Wellness Theories

What does it mean to be healthy?

The Health TriangleThe health triangle is used to visually represent the 3 main components of health and wellness : Physical, social, and mental/emotional.

Physical healthPhysical health is the overall condition of a living organism at a given time. It refers to how well your body functions.Factors that influence physical health include:

Diet, exercise, rest, hygiene, disease, substances, environment, technology, etc.

Social healthSocial health refers to the way a person socializes, interacts, has relationships, and gets along with other people.

Mental/Emotional HealthMental and emotional health refers to a person’s ability to accept themself & others, adapt to and manage emotions, deal with the demands and challenges you meet in life, to learn and grow, and to use information effectively.

The 6 Dimensions of Wellness

This theory expands on the health triangle model by including a person’s work (occupational health) and their search for meaning and purpose of human existence (spiritual health).

Occupational (ability to achieve balance between work and leisure)

Spiritual (belief in some force that serves to unite and belief in morals, values, and ethics)

The Health Continuumhealth is viewed as a continuum with premature death at one end and perfect health at the other. Based on the idea that health is never static but rather a constant process

Health: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” - World Health Organization (WHO)