Simple-7_UCM_471453_Article.jsp#.VvRqg0fqM4A). They include: managing blood pressure, controlling cholesterol, reducing blood sugar, getting active, eating better, losing weight, and stopping smoking. Each of these have …show more content…
They include: social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual, physical, and social wellness. Each refers to the abilities of an individual. Social wellness is the ability to relate to and connect with other people. Obtaining social wellness requires that a person establish and maintain positive relationships with people in their life, including family, friends, and coworkers. Emotional wellness is the ability of a person to cope with challenges of life and understand themselves. In order to be emotionally well, a person should be able to acknowledge and share their feelings, both positive and negative, in a productive way as opposed to a destructive one. Spiritual wellness is the ability to establish peace and harmony in life. Those who are spiritually well behave within the guidelines of their values. According to the University of California, those who are spiritually well also “realize a common purpose that binds creation together.” Those who are environmentally well take responsibility for the quality of water, land, and air that surrounds us. They make an effort to positively impact the environment from the community level to the planet. Occupational wellness is the ability to be personally fulfilled by one’s career while maintaining balance in their life. Intellectual wellness is the ability for a person to open their minds to new ideas and experiences, applying them toward community betterment, group interaction, and personal decisions. This could be said of the continuing education student who seeks to learn new concepts, improve their skills, and challenge themselves in an effort to improve their life. Last but not least is the aspect of physical wellness, or the ability to maintain a healthy quality of life and complete daily activities without fatigue or physical stress. Being physically well means that a person recognizes that their